SNOWSWEPT
by CuddleFae
Summary: Dr. Lauren Lewis has been assigned to oversee the opening of a new hospital. Overwhelmed by all there is to know and learn in an unfamiliar land, she crosses paths with a mysterious woman with a dark past - a past that has caused her to live by one rule. Trust no one. Thrown into a desperate struggle, can they overcome the barriers between them in their fight to survive?
1. Chapter 1: Break Up, Break Out

**A/N:** So… I was working on the sequel to Finding Our Way – which means I'm re-reading it, which means I'm re-writing it because of all of the mistakes I'm finding – and there are SO many… and this popped into my head. I thought to myself… self, stick with FOW. Then, I saw this video of Alaska on Twitter and the story wouldn't leave my head. So, I had to chase it. I will still be working (slowly) on FOW but dabbling in this little ditty along the way.

I've spent several weeks in Alaska – beautiful state, beautiful people, beautiful stories of an amazing culture. I learned so much and truly loved the experience. I would go back in a blink!

This story, however, will start out in the harshest winter. I'm not all that well-versed in Alaskan winters other than what I know from friends I made there during my travels. Some live in the far north and what they showed me in photos and explained of their life there, I can only imagine. Some areas have snow throughout the year. This story is set in the areas that get the harshest winters. So, hope you enjoy this little story. Let me know if it catches your interest! Cuddles.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 **Chapter 1: Break Up, Break Out**

"Kelly, you need to stop gawking." The Nurse said, slapping her colleague on the thigh.

Kelly batted the hand away, shushing the other nurse, "I'm not gawking."

"Yes. You are. It's unprofessional and you know she doesn't believe in fraternization in the workplace."

"Well, she sure married a woman from her workplace." Kelly snapped.

"They were engaged when Dr. Anastas started working here."

"My point exactly. She hired her fiancé! Clearly she's in favor of fraternization. Besides, there's nothing wrong with a little flirting." Kelly defended.

"Flirting with a married woman is just wrong. Where's your sense of sisterhood? Women should have other women's backs – not stab them."

She sighed, looking down from where she sat atop the call desk, "Carolyn, you are such a kill joy." Looking back at the blonde doctor, she smirked, "Besides, looking isn't fraternizing and that's all I'm doing... but boy would I love to look at her naked just once. Her ass is…"

Carolyn held up a hand, "Do NOT go there! It's gross when what should be your inside thoughts become outside thoughts that the rest of us can hear."

Kelly laughed, looking down at the other Nurse, "I can think of plenty of inside things I'd like to do to Dr. Lewis."

"Yes?"

The two spun around to find big brown eyes fixed on Kelly's face.

"I… uh…" She jumped down from the desk, quickly turning around to shuffle through some papers on the desk, "I was uh… looking for orders for the patient in… uh… Carolyn, what patient was I looking for?"

Carolyn's face grew red as her friend pulled her into the fine mess she'd gotten herself into, "Mrs. Gardner?"

Kelly nodded, "Right. Mrs. Gardner, Room 319… I mean… 318."

The doctor's eyes widened, "Oh. Is she awake?"

Kelly looked at Carolyn, the two women sharing a panicked look until Shannon interrupted walked up to the counter, offering a file to the doctor,

"Dr. Lewis? Mrs. Gardner is awake."

The doctor nodded, "Yes, Kelly was just telling me."

"Kelly?" Shannon asked, looking at the curly red-haired nurse whose eyes seemed to plead with her colleague to cover for her, "Well, it was thoughtful of Kelly to check up on one of MY patients. But Kelly, Mr. Johnson is complaining that his bed is wet again."

If looks could kill…

"Thanks, Shannon. Thank you very much… for that." Kelly said, pulling a pair of gloves from the box in front of her, "I'll get right on it."

Shannon and Carolyn snickered, watching their colleague march off to one of the duties she absolutely abhorred.

"Something funny, ladies?"

The two turned to face the doctor, "Uh… no, Doctor Lewis. Nothing at all."

The blonde doctor gave the two a nod before adding her signature to a form on a clipboard and handing it to Shannon,

"I'll check in on Mrs. Gardner before I leave."

Shannon smiled, "All ready for your trip?"

The doctor gave a tight smile, "Just about. I still have some… things to arrange."

The Nurse nodded, "I'm sure Dr. Anastas is picking up the packing since you're on call. You two are a helluva team when it come to getting things done on time. What one doesn't do, the other handles."

"Yes, well, I'm handling things solo now."

The two nurses looked at each other, their eyes wide as they turned back to the doctor whose head was down, flipping through Mrs. Gardner's file. Shannon nodded to Carolyn who shook her head, pointing back at her colleague. Finally, with a huff and a sigh, Shannon spoke,

"Are you saying…"

Lauren closed the file, pulling it to her chest as she looked up, eyes still half closed as she decided she might as well just rip off the proverbial bandaid. Word was about to travel fast anyway,

"Dr. Anastas has filed for divorce, so I would appreciate any associations or communications that may be assumed between us, be… well…"

Carolyn interrupted, seeing the doctor struggle, "We understand. We should speak directly to the doctor on the chart or the doctor on call."

Lauren gave a sigh of relief, "Yes. Thank you, Carolyn."

There was a long moment of awkward silence before the doctor finally tapped the file held tightly to her chest with her hand while shoving the other into the pocket of her lab coat,

"Well, on to Mrs. Gardner then. Shannon, if you would accompany me, you can pass my notes on to Dr. Anastas as she is the on-call doctor for the next rotation."

Shannon nodded, "Of course, Dr. Lewis."

The nurse reached down, grabbing her stethoscope and wrapping it around her neck before moving around the desk,

"Never in a million years…"

"I know, right? I thought they were the real deal." Carolyn replied.

"Almost makes me lose faith in true love."

Carolyn shrugged, "Don't let that happen. We only ever saw them here at work. Who knows what was going on outside of here."

Shannon chuckled, "Outside of here? When were they ever together outside of here? Dr. Lewis never left this place except for meals and sleep."

"Maybe that's what happened." Carolyn offered.

Shannon nodded, "Maybe. I better get going."

Looking up, she noticed Dr. Anastas arriving, "This should be interesting."

She stepped away before she could explain, but Carolyn's eyes soon made contact with the reason for her colleague's comment,

"Good Evening, Dr. Anastas."

A tall woman with long, thick curly hair approached, "Good Evening, Carolyn. Quiet on the home front tonight?"

"Home front? Uh… you mean…"

"Our patients?"

Carolyn relaxed, "Right. Everything is mostly quiet. Shannon is handling our resident bed-wetter and Kelly and Dr. Lewis just went in to check on Mrs. Gardner who awoke from surgery."

The doctor's eyes remained down, staring at the chart she'd picked up, "Dr. Lewis is still here?"

Carolyn froze, her eyes remaining fixed on the list of occupied beds before her, "Yes. She was leaving, but Shannon reported that Mrs. Gardner woke up, so I think she just wanted to check on her before she left. I mean, she did perform her surgery."

The doctor nodded, "Quintuple bypass. I remember. She is conscientious about her patients."

"Very much so. It's what makes her such a fine doctor."

"And such a horrible wife." The doctor mumbled.

"Excuse me?" Carolyn retorted, without thinking.

"Heard that, did you?"

Carolyn nodded, "I suppose it wasn't as quiet and backhanded as you'd hoped."

"Well, you might as well know…"

"We've already been informed. Speak to the two of you separately about your patients."

The doctor smirked, "Beat me to it, huh? I guess she wants to make sure that she has everyone's support around here. That's okay. I'll be the bad guy if that's how she wants it. Just remember that Lauren may be an amazing doctor, but there's a helluva lot more to life than work."

Carolyn's opinion of Dr. Anastas was quickly diminishing, "No need to air your personal laundry. Doctor Lewis literally told us the two of you were getting divorced and that she would appreciate us addressing the two of you separately about your patients rather than expecting one or both of you to carry messages home to the other. She was quiet professional about it."

Dr. Anastas chuckled, "Quite… spirited… aren't you."

Carolyn shook her head, "Just stating the facts, Ma'am."

"And I appreciate that, Carolyn. Professionalism in the workplace is something I expect of all of my staff regardless of their position or standing in this hospital."

Carolyn looked up to see Dr. Lewis standing before her, "If you would be so kind as to help Shannon with Mrs. Gardner's port and post-op clean up?"

Carolyn nodded, "Right away, Dr. Lewis."

"Thank you." Lauren grinned, her eyes remaining on Carolyn until she had left the nurses' station. She took a deep breath before turning to her soon-to-be ex-wife, "Is there something you would like to say, Nadia?"

The brunette folded her arms over her chest, "I can't believe you're going to make the staff take sides, Lauren."

"I don't have time for this, Nadia. My flight leaves in five hours and I still have to finish moving the rest of my boxes from the moving truck into my apartment."

Nadia shrugged, "You've had all week. Are you seeing someone?"

Lauren scowled, "Now why would that be the first thing you think I was doing with my time? You do remember why you're divorcing me, right? How I spend my time has not changed. If I didn't have time for my wife, I certainly don't have time for anyone else."

"So you admit you didn't have time for me." Nadia snapped.

"My patients have always come first. You knew that from day one with me. I've never lied to you about where my priorities would have to be. I was not going to let someone die because you wanted to have me in your bed."

"There are other doctors in this hospital, Lauren! Doctors are entitled to lives outside of here!"

Lauren shrugged, "I'm not going through this again with you. We've been on this merry-go-round conversation for the last six months. I told you – this is who I am. I'm not going to change. You can't accept me as I am. You filed for divorce… not me. You want a life that I cannot give you. I gave you my blessing to go seek that life. As much as it hurts… and it does… I'm not going to make promises I can't keep and I'm not going to try to hold you in a marriage that is making you unhappy."

"Excuse me…"

"WHAT!" The two doctors, spoke in tandem, both pairs of eyes turning to land squarely on Carolyn.

Lauren sighed, "Sorry, Nurse. What is it?"

"Mrs. Gardner's I.V. is… well, the vein collapsed, so we had to take it out. We can't get another vein."

"I'll be…"

Nadia interjected, "Go, Lauren. You have a lot to do. I can handle an I.V., I'm sure. I promise I won't kill a patient you worked so hard to save."

"I know you won't, Nadia. I just…"

"Go." Nadia insisted.

Lauren looked at Carolyn who offered a small smile, "Dr. Anastas will help. Anything else?"

"If you don't mind, could we look at Mr. Jeffords chart quickly before you leave? I have a question about his transition to his new meds."

"Of course." Lauren said as Carolyn walked around the desk. She stuffed her hands into her lab coat pockets and looked up at Nadia, "I'll see you when I get back."

Nadia nodded, "You should know, Lauren… I've applied for jobs a several hospitals out of state."

Lauren's eyes went wide, "And you're waiting until now to tell me this?"

"I just decided."

"You said you have applied. Not that you're going to apply. It took time to get a resume together and do job searches. Just turning the screw a little tighter, huh?"

Nadia shrugged, "Like you said – you gave your blessing for me to find the life I want. I'm doing just that since my life is obviously not here."

"So typical."

"I've been nothing but patient and good to you, Lauren."

Lauren kept her eyes down as a sarcastic smile spread slowly across her face, "Right… until now. The gloves come off when Nadia Anastas doesn't get her way. It's exactly what you did to Olivia and Suzanne in college and med school."

The brunette had no reply, "I have a patient to check on."

Lauren watched as the brunette turned to walk away, but called out to her, "Just remember that your contract requires that you provide two weeks' notice."

"Right." She waved, not looking back.

Lauren shook her head, looking down at the counter top. She pulled out her phone and dialed the last person she wanted to talk to right now,

" _What!"_

"Well, hello to you too."

" _If you want to whine about that bitch of a wife again, I'm not interested. It's the best thing that ever happened to you."_

"I know and I don't whine."

" _You know? Well, that's a new tune and it's music to my ears, darling."_

Lauren sighed, "She's already sent out applications. I thought you should know."

" _I thought we did know."_

"I told you I expected her to be immature about this and pull something like that, but I wasn't absolutely sure until now. She's already sent them out. I doubt she'll honor her two weeks and I leave in a few hours."

" _Darling, we'll be better off without her. She wants to be a doctor who works 9 to 5. I'm not sure why she ever went into medicine to begin with. It seems she's more interested in the bottom line than actually making lives better for our patients."_

"That's funny coming from you, Evony."

" _I'm not a doctor, Darling. The bottom line is my life's work and it's because of that bottom line that you can do your life's work… and, by the way, your life's work is the reason that people are coming to my little hospital."_

"Little?" Lauren laughed into the phone.

" _Okay, so it's not so little anymore with the new trauma unit, surgical center and neo-natal care unit."_

"Don't forget the pediatric cancer center that opens this spring."

" _How can I ever forget those adorable little rugrats that are going to bring in the best oncology specialists in the world? Not to mention top of the line research center that is going to find a cure for that horrid disease."_

"We can only hope."

" _You sound absolutely depressing. Why don't you come over for a quickie before your flight? I'll show you what you've been missing with that ball and chain tied to your ankle all of these years."_

"I am not… you know what, I have to go finish…"

" _Moving? No, Lauren, you don't. I know you and I took care of it."_

"You what?"

" _I went over to your apartment this morning after you left. When I saw all of the boxes still loaded on the truck, I called my incredible hunks and watched them move the boxes into the appropriate areas. They were delicious. All of that flexing and grunting. Anyway, I made sure everything was moved into the rooms you had labeled on the boxes, so don't get your OCD panties in a bunch."_

"That wasn't necessary, Evony."

" _Anything for my Chief of Surgery."_

"Still, thank you for that. I can reimburse you for the movers."

" _Honey, they're salaried employees. I use them for gardening, cleaning the pool, work functions when I need some man candy on my arm and… well… other necessities in a girls' life. They're well cared for, trust me."_

"I'm sure they are." Lauren said, rolling her eyes.

" _My house staff unpacked the boxes. If you can't find something, check the list I had them create that itemizes all of your possessions and their locations. You can hand that list to your insurance company for your new Renters' Insurance policy."_

"I don't have renters' insurance. Honestly, I hadn't even thought about it."

" _And that's why you have it. I was pretty certain you'd forgotten all about living in an apartment since you haven't done it since your med school days."_

"Those were called dormitories, Evony. I paid for my housing with my job as a Resident Advisor. I couldn't afford apartment living."

" _Well, before then."_

Lauren laughed, "Evony, before that I was living in a tent in Afghanistan, remember?"

" _What a cesspool that must have been."_

"Yes, well it was a war zone."

" _Well, when you arrive home, everything should be taken care of for you. Your passport and luggage should be packed and in the foyer. Your carry-on has a neck pillow and snacks since I was fairly certain you would not have eaten a thing all day and would be due for some sleep."_

"Yes, well I was hoping to read over all I needed to know for the patients I'm overseeing at your new clinic."

" _Lauren, they can wait. It's a ten-hour trip. You'll have time when you get there to meet and greet all of your resident sickies. Remember that these people are not going to welcome you with open arms, Doctor. You're going to have to spend some time getting to know them and they you. Even then, you may not win them over."_

"I trust that when they're on their death beds, they'll give in, Evony. But if that happens, I have to be ready. I'll never win them over if I can't save them."

" _True. And you'll never save them if you die from exhaustion on your way there. We always promised to be honest with one another, Lauren. The day I hired you, we agreed I would tell you when you were pushing too hard. Well, you're pushing too hard. While I'm impressed with how hard you work and I'm not unhappy that the bitch Nadia is moving out of your life, the fact that your marriage fell apart is a good indicator that you're life is very one-sided, Lauren. Hell, even I get out and party once in a while."_

"I get out and party."

Lauren's eyes were drawn to the two nurses' who were now giggling, their eyes quickly moving back to their computers as they tried, without success, to straighten their mouths.

" _Relax, Lauren. That's an order. Now be on your way. I know you're still in that hospital."_

Sighing, she looked up at the ceiling as she pulled her phone away from her ear and shoved it into her coat pocket. Looking down at the two nurses', she spoke,

"Glad you could have a laugh at my expense. Am I really that bad?"

Carolyn offered a sympathetic smile, "Well, if we're being honest, we've been concerned about how much you work for some time. We've tried to get you out for Friday happy hours when you're not on call, but even then, you've refused."

Lauren checked around her before she spoke, "Honestly, my wife was not comfortable with the idea of me going out without her."

Kelly laughed, "Jealous much?"

"You have no idea." Lauren said before stiffening in horror. She was never this unprofessional, "Sorry. That was very…"

"Unprofessional? God, you need to loosen up a bit, Doc. You're allowed to laugh and have a little fun. We're all experiences medical professionals who spend a lot of time in life and death situations. We need to take our work seriously, but we also need to take care of ourselves. Having a little laugh during the day is okay… in my humble opinion."

Lauren nodded. Maybe Kelly was right. Maybe she needed to lighten up.

Carolyn smiled, "Besides, you're about to start a whole new life! You're helping EFM to start up that new clinic and you're soon going to be single and ready to mingle. I'd say that means you should have a new outlook on life. Besides, you gave Doc Anastas permission to chase her dreams. Doesn't that mean you should be chasing yours too?"

"That's a fair assessment." Lauren replied, "Well, I've got to run, Ladies."

"Your new life awaits!" Kelly replied while Carolyn offered a fist pump from beside her.

Lauren smiled and headed out, anxious to leave before Nadia came back out from Mrs. Gardner's room. As she stood by the elevator, she thought about what the two nurses' had said. Maybe they were right. Maybe a new life was ahead. One with adventure and a new direction. She grinned as she stepped onto the elevator and hit the button for the parking garage. As the doors closed, the symbolism hit her.

"The doors close on the last chapter of my life." She laughed when she reached the floor and the doors opened. Stepping out she smiled, "Watch out, world. A new state means a new Lauren Lewis."

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **Anchorage, Alaska – Local Airport**_

"Dr. Lewis? Dr. Lauren Lewis?"

Lauren looked up to see a young man smiling as he held up a hand-written sign with her name on it.

"Yes. And you are?"

"My name is Jon. My Dad sent me to pick you up?"

Lauren smiled, "I wasn't expecting a ride. Thank you so much for coming, Jon."

"No problem, Doctor. I'm supposed to take you back to the village where you'll be staying."

"Village?" Lauren asked.

He nodded, "Yes, Ma'am. The village is where you'll live while you're here. It's about five miles from the hospital. There isn't any residential housing around the hospital just yet… I mean… I guess it's not really a hospital yet."

Lauren smiled, pulling the handle from her luggage, "I've been told it's referred to as a clinic, so I expected it to be in a small town."

He waved her towards the exit, "Well, the clinic serves five villages, so it's centrally located to all of them, but closest to ours. My Dad thinks that between what will be the hospital and the villages, more residential areas will be built over time."

Lauren nodded, "I see."

He looked at how she was dressed, "Do you have a jacket, Ma'am?"

Lauren shrugged, "We're getting into a car, right?"

He laughed, "Well, you are in Alaska and it is winter, so it only takes a few seconds outside to get frostbite."

"Of course." Lauren nodded, "I'm sorry. I haven't had much chance to read up on Alaska. I was just focused on studying the patient files. In addition, my suitcase was packed for me by my bosses' staff, so I'm not even sure what's in here."

Lauren knelt down and opened her suitcase, finding nothing but clothing for indoors. She closed it up and stood, looking around the airport for a possible place to buy outdoor gear.

"Did you check your carry on, Doctor?" The boy asked.

"Right. My carry on."

She put down her large purse and opened the smaller piece of luggage that had been stored in the overhead compartment. She grinned,

"How's this?" She asked, pulling out a fleece-lined North Face jacket and pants, a pair of gloves and a hat.

"That's more like it, Doctor. You'll need these too."

He handed the blonde a pair of ski goggles.

"Are we going skiing?" Lauren asked.

He chuckled, "It's minus 45 degrees Fahrenheit out there, Doctor Lewis. Your eyes – I don't have to tell you – are mostly water. They need to be covered."

She nodded, quickly dressing herself before taking the offered goggles, "How's this?"

He reached up and pulled the hat down, "You need to make sure the hat covers the goggle straps. This neoprene mask goes over your mouth."

She held up the mask and turned it so the holes would go over her mouth, "Okay. Ready?"

"Now we can go. It's coming down pretty hard today, so I'm going to clip you to me."

They headed out of the terminal to the lobby of the small airport where Lauren got her first glimpse of the outdoors through the large windows.

"My God. It's a blizzard. Are you sure a car can make it through this?"

He smiled, pulling his goggles down, "Oh, my Dad would never send me out in this in a car."

"Then how…"

"We're traveling by snow machine, Doctor Lewis."

"But how will you know where you're going in this?"

"I'm a native, Doctor Lewis. I'm a walking, talking GPS device."

Lauren stopped dead in her tracks as they reached the door. This was her new life and it was going to end just as it started. She was going to die out there, frozen to death behind a teenage boy who got them lost in the middle of the tundra of Northern Alaska. Suddenly, she missed the warm of the southeastern lower 48.

"Doctor Lewis?"

She looked up to see the young man standing at the door, "Ready?"

"Are you sure you know where you're going?" Lauren asked.

He scratched his head, "Well, it's actually my first time coming to this airport, but I made it here, right?"

He couldn't see Lauren's face beneath all of the gear, but he could see the fear in her eyes. He laughed, "I'm sorry, Doctor Lewis. I'm just joking. I've been doing this trip since I was about ten years old. You can trust me."

He pulled up the hood of her waterproof jacket and tied it tight. He pulled the Velcro shut tight on her jacket and tightened her sleeves around her wrists. He reached down and made sure her socks were over her pants and her pants in her boots, then double checked her goggles and mask. Giving her a thumbs up, she nodded,

"Trust the teenager. Right."

"Come on." He walked to Lauren and grabbed her suitcase, leaving her carry on and purse for her to carry. Pulling a long, bright orange tether from his belt, he wrapped it around Lauren and clipped it back to his belt, "My Dad insists. Whiteout conditions can get you turned around very quickly."

Lauren nodded, pulling the shoulder strap of both of her bags over her head, "Here we go then."

He opened the door, allowing the snow and wind to flood the lobby. He gripped the rope when he felt Lauren get blown backwards. She tilted her head down and leaned into the cold, arctic blast, gripping the rope attached to her. She couldn't see a thing. She had no idea how this young boy knew where to go. She couldn't see any sort of vehicle anywhere. Not that she knew what a snow machine was anyway.

She felt a nudge and was suddenly pulled to her left. She looked up, wiping away the ice and snow that had already built up on her goggles and saw the shadow of what appeared to be a snow mobile.

Soon enough, Jon was strapping the luggage to the front of the vehicle before opening the seat, and yelling, "Put your laptop in here or it will be useless by the time we get to the village."

She nodded and did as she was told. He quickly closed the seat and hopped on to the machine before offering a hand to Lauren so she could get on behind him. He detached the tether,

"Wind this around us until it's good and tight. If you fall off, I'm going with you. I'm tethered to the ignition, so we don't use the snow machine."

"Are you sure this can make it?" Lauren asked.

He nodded, "It's got treads like a tank, not skis like a snowmobile."

She looked down and noticed the distinct difference as she felt him start up the machine. Next, she felt him grip her hands and wrap them around his torso,

"Here we go. Hang on tight."

Lauren did as she was told, gripping him as tightly as possible until she felt the pull of the engine nudge her back in the seat. She slid closer, regripping as they sped off into the whiteout. She tried to make out anything – a sign, a parking lot, a road, a tree – but she could see nothing. Fear gripped her like never before. If he was even a foot off course to the right or left, they could travel miles from their destination into the middle of nowhere. She'd seen the tundra when the small plane had flown her in. She had no idea she was landing in the middle of it. Why on earth would Evony be building a hospital here? What could she possibly have to gain that would be of interest to her?

To Lauren, the sickness that had gripped the village was a researcher's dream, but for Evony, it made no sense to the bottom line that was usually of interest to her. She was pulled from her thoughts when Jon stopped.

"Are we lost?"

He motioned to her to be silent as he pulled a shot gun from beneath his seat. He pointed with three fingers, making the shape of a triangle over to their right. Lauren wiped her goggles clean, seeing what appeared to be three black dots in the middle of the white sky ahead.

"Jon?"

"That's a polar bear. Three black dots are the two eyes and its nose. It's hunting and we're the only food around for miles."

Lauren tightened her grip, "Polar Bear? Aren't the bears supposed to be sleeping? It's winter!"

Jon slowly loaded his weapon… methodically… quietly, "Don't let Big Jim here you say that. It will just give him one more reason to call you Cheechako."

"Who? A what?" Lauren began, flustered. She shook out her thoughts, "So bears don't sleep in winter?"

Jon grinned, looking back at the doctor, "That's an old tourist myth. Our lands are not nearly cold enough to force a bear into hibernation. Average winter here in Anchorage is around 28 degrees. Better chance of sub-zero temps in the northern inland states."

"It's freezing out here!" Lauren shouted, to which Jon raised a finger over his mouth, "Sorry."

He gave her a chuckle and a nod, "So you've never been to Chicago or Minnesota in winter? Now that's cold, Doc. Here, we get occasional days or short stretches of extreme cold, but we're very close to the coast, so the waters keep us on the mild side of freezing… freezing, but not as freezing as other places in the country."

"Still, I thought polar bears would be floating around on icebergs."

He chuckled again, "You haven't heard? The ice is melting which means we see more polar bears. They've got to eat too and we're easy pickins' in winter time… not to mention that polar bears love snow. It's sort of their thing."

"Right. Of course." Lauren replied, concerned about the fact that there was now very little distance between them and the bear… of course, she'd prefer it be floating on an iceberg in the ocean they couldn't see right now, so distance was probably a relative term. Watching the bear sniff the air, she froze, somehow thinking if it couldn't hear her breathing, it wouldn't smell her. Boy was she wrong. He began moving closer. She watched Jon's hands tighten around the gun,

"Wh-What do we do?" She asked, her eyes fixed on the large white mass with the three black dots.

"Pray I don't miss if he sees us and charges."

"Praying." Lauren said, tightening her own grip a bit more.

"Doc, you're going to have to let me move if you want me to make this shot." He said, raising the gun to his shoulder. Lauren heard the click of the safety being released. She covered her ears as the bear began to move closer to them.

Everything happened quickly, a great roar, the deep breaths of exertion as the bear charged forward, no longer just a big blob of white. He was massive and it only became more obvious as he closed the distance. Suddenly, one shot. Two shots. A long groan, then silence. Lauren looked down to see off-white fur blowing in the wind as the snow slowly became stained pink, then red.

Part of her wanted to run to the bear and try to save him, but her eyes fell on the long, sharp claws of the massive front paws and she heaved a sigh of relief. She was a card-carrying member of PETA, but Evony had warned her that hunting was a necessary part of survival on the tundra. It was either kill or be killed, starve or eat nothing but the fish you might catch in a little hole drilled through the ice.

Jon reloaded his gun, scanning the surrounding area, "Keep your eyes open, Doc. He may not be alone. Stay on the machine."

Lauren nodded, shuddering when Jon fired one more shot into the neck of the bear, then moved back towards her. Opening another compartment beneath the seat, he pulled out what looked like a very large dog collar with a leash attached. He went to work attaching it to the animal before attaching the leash to a chain at the back of the snow machine. Coming back to the open compartment, he pulled out a massive hunting knife. He worked quickly, running it through the belly of the animal, clearing out its insides. The whole thing seemed barbaric to Lauren, but she remembered from the native culture articles she had read that if Alaskans were forced to kill an animal that attacked, they would make full use of it. They hunted to survive, not for trophies and most, not usually for profit.

She watched as Jon mounted the snow machine again and offered her the tether once again. Lauren tied herself to him again and then, as if nothing unusual had just happened, they were on their way with a polar bear carcass in tow.

This certainly was a new way of life and Lauren realized that she just may be way out of her depth. Oh well. It was only a year and she would have two weeks at home in the summer. Surely, she would adjust. Wouldn't she?

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **Big Jim's General Store, Point Siku**_

"Dad? Pops? Big Jim?" Jon called as he entered the rear of the store and pulled off his hat and goggles, instructing Lauren to do the same.

"I didn't expect it to be almost as cold inside as it is outside." Lauren said, stripping off her jacket.

Jon smiled, hanging up his coat and then taking the doctor's, "This is… well, let's just call it cold storage for now. Most structures have these rooms. It'll get warmer once we get inside."

He watched as Lauren jumped around, trying to pull off her boots. When she fell onto stack of dogfood bags, he shook his head and laughed,

"Yet another reason for Big Jim to call you cheechako." He led Lauren to have a seat and lift the boot up towards him.

"Who is Big Jim and what is a cheechako?" Lauren asked.

The door behind them slammed shut, causing Lauren to spin around, tripping over the boot Jon had dropped to the floor. She fell backward, catching a shelf filled with toilet paper, pulling it down on herself. Jon managed to catch the shelf, but the rolls of bathroom tissue covered Lauren.

Laughing, Jon pushed the shelf back up and began digging through the rolls to find the doctor. Finally, he found a hand and pulled her up to her feet.

"You okay?"

She moved everything around before she replied, "I think so."

Looking up, she saw a large man with long black and gray hair, his head and torso covered in fur. He shook his head as he walked past the pair, mumbling,

"Cheechako."

Jon laughed, but Lauren scowled,

"There's that word again. What does it mean?"

"He's insulting you, Doctor. But he insults everyone from the Lower 48 who come up here thinking they can survive in Alaska. All of these people move up here because of this trend to move 'off the grid'," He said, using air quotes, "These people think they can make it here because they read a few books and watched a few TV shows about surviving in Alaska, but the truth is, most don't make it through the winter."

Lauren sat down again, untying her remaining boot. Jon again waved her foot up onto his thigh, "But I thought you just said it's colder in Minnesota."

"Minnesota, Michigan, the Dakotas… they're really cold and they get a ton of snow. The coldest city is actually Fairbanks right here in our great state of Alaska. It's inland, so doesn't have the benefit of warming from the Pacific Ocean. Of course, Fairbanks doesn't get the most snow…"

"It's coldest but doesn't get the most snow?"

Jon shook his head, "Cold does not always equal snow. Actually, Talkeetna which is north of here and Alyeska which is east of here, get the most snow."

"How much is 'the most'?" Lauren asked.

Jon shrugged, "Well, what you see out there is just the beginning for us here in Point Siku."

"And where exactly are we? I couldn't see a thing on the way here."

He smiled, "We're just north of Anchorage. We get about 79 inches of snow and ice."

"Seventy… are you kidding?"

Jon laughed, "Now, Talkeetna, they're about two hours north of here. They get about twice what we get because they're in a higher elevation."

"Great. It's my understanding that the clinic isn't far from Talkeetna?" Lauren asked.

Jon nodded, "That's right. But at some point this year, you'll get to see Denali. She's a beauty, I'll tell ya."

"And Evony said she's building a satellite clinic elsewhere?"

Grinning he replied, "Yup. That would be in Alyeska."

"The same Alyeska that you said gets the most snow?" Lauren asked, her eyes wide.

He nodded, "They get about 179 inches of snow a year. Beautiful area, though. You'll have to get out there in the spring."

"Well, I'm certainly not going there in winter." Lauren said, turning her back to Jon and placing two hands on a nearby shelf, her head down as she mumbled quietly, jaw clenched, "She can't make me." She needed a phone… soon. Evony was going to get an earful. She could have sent her here spring to spring and there would have only been one winter to survive. Lauren was furious."

"Yup. She picked a helluva location, but there's a train that runs year-round from Anchorage to Talkeetna, so it makes sense for people to get to and from the clinic. It will also help you to get back and forth when you need supplies since Anchorage is a major port. You'll be staying here in Port Siku most of the time, but if the weather is bad near the clinic – which it will be - then you'll have to make do staying there."

"In the clinic?" Lauren asked.

He led her through the door into a room behind the general store counter where there was a coffee pot and mugs, "Your boss had us build apartments above the clinic. One is for you and the other two are rented out to local tenants to help your bosses' bottom line. Quite the penny pincher that one." Jon laughed.

Lauren shook her head, accepting the offered mug, "Sorry if she's given you any trouble, but she's very careful about where she invests her money. When she does invest, she's an exceptionally shrude businesswoman… one who might not live to see next winter."

Jon laughed, now getting a pretty good idea that the doctor had not been prepared for the living conditions here, "I'm sure. That's probably how she got those pretty rich girl red shoes."

Lauren sat down at the table near the coffee machine and wrapped her hands around the hot mug, enjoying the warmth on her cold fingertips.

"Doc, don't worry. We're all here to help you out."

She looked up to see Big Jim shaking his head and mumbling something before he walked toward the front door of the store. She guessed he was insulting her again,

"Does that include Big Jim there?"

Jon laughed, "He's my great grandfather. He's a native who isn't too fond of people with pale skin."

Lauren nodded, "I'm okay with that. I know enough to know that the native people of this state were treated poorly by some people in his lifetime."

Jon nodded, "My lifetime too. We don't always have a say in our laws and our land. People in my grandfather and great-grandfather's generations are working really hard to keep our traditions alive, but… well, as Big Jim would say, I like my fancy toys too much. He hates when I play video games."

The doctor laughed, "I can only imagine."

"The worst part is that my Dad plays with me." Jon laughed, looking up when he heard the small bell above the door ring, "Well, we're open for business. My Dad should be here soon to get you settled."

"JON!"

He rolled his eyes at Lauren who laughed, "I take it Big Jim is the boss?"

"Coming!" He called out before turning to Lauren, "My grandfather took over the business a few years ago, but my great grandmom kicks Big Jim out of the house every day because he gets on her nerves now that he's retired with nothing to do."

"Do he comes here?"

Jon nodded, "He and his buddies hang out over here and play cards, tell old stories, talk about the idiots in the government or the lower 48 and pass judgment on the customers that come into the store. My Dad calls them the color commentators of all the action here at the store."

Lauren chuckled, as Big Jim called Jon's name again, "You'd better get going before you get in trouble for talking to the cheechako."

Jon nodded, "Really, you'll win him over eventually. Just don't expect him to be a cooperative patient if you ever want to use your fancy lower 48 medicine on him."

Lauren smiled, "Not a fan of that, either, huh?"

"Did you expect him to be?"

"Of course not." Lauren chuckled, "Get to work."

Jon walked around the counter, calling back to the doctor, "When you're warm enough, throw a couple more logs in the wood stove and then have a look around the store for any personal items you may need. We've been instructed to run you a tab and send a bill to Evony."

"Good to know. I think winter is go to cost her… just for the hell of it."

"Paybacks, huh?"

"Darn right." Lauren laughed as Jon walked out to meet Big Jim who immediately pointed to a stack of boxes, then some empty shelves.

She took a few minutes to finish her coffee before she decided to get up and shop around the store. She decided to start with some clothes that would make sense for the weather… now that she knew how much snow she would be experiencing. Evony had made it sound like it was no different than being in Boston or Toronto, but in her first hours here, she'd learned one very important difference. Here, everything was built on permafrost and permafrost was not a reliable foundation for things like roads. That meant travel was going to be rough and plows practically non-existent where she was going.

She looked up when she heard Big Jim mumbled cheechako again, thinking he was talking about her, but instead, she saw a group of young men walk in, laughing and carrying on about how they'd put their truck in a ditch down the road.

Two men walked out from behind the counter, sending Big Jim back to the table near the coffee machine. She watched as the older of the two men, spoke to the young men,

"Did you guys come in here to cause a ruckus or to buy something."

"A ruckus?" One young man laughed, removing his hat to reveal blonde hair that looked like it had been bleached by the California sun, "What is this dude, from the fifties?" He asked his friends who joined in their laughter.

Lauren shook her head. This is why people from the lower 48 were referred to as cheechakos. These guys come in to a town where their land and way of life are precious and begin by insulting them. The one thing Lauren had read about in preparation for medical treatment was weather-related conditions and common injuries in Alaska. She wondered which ones she would have to treat these young men for if they ventured near her clinic. One thing was for sure, they didn't seem to respect the environment they were in.

"Dude, we need a tow truck."

The older man looked at the younger man and said, "Tow truck? Big Jon, do you know anyone who has a tow truck 'round here?"

Lauren grinned, now recognizing the resemblance between the two men and her teen chauffeur. She looked around the store and found Jon, who she now guessed was a junior. He looked nervous as he looked back at her, nodding his head towards the door where she had entered the store. Slowly, Lauren put down the soaps she had been considering for purchase and moved slowly back towards the door.

A red-haired young man from the group picked up a chocolate bar, ripped off the wrapper and started eating it. Big Jon typed in some buttons on the old cash register,

"That will be a dollar twenty-five."

"How about that two truck, old man?" The man mumbled in reply, his mouth full.

"Settle that bill first and maybe we'll help you out with that tow. Where's your truck?"

"Round the corner, flipped over on its side in a ditch."

The man she assumed was Big Jon's son, shook his head and laughed, "Ditch divers."

Big Jon nodded, "Cheechako."

The room fell silent just before the doorbell rang, the silence holding as Lauren's gaze traveled to the sound of the door closing. A traveler walked in, dressed head to toe in fur, snowshoes strapped to his back, a string full of furs in one hand and a rifle in the other.

The largest of the four young men, leaned across the counter, cocking his baseball cap back and leaning in nose to nose with Big Jon, "You know, I don't know what any of that means, but it sounds to me like you're being a smart ass. Are you a smart ass, old man?" He leaned in, now nose to nose with the older man.

"Well, seeing as you put your truck in a ditch, I'd say I'm definitely the smarter of the lot of us."

In a flash, the young man gripped Big Jon by the collar, snow flew through the air as the large fur hood of the new arrival flew back, a rifle spinning around the finger of a dark-haired woman with angry dark eyes as the tip of the weapon landed squarely on the back of the young man's skull,

"I'd say you're not too smart if you don't take your hands off of that old man."

"Dude, Tommy let him go. Dude, she's got a shot gun to your head."

The woman moved slowly to the side of the young offender, the barrel traveling to his ear, "I certainly hope the old man here is wrong and that you're smarter than you look."

In a flash, she pulled a knife from her waist, throwing it across the room, pinning the blonde man's jacket sleeve to the wall. She kept her eye on the man as she raised the butt of her rifle, pressing the large man's head to the wooden counter. Finally, Jon's Dad spoke,

"Boys, you don't know this woman, but we do. She is as native as native gets and I guarantee you that she's already reviewed the law and determined that she has every right to blow your friend's head off right now."

Big Jon added, "And she not only wouldn't hesitate, but would leave your bodies here bleeding while she finished her business and got on her way. Right now, you're holding up her schedule and she doesn't take too kindly to people interfering with her schedule. She's got traps to check."

She leaned down, pulling another knife from her waist and putting the tip to his chin to lift his head off the counter, "You hear that? I've got traps to check." She gave him a wink, "So, are you going to show the fine owners of this establishment some respect seeing as you're in their home or am I going to use the Alaska Stand Your Ground law to put you four gentlemen in a frozen Alaskan permafrost grave? Huh, boys?"

"Hu-hu… how many of those things do you have?" The young man asked, fear filling his eyes.

Lauren took a chance to look behind her, surprised to see that Big Jim and Jon both had shotguns trained on the other young men in the group. She suddenly felt like she was at a shootout at the O.K. Corrale. Maybe she should read up on knife and gunshot wounds… and traps? Was he talking about traps with teeth like she'd seen in movies when she was young? They were so cruel. How could this beautiful woman possibly kill helpless animals pinned in a trap. She sighed, collecting herself as she thought,

' _Careful, Lauren. This is their way of life. He said she was native as native gets, so she must have been raised this way. Subsistence living, right? Isn't that what the article called it? But… natives call it something else. Oh well. Whatever it is, you can't judge these people. You have no idea why they live the way they do. Wait, watch and learn. If there's a better way, you can explain it when you invent it. She really is beautiful. She doesn't really look like a typical native Alaskan. Of course, there are many villages and the lineage of native Alaskans was complex.'_

Still, Lauren couldn't take her eyes off of the mysterious woman. She didn't like guns… hated them, as a matter of fact, but yet here she was, in a territory where they seemed to be as common as the toilet paper that had humiliated her less than an hour ago. This woman, however, was standing up for the owners of this store. Her heroism was not in question, but there was a darkness in her eyes that both excited and terrified the doctor.

"Thata boy. Good choice." The woman said, watching the four men retreat into a small group, "Now, are you the ditch divers?"

"Huh?" The blonde guy asked.

"The truck! Are you the idiots I watched skid off the road and flip your truck in the gulley on the side of the main road into town?"

"Uh. Yea." The blonde replied, now looking appropriately embarrassed.

The woman nodded, "You almost killed my dogs."

Big Jon moved quickly around the counter, "Now, Bo. I'm sure they weren't intentionally trying to kill your team. They're from the lower 48, Bo. You know how they are. They had no business being on the road, 4x4 or not. Anyone would have taken a dive. Just wrong place, wrong time. Now, what do you say you go back there with Little Jon and settle up for the furs. Your supplies are on a skid in the back. He'll help you load those too."

She eyed the group of men, "These idiots going to behave?"

"We'll make sure of it." Big Jon assured as he heard his Dad cock his pistol. He grinned at the boys, "Just so you boys know, that man over my shoulder can put a shot through the skull of a bear with that rifle in one hand at his waist while taking out a rabbit with the pistol in the other hand at the same time. Seen him do it myself. I wouldn't try anything." He pulled a toothpick from behind his ear and put it in the corner of his mouth, "Big Jim, you make that call to the sheriff?"

"You're calling the sheriff?" One of the young men asked.

The blonde man stepped up to the counter, "Now, I don't think there's any need for a sheriff, right, Big Jon? I mean… we got… your lady friend's message loud and clear… it's Bo… right?"

He turned to the trapper, offering a charismatic smile, but instead, she pulled her knife from her waistband,

"Don't you dare speak my name."

"Bo, really. It's okay." He nodded to the back, "Big Jim and Little Jon have them in their sights. I saw it from the mirror in the front of the store. They drew right after you. Big Jim called our boys…"

The doorbell rang and the sheriff and his deputy came in, handguns drawn. They quickly looked around, the tall sheriff coming to stand between Bo and the group of men,

"Lower the weapons, Bo. We've got it."

Hesitating for a moment, the dark haired woman lowered her weapons, but kept a tight grip on them as she spoke through a clenched jaw, "Behind bars, Dyson. They belong behind bars."

"And that's where I'll be taking them, Bo. Now let me handle the law while you get back to making your trade and sale." He looked down eyeing one of the pelts in her bundle before giving her a nod.

She nodded back, taking the few steps to gather her bundle of furs, her eyes remaining set on the four men. Once she'd collected her things, she turned and walked back to Little Jon who was lowering his weapon at Dyson's non-verbal command. The sheriff then directed his attention to the intruders,

"Come on, boys. My deputy and I are going to take you down to the station. Looks like you've overstayed your welcome here." Dyson gave a nod to Big Jon who watched them walk out the door. He then looked over his shoulder at his Dad before looking around the shop for any damage.

Bo made her way to the back counter, her eyes landing on Lauren who was partially ducked down behind a rack of sweatshirts. Pausing for a moment, she looked down at the pile in her hands, then back up at Lauren before she placed the bundle on the counter. Looking at Little Jon, she spoke as she shuffled through the stacks of furs,

"Does she know sweatshirts don't stop bullets?"

Jon gave a chuckle, his eyes shifting to Lauren who flushed red as she stood, fumbling with her hands. The young man turned his attention back to the trapper, watching as she pulled out a massive gray, brown and black fur. She laid it out before Jon,

"Holy shit, Bo! You got a wolf? Damn!"

She didn't react, but calmly explained, "That one was kill or be killed. Luckily, I'm still alive."

"Gotta report that." Big Jim grumbled from the corner, his eyes never leaving his paper.

Likewise, Bo's eyes stayed firmly fixed on the young man, "It's already done. Report it to Dyson if you see fit."

Jon watched the corner of Bo's mouth twitch, a sure sign that his great-grandfather was getting under her skin… again. Nothing unusual, but he worried that one day, Bo wouldn't be able to hold her temper and someone would get seriously hurt.

"How much?" Bo asked.

"A lot! I've gotta weigh him, but I think we can agree that this guy was huge."

"Kind of like that bear you've got strapped to your Tin Dog out there? Mighty impressive." Bo nodded, her emotions still even, but Jon could see a smile in her eyes.

"Oh that? That was kill or be killed. The Doc and I are still alive." He laughed at his clever use of Bo's own words. He could have sworn he heard her chuckle, but he wasn't sure. Same old stern gaze, no turn up at the corners of her mouth.

He always wondered what she would look like if she smiled. When he was younger, he thought she was the most beautiful woman in the world. Since then, the ten-year-old boy's crush had been replaced with admiration and respect for how she lived and how she had survived. By now, he'd heard many stories from his family and the townspeople. He was sure a lot of what he heard was absolute trash, but some of the less ridiculous stories… well, he could imagine Bo doing such heroic feats. She was strong, brave and determined… everything he hoped he would grow up to be.

Now, as he stood here watching her sort out her other furs across the counter, he could see her getting antsy... agitated. Knowing how she hated to be kept waiting, he refocused on the task at hand,

"I can tell you that Dad will have to pay a bundle for this one, Bo. The Marten is awesome too. Let's go put them on the scale."

But Bo shook her head, her eyes fixed on Jon, "That the new doctor that was hiding in the clothing rack?"

Jon nodded, "Bo, this is Doctor Lauren Lewis."

"It's nice to meet…" Lauren began, extending her hand, but the trapper did not turn to acknowledge the doctor. Instead, she maintained eye contact with Jon,

"These two furs should pay any medical treatment I need for the year she's here. Agreed?"

Lauren moved to interject, but Jon's eyes went wide as he quickly shook his head. Lauren pulled her hands back, silencing herself as Jon jumped in to reply,

"I'm not so sure Doctor Lewis would know…"

Bo shook her head, "You do. Your word is good. Furs, plus the cost of the clothes your Pops makes for her. Start with the coat and hat. Those sweatshirts won't work up near Talkeetna. Hell, they don't work here in Point Siku. Have your grandfather make the clothes and I'll pay the labor. Next pelts I bring will be for gloves and boots. Should square the medical bills for me and my team. Agreed?"

"Her team?" Lauren asked, but again slammed her mouth shut, shoving her hands in her pockets when Bo's jaw clenched and Jon again shook his head at her not to ask,

"Agreed. Consider it done, Bo." Jon replied, "You still showing me how to set the traps this weekend?"

Bo looked down the counter to where Big Jim was shaking his head. She kept her eyes down as she gathered her bundles,

"Let's go weigh these. You tell your Dad to give me a shout if he's okay with you learning traps from me." She looked up at Big Jim, "Wouldn't want you learning something from an outlier like me without your Dad's say so, Jon. Not my place to say how you're raised."

She threw the bundles over her shoulder as Jon protested, his eyes traveling from his great-grandfather back to Bo as she moved towards the back room,

"Why do you do that? Why do you let my great grandfather push you around? It's not Big Jim's decision! You've been here for almost ten years now and you've always done right by me and mine. It was proven! I've known you all my life. Hell, you saved my life and everyone knows it!"

She spun on Jon, slamming him against the wall by his throat, "I did NOT save your life! You survived that ice all on your own!"

Bo froze when she heard the rifle cock. She dropped the boy, putting her hands up next to her ears as she heard the gruff sound of Big Jon's voice,

"Hands off my boy, Bo. You know I've always kept my door open for you despite Big Jim's thoughts of you, but we part ways if you hurt my son."

Lauren could see the trapper's face twist into a cross between a scowl and a frown. She was conflicted, but why, the doctor could only guess.

"I wouldn't hurt Little Jon, but he needs to mind his mouth. He's not helping things by getting involved with what's between me and Big Jim. He needs to mind his own."

Lowering the rifle, the man nodded, "I'll talk to him about that. Now, you best do your business and head on out, Bo. I thank you kindly for helping us out with those chee… those boys."

Lauren could see Bo flinch when Big Jon started to use the descriptor she'd heard way too many times since she'd arrived. She found it interesting that the man held back on using the word when his grandfather had used it quite freely.

She shoved the pelts into his chest, "Weigh 'em and I'll stop back for payment on my way out. Have to go over to the tannery and pick up the leads for my team. Make sure you take out money to pay for the load of supplies your Dad set up for me."

She pulled her hood over her head, hiding her face before turning and heading for the door. Lauren watched her leave glancing towards Big Jim who shook his head and returned to his newspaper. She turned to Jon who was rubbing his neck,

"Let me see that."

Jon swatted her hand away, "It's fine. I shouldn't have pushed her like that."

"Seriously? How about blaming her for slamming you up against a wall by the throat? That was completely uncalled for. That woman is out of control." Lauren replied, unaware that Big Jim's ears perked up at her comment.

Jon turned to Lauren with fire in his eyes, "She's not! She's my friend!" He sighed, rubbing his throat, "She's just been through a lot so… she's quick to anger sometimes… and… well, she won't admit it, but she did save my life!" He took two deep breaths, running his hand through his long, dark hair, "Sorry. It's… complicated. Come on. You can help me weigh these."

Lauren followed Jon into the back, "What's an outlier?"

Jon sighed, his head down as he began untying the bundle of furs again, "She's an outsider. Her Mom was Athabascan and her Dad they think was white or maybe part Navajo. They don't know. They call her a cheechako or a half breed, but she's neither. She's earned her place among my people. She's lived here long enough to be a native… all her adult life wandering through Alaska… all alone…"

He closed his eyes as he waved his hands, "It's not my place to tell. It's… complicated."

"But…"

"Please, Doctor Lewis. It's not my place. It's just…" He turned to Lauren, "Look. My great-grandfather blames Bo for my near death. I say she saved me. He thinks she's a cheechako because she's not full Alaskan. I don't agree with him, but he's… well, I have to respect him. He's an elder in my village and… like I said…"

"It's complicated." Lauren finished for the young boy, "How about you show me how to weigh furs?"

Jon smiled, "Thanks."

"For what?"

"For not pushing for more information. The whole thing stresses me out. I really like Bo. She's taught me a lot. It makes me kind of angry… and sad… the way the village elders treat her."

"I don't want to press, so tell me to shut up if you don't want to answer… but… well, if they treat her so badly, why did she step in and stop those morons at the counter?"

Jon smiled, "Like I said… I like Bo. What she did today – well, she'd do it for anyone, no matter how they treat her. It's just… it's just her way. I guess it's sort of that 'turn the other cheek' philosophy, huh?"

Lauren nodded, "I guess so."

"Okay, so… did you see the furs she had me set aside for you?"

Nodding, Lauren asked, "So your Dad will make clothes from the furs for me?"

"My Pops – my Grandfather. Dad doesn't do that sort of thing. Pops says he's lost his culture. But, yup. It'll get done and the new clothes will be much, much warmer than what you had on today – and drier. The wolf pelt will keep you super warm, but it's not as soft as the marten fur."

"I've never heard of a marten."

Jon grinned, "You guys in the lower 48 would call the fur from a marten, sable."

Lauren's eyes went wide, "Sable? That's like a super expensive fur, isn't it?"

He nodded, "Yup. You're going to be dressing in style, Doctor Lewis. Evony will be so jealous."

"Well, I'm not crazy about wearing a dead animal on my body. I'd prefer they get to live."

"Well, here…"

Lauren nodded, waving him off, "I understand… well, at least I'm starting to. Besides, when in Rome."

Jon looked at her, confused, "But you're in Alaska."

"I'll explain later." She smiled, turning her attention back to the furs with Jon. When finished, Jon pulled out the company checkbook, wrote a check out for the trapper and took it out for his Dad to sign.

"Excuse me, Dad? Can you sign Bo's check?"

Big Jon nodded, taking the check from his son, "You know, you really need to stay out of what's between Bo and your great grandfather."

"I know, Dad. I just…"

"I know. I like Bo too and just in case you're worried, I'm with you on this one, Jon. I always will be. Bo no sooner tried to kill you out on that ice than Big Jim tried to drown you. Just let them be. They'll work it out on their own one day."

He nodded, taking the check back from his Dad, "That's a hefty chunk of change there. You sure you did the math right?"

Jon smiled, "She got a wolf, Dad. It's huge. Besides, you'll get most of it back when Pops makes it into a coat for Lauren."

"For Lauren?"

Jon nodded, "Bo traded it and a few other items for free doctors' visits for her and her team."

Big Jon nodded, "I see. And did you take the supplies out of the check?"

"Yup. I'm going to go load up her sled."

"Good man. I'll help the Doctor with her supplies and then get her settled in at her cabin here. Are you taking her up to Talkeetna in the morning?"

"Sure thing, Dad."

"You know it's winter and it's an early train, right?"

Jon hesitated for a second before he nodded, "I'll make it."

"Set your alarm."

"I will, Dad."

He ran off to do his chores, leaving Lauren with Big Jon.

"Okay, Doctor Lewis. Let's get you settled… Alaska style."

Lauren smiled, following the man over to the food shelves in the corner of the store.

"Okay, first you'll need the basics…"

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **Behind the General Store, Point Siku**_

Jon had just finished putting the last box of supplies on Bo's sled and checking that everything was tied fast. Bo wasn't known for holding back on the reins. She let her dogs run free and that meant a lot of speed – even around turns. He had made sure the weight of the load was balanced just as Bo had taught him after she'd flipped the sled on one run a few years back. His Dad had yelled at him, telling him she could have broken her neck because of the way he'd packed the sled. After apologizing over and over, Bo had taken the time to show him how to correct his mistake.

Now, he was tending to the dogs. He knew Bo would be back soon and it was his job to make sure they're ready to go. He'd fed and watered them all once. Now he was offering one last bit of water to each pair, checking each of their health and harnesses as he moved along. He moved from the wheel dogs, Gaea and Athena in the back to the six team dogs in the middle, Hera, Demeter, Nemesis, Artemis, Hestia and Iris checking their feet for cracks or cuts before wrapping their booties securely to their feet. He then moved to the two swing dogs, Harper and Aphrodite before tending to the two lead dogs.

"I know, Nike - soon, girl. Good girl, Diana. She's coming." Little Jon said, patting the lead dog's heads before laying a pan of water before them, "Drink up, kids. You're heading all the way home when she gets back. I think. But who knows with Bo. She's a wanderer. Heaven forbid she should lay down roots or let anyone in."

The dogs barking gave away the presence of the dark-haired woman. He looked up to see her pulling the leads from her pack and moving to say hello to all of her dogs. In her mind, these were the only beings deserving of her trust. They'd never shown her anything but love and loyalty. They took care of her and she took care of them. They were her family whether hunting, playing or racing. They'd been together for years now. She would never part with them… or let anyone hurt them.

She saved Harper for last, placing a kiss on her head before unwrapping her feet and checking them even though she was sure Little Jon had already done it. She'd noticed that their booties were cleanly fastened with electrical tape. He'd done a good job, just like she'd taught him, but still, Harper was the oldest dog, so she always double checked her. Still, Bo knew that no matter how healthy she looked right now after only a short trek this morning and lots of rest, it was likely that on the trek back to Talkeetna, she would eventually end up riding on the sled. Harper was really too old for long hauls anymore, but Bo didn't have the heart to leave her at the homestead alone even with her old neighbors willing to care for her. She didn't trust anyone to take care of Harper for any long period of time. Besides, she'd promised Harper long ago that she would never let anyone separate them again. Looking at the perked ears and wagging tail of her long-time friend, she smiled at the bottom line… Harper loved to run and she was clearly anxious to get going.

She looked up at Little Jon who was obviously still awaiting her reply. She shook her head, "Maybe it's you who let people in too easy," Bo suggested.

Little Jon sighed and stood to reply, but his Dad's voice cut him off, "It's called trust, Bo. You should try it."

She looked up at him, a darkness in her eyes, "Like I trusted Big Jim when he told me they were just taking me in to ask me what happened that day? You really should ask him what happened at my… inquisition." She spat the word, "It was a mighty fine time."

"Bo, he's just an old man, set in his ways." He handed her a small sack, "Snacks for the dogs."

Shaking her head, she accepted the bag, "I don't have any cash on me. Not until I get to the bank in Talkeetna with your check."

Little Jon stepped in and passed an envelope to Bo. She gave him a nod, accepting the payment as Big Jon replied,

"It's a gift for the dogs, Bo. They are the ones who actually hauled the furs here. It's their fair share."

She nodded as Big Jon continued, "This thing with my grandfather… you've got to put it behind you."

"Oh really? I should just put it behind me. It's that easy, huh? That man had me questioned and when he didn't like the answers I gave, he had them beat me over and over until I gave them the answers they wanted. But even that wasn't enough for them. They wanted blood. My blood. My half-breed blood. So they used the lynching laws of the village to drag me…"

Big Jon clenched his eyes shut, not wanting to hear anymore of what he had seen from the shadows all of those years ago. The guilt of not having the courage to intervene sooner still haunted him every time this dark-haired woman entered his store. He would never be able to do enough for her to make up for his failure to stop what they did to her… for what they continued to do to her… largely because she would never allow it. She was proud which is why he had little doubt that the stories of her father being Navajo rang true for him,

"Bo! I know. I know what was done to you."

Veins popped from her brow and neck as she tightened her grip on the freshly tanned leather in her hands, and spoke through gritted teeth, the memories locked in her conscious mind as if it were yesterday,

"They took possession of everything that was on my sled. Everything! All of my worldly possessions were on that sled! Every ounce of gold, every coin, every photo and memory from my past and they… they put my team down." She moved to Harper, "All except Harper."

She stroked the old dog's face, before rubbing behind her ears, "I have you to thank for Harper being here today… and that I have a place to see my catch and make a living."

She stood and turned to him. He could see her eyes soften for a moment, but it passed quickly as she steeled her will, "It's taken a long time for me to get back on my feet… to rebuild. I won't make the same mistake again. I won't trust him again. I won't trust them again. So how exactly do you think this feud will ever come to an end. You don't really expect him to apologize for all that he did as the leader of that mob, do you? Hell, you can't even stand up to him. No one can. He's a village elder and they hold all the power. They're above the white man's law."

"Then ignore him, Bo. The people around here – they know you. They know you aren't who he says you are… who the elders say you are."

"Think so, huh?" Bo chuckled out, shaking her head as she began to turn back to her team, but the screen door slammed, causing everyone to turn and look.

Lauren stood with a hooded coat, arms wrapped around herself as she walked towards Big Jon. Bo could only wonder how much of their conversation the blonde had heard through the open screen door to the cold room. The area outside of the store was surrounded by trailers filled with stock for the winter and while it protected them from the whiteout conditions on the other side, it created a sort of amplifier effect to conversations that happened here. Everyone knew not to raise your voices in this space if you didn't want the people inside the cold room to hear what you were saying. Seeing as the blonde had on a jacket, boots, a scarf, hat and gloves, she had to have been in the room for at least a few minutes.

"Pops wants Bo to have these." She said, attempting to be firm, but her eyes were hesitant as they landed on Bo for only a moment before moving back to Big Jon, "They're…"

"I know what they are. Thank you, Lauren."

She nodded, stepping over towards the dogs who were wagging their tails, seemingly excited to see her.

He held onto the pouch Lauren had given him while Bo continued her work. Besides, he didn't want to talk about the contents of the package from his Dad. He didn't want to distract her from their original conversation. He wanted to continue it. He knew he wouldn't see her again for at least two weeks, so he needed to say his peace while he could. Maybe if his were the last words she heard before she headed out on her long journey, they would have time to set in and she might realize she had people who cared about her here… that she could have a home here.

"Big Jim doesn't have the ear of everyone in this town, Bo."

Bo shook her head, taping the last of Harper's booties fast before moving around the sled to check the balance of her load. She always double-checked Little Jon's work, even though his skill at packing the sled almost matched her own since her accident. She could feel Big Jon's eyes on her, so with a big sigh, she finally offered a reply to his comment,

"He's a village elder. He has the ear of the other elders. The elders still rule this town. They always will. You and I both know that. They are determined to keep native traditions alive, as they should. When he dies, the elders will still hear his voice... his side of the story… his side of my story. As long as that story is around, I'll never have a place here… not really."

"LITTLE JON! GET YOUR ASS IN HERE, BOY!" Big Jim's voice sounded loud and clear across the snow, "Get away from that cheechako and do your chores."

Bo watched as Little Jon cringed, his shoulders tightening up around his ears at the sound of his great-grandfather's voice. The boy sighed,

"Safe travels, Bo." She gave him a nod, watching him pat the heads of Nike and Diana before he turned and headed inside. She stared at the door for a long moment, contemplating how to respond, she hated how the men in Jon's life would rather yell than teach the boy, but alas, he was not her son. He wasn't her anything, really. Still, she couldn't help but speak her mind,

"You know, that boy is going to grow up and leave this place one day if your grandfather keeps treating him like he does."

"Like you?"

Bo shrugged, "This place was never my home, but it's the only home Little Jon has known."

Big Jon looked back at the screen door, "Maybe leaving here isn't such a bad thing for him."

Bo froze, looking up at the tall, dark-haired man. She studied the look on his face, unable to read him… a first for her, because she had learned that it was crucial to read people correctly when you did not allow trust to factor in to your interactions with others.

Her dogs became restless, so she looked up to see that the doctor had become tangled up in the leads that were spiked to the ground. She shook her head as the blonde struggled to step out of the group of four,

"Stay still." She ordered.

"I'm sorry. I just… I was just petting one and they all…"

"Stay still." Bo repeated.

Lauren stood still, closing her mouth as well while the brunette released the clasps from the harnesses of the four dogs. They took off like they'd been shot out of a cannon, leading the other dogs to begin barking and jumping, straining their leads.

Bo mumbled a few curse words as Lauren stepped back out of her way,

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean any harm. I was just…"

Bo looked up at the woman, "Stop. It's fine. Just… just stop apologizing."

"I didn't know I shouldn't pet them."

"That's what's wrong with you people from the lower 48. Always thinking you know how things are here. Well, things aren't like they are in the lower 48. Here it's survival of the fittest. My dogs are too trusting sometimes. They think you're going to give them love, next thing they know, they're being strangled by their leads while you say sorry."

Big Jon intervened, not wanting to let Bo say anything to the doctor she might regret. Winter was upon them and in all likelihood, Bo would need the services of a good doctor at some point. It might be the flu, it might be frostbite, but sooner or later, natives who lived like Bo needed care.

"Bo, I sent the snacks and food for the girls up by-pass mail. Should be at the half-way point when you get there tomorrow. Pops wants me to give you these," he handed Bo a canvas sack, "He used the scraps from the last furs you traded to make your girls more booties. He does love your girls… and he wants to keep all of you safe… hope you know that, Bo."

She turned to Nike and Diana, letting them off their leads, "Go fetch up your sisters. Go on."

She watched as her two lead dogs took off after their siblings. Turning back to her sled, she smiled at Harper who was still laying calmly by the stake attached to the frozen tundra, while her remaining sisters barked and jumped at their lead, trying to follow Nike and Diana.

"Good girl, Harper." She walked to her old dog, rubbing her head, "I know they're just stupid teenagers to you, but some day they'll settle down and stay put like they're supposed to."

"Bo, I really am… I do regret causing the tangle of your dogs. I hope it doesn't delay your trip, though I must say going out in this blizzard seems crazy to me."

Bo didn't reply, instead choosing to snap the canvas sack onto the sled. She looked up at the blonde doctor, shivering in the cold,

"It's not a blizzard. It's just Alaska. This is normal." Bo replied, as Nike and Diana ran to her side followed by the rest of the team. She got to work setting up the gang line for her team. She'd wasted enough time in this town. It was time to move north so she could reach the halfway point before midnight. She set the snow hook into the ground, assuring that her sled wouldn't move once the dogs were attached, then moved back to Nike and Diana, clipping their neck lines to each other, then their tug line to the central tow line.

Lauren stepped back to stand by Big Jon, "Looks complicated."

He shrugged, "Maybe someday she'll warm up to you enough to take you for a spin. She's got one of the strongest teams in Alaska. These dogs are finally old enough to run as a team that could be a real contender this year."

"Contender?" Lauren asked.

"The Iditarod. They've run a lot of smaller races and placed in the top five consistently… the last year they're mostly first and second place. Bo and the girls have a real shot this year at the big prize."

Lauren nodded, "I've heard of the race, but I don't really know much about it."

"I've got a couple of great books in the store, but I'm sure you have a computer to look it all up." He smiled.

"Actually, I love holding a good old-fashioned book in my hand to read. I spend enough time on a computer at work." Lauren replied, "So the short collars get hooked to the long line in the middle?"

He nodded, "The short leads are called neck lines. They're attached to the tow line – what you called the line in the middle. The tug lines connect to the dog's harness at one end and the tow line at the other."

Bo called out, "Diana, Nike! Line out!"

Lauren watched while the two lead dogs walked forward, stretching out the center line and forcing the dogs to stand and space themselves out.

"Diana and Nike are called the lead dogs. They're the most important. They set the pace and keep the rest of the team on the trail as Bo dictates. She says "gee", they turn right. She says "haw", they turn left. They're smart and have an instinct about what's safe and not about a trail. Bo knows to listen to them if they don't listen to her. If the rest of the team falls off the pace, they pull the gang line taut. Bo says she used only one dog as lead on her old team but decided to go with two since Diana and Nike seem to read each other's minds… and hers."

Lauren laughed, "Sounds like a beautiful relationship."

Bo commented, "It is. Dogs are trustworthy."

"And they trust you even though you named them after a sneaker?" Lauren quipped, immediately regretting her temporary loss of manners.

Bo's gaze fell on the doctor, a smirk spreading across her mouth, "Smart city doctor like yourself has never heard of the Greek Goddess Nike? The Goddess of speed, strength and victory?"

Bo moved her gaze slowly to Big Jon before turning back to the task at hand. Jon smiled, nodding his head as he turned to Lauren to explain,

"Actually, Bo's entire team is named for the Greek Goddesses. The dogs closest to the sled are the wheel dogs. They're the biggest and strongest since they have to get the weight of the sled moving."

"I noticed they're a different breed." Lauren said, her eyes traveling over the various types of dogs attached to the sled.

"Pops calls it Bo-sledding. He's watched her career closely and thinks she's onto something big with all the studying she's done about the history of every breed of dog. Something her Mom taught her. Bo's original team was very similar to this one in breeding. These dogs in the back are working breeds. Lauren, meet Gaea and Athena."

Lauren smiled, "Hmmm… it's been a while, but I believe Gaea is Mother Earth and Athena is the Goddess of wisdom and warfare. Strong women, indeed."

Bo mumbled something that Lauren couldn't make out, but she guessed it was either something to do with the trouble she was having with one of the lines or the fact that Lauren knew more than Bo had expected.

"Now, there are six team dogs between the wheel dogs at the back and the swing dogs near the front. They are Hera, Demeter, Nemesis, Artemis, Hestia and Iris." Jon smiled at Iris who barked at him when he said her name, "And Iris loves hearing her name."

Lauren chuckled, "So these two are?"

"Those are the swing dogs. The team dogs do all of the heavy lifting… often 300-500 pounds depending on the weight of the sled, supplies and musher. Luckily, Bo keeps herself fit, so she barely weighs in at 140 and that's all muscle mass. Her sled is sleek and well made, but right now, she's got a ton of supplies on board. A good 80 pounds of food and water will go into the dogs and Bo before the trip ends, lightening the load as they go, but in all likelihood, the team will have a dog in basket before they arrive at their destination."

"Dog in basket?" Lauren asked.

Jon nodded, "Harper will be riding on the sled with Bo. She's too old to make the full trip. She wears out, so the 80 pounds they consume will be replaced with an 80 pound Harper."

"Got it. So, Harper is one of the swing dogs?" Lauren asked.

Jon nodded, "Yes and that's Aphrodite, a fitting name for the dog who takes the best care of Harper. It's why Bo kept them together. That and because the swing dog helps to steer the team around the corners. These two are almost as smart as the leads. Sometimes the other dogs are watching the leads, so when they turn, they want to jump off the trail out of line to follow them. The swing dogs force the team to follow them in an arc around the lead dogs so both the sled and Bo make it safely around corners."

"So when Harper goes… in the basket… there's only one swing dog?" Lauren asked.

Jon shook his head, "Naw. Bo will realign the team and run with just one lead dog."

He walked over to Harper, "This old gal is also Bo's oldest dog and dearest friend. She's been with her since she left Utqiaġvik and came down here to the southern coast." He lowered his face to the graying canine, "You'll keep Bo safe, right? If Nike and Diana don't listen, Harper will make sure they do."

Lauren smiled when Harper barked at Big Jon, seemingly understanding every word he'd said. She watched as the man stood back up, his eyes running down the tow line,

"The new lead looks good." Jon said, "Different, but strong."

Bo nodded, "Yea. Archie wants me to give it a try. He tanned that bear pelt I gave him, tore it into fine cords, braided it with that synthetic tow line I've been using and then covered the whole of it in something I can only say looks like the same stuff they wrap sausages in. Stinks like it, too."

"That why the dogs are licking at the tow line?" Jon asked, nodding at Hera.

"Archie insisted they won't bite on it more than once and won't be able to bite through it, so no fear they'll snap the line. Apparently, he coated the inner rope with some foul tasting, unpleasant surprise for their taste buds."

Jon laughed, pointing at Hera who was now wiping at her snout and rubbing it in the snow. Bo grinned,

"I guess it works." She pulled a snack from her pocket and shoved it under her dog's nose who took it and chewed it down, seemingly grateful for a better tasting mouthful.

Bo turned back to Jon, "I have a new set of synthetic leads, so if anything happens to these, I'll stop and switch them out. I best be on my way. I want to make Hollow Pass by midnight."

"You're sure I can't talk you into spending the night and heading out first light along the train tracks?"

Bo scowled, "This is the way I live, Jon. You know I'm not about to follow those tracks like I need a lifeline. The day I start living in fear of this land is the day I die."

"Actually, the day you stop fearing the possibility of death out in that weather is the day you die." Lauren said, again, covering her mouth the minute the words were out.

Bo looked at the doctor, wanting to spit out a smart-ass comeback, but stopped when she saw genuine fear in her eyes. She lowered her eyes as she walked to the back of the sled, the team coming to life with vocal anticipation of the chance to get out on the trail,

"I guess that's the difference between me and most people, Doc. I've lived through more death than you can imagine. Death is just another part of life. I've been close to it myself, oh five times now or so. I won't live my life in fear and I definitely won't live my life fearing that my death is just around every corner. That's not living. Besides, if anything happens and I am near death, at least I know you're not far now."

Lauren's eyes went wide, "Not far? Have you seen where we are? It could take me days to get to you!"

Bo laughed, "Well, I'll try not to bleed out until you find me." She turned to Jon, "I'll make the Pass by midnight. Hopefully Sam will have room at the Inn."

Jon nodded, "Sam told me he has space cleared in the barn for your team."

"You talked to Sam?" Bo asked.

"He was in the store two days past. He asked if you were coming in on the train for your new job."

Bo looked down, keeping her foot on the snow hook as the sled lurched slightly forward. The dogs were anxious to move. She pulled on her gloves, "Told you about that, did he?"

Jon nodded, "You always take winter work. I wasn't surprised to hear you took a job with a big company like that. I'm sure the pay's good and I hear everyone gets benefits too. You haven't had a physical in years, Bo. Time to have someone look at…"

"It's fine, Jon." She said, not wanting the doctor to overhear, but surely, she had.

"If you have something you want me to look at, Bo, I'd be happy to give you a checkup."

Bo cringed, "I'm fine, Doc. Don't usually need medical attention."

Lauren shrugged, "That's fine, but since you've paid in advance, you might as well make me do my part to earn the money."

Bo gave no indication of a reply, but instead offered a suggestion of her own, "Speaking of medical conditions, you should get inside. Your blood's not up for this cold."

Lauren scowled, "I can take care of myself, but thank you for your concern."

Bo retorted, "Strong words for someone who just got here what – a few hours ago? This place will take your life if you don't heed those who've survived a lifetime." She looked at Big Jon, "You sure she's smart enough to be a doctor?"

Big Jon chuckled, "We'll see, huh?"

Bo nodded, "Guess so."

"I'm right here." Lauren said, frustrated at being the topic of conversation.

Bo nodded, "Yes, you are. You sure you don't want to run back to the Lower 48 where it's more comfortable?"

Lauren blew out a breath, "I've got a job to do here, but don't worry, I'll be out of your hair in twelve months."

Bo laughed, "If you last that long." She snarked, calling out to the dogs, "Nike, Diana! Line out!"

Jon put his arm out, effectively pushing Lauren back from the team who all began to bark and pull. Bo reached down, pulling the snow hook from the ground. Giving a nod to Jon, she called,

"Hike!"

Lauren stepped back as the wheel dogs began to jump and pull, causing the rest of the team to do the same while Bo pedaled the sled behind.

"Does Bo have to run behind the sled the whole way?" Lauren asked.

Jon smiled, "You really do have a lot to learn. Bo's right about that."

"She'll never last!" Lauren said, waving back at Bo while she followed Jon into the store.

"Bo's doing what's called pedaling. Riding the sled with one foot while she pushes with the other takes some of the work load off the dogs to get started… and if they slow to take a corner. She's fine, Lauren. Bo's gone for weeks at a time, but she always comes back. You've got to trust her."

Lauren pulled off her coat, "Right. Trust the girl who trusts no one. Got it."

She glanced back at the fading sight of the sled team and the mysterious dark-haired woman who had somehow found a way to pull her interest. She didn't know why, but Lauren wanted to know more about this woman… not just more… everything. So far, the story sounded grim. Maybe it was the doctor in her, but she wanted to help this woman heal from whatever scars lay beneath the layers of protection she wore… protection from the cold… and from those who had done her harm.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXX**_


	2. Chapter 2: Train Stories

**A/N** : Thanks for all the reviews and messages. Let's get right to it and hop that train to Talkeetna! Yes, it's a real train and a real place. There's a little old couple that has been living in a homestead just off the tracks outside of town since they were married and are now in their late 80's to early 90's. They live completely off the grid but have some people who help carry in water and wood now. Apparently, the train stops and waits for them to wave each day to make sure they're okay – at least that's the story we got when the train slowed as we passed their home. They did come out to wave!

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **Chapter 2: Train Stories**_

 _ **Next Day… Train to Talkeetna**_

Lauren sat back in her seat, staring out of the tinted windows of the train to Talkeetna. They'd departed in darkness and now, at just past ten in the morning, the sun was finally rising to warm her face and glance off the snow-covered scenery left in the wake of the whiteout that had hit this valley the day before. The view was majestic at the very least. It was unlike anything she'd ever seen in her lifetime. Snow-covered mountains, frozen rivers and lakes surrounded her as the train quietly pushed through the pass. By this time back east, she would have already gone for her morning run, done rounds at the hospital and performed two surgeries. Time moved differently here. She wasn't quite sure how or why, but she knew it to be true. She felt a little like she was on vacation… and a little antsy. Not blowing off that morning steam with a run would never work. She'd have to figure something out for exercise sooner than later. Of course, trudging through twenty inches of snow would never cut it. Especially since Pops had told her they would more than double that amount in a month up here. They had already gone through several snow squalls in the first hour.

"So, how'd you sleep, Doc?" Jon asked, handing a cup of coffee to Lauren before sitting down beside her.

She smiled, graciously accepting the warm beverage, "Thank you," She raised the cup to her mouth and inhaled the fresh scent as she took a small sip, "What is it you people know about coffee that we don't? I haven't had a bad cup since I got here… and I've had a few."

Jon smiled, "Cold storage of our beans and they're always ground fresh. Of course, there are those places that use bulk cans, but those places are usually in more highly populated areas where they're rushing to serve tourists who have a bus or boat to catch. The train is restocked daily, and they pride themselves on having the best beverages available for their customers… largely because at this time of year, fresh anything else is pretty hard to come by."

"I see." Lauren nodded, gazing out the window before looking back at Jon, "I noticed all of the canned fruits and vegetables at the store."

"Yea, it's that or frozen until the local gardens come back. It'll be a while before shipments can get through up here, but we can still get some stuff fresh through winter down in Anchorage."

He took a sip of his own coffee, before he asked, "So?"

"So what?" Lauren asked.

"Sleep?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. I'd forgotten that you'd asked. I slept like a baby, thank you. Actually, it was probably the very best sleep I've had in years."

Jon nodded, "I'm sure. I've heard you've had a stressful time."

"Really?" Lauren asked, sipping her coffee.

He nodded, "I heard my Dad talking to Evony… about your divorce. Sorry. I'm sure it's hard. I hope he didn't hurt you… I mean… physically, especially."

"Who?" Lauren asked.

"Your husband?" Jon replied.

Lauren only nodded, taken aback by the statement, unsure of how to respond. Evony had warned her that not all parts of Alaska would be welcoming of non-traditional marriage. Lauren had laughed, asking Evony how that was any different than any other parts of the world, to which Evony answered, _'…the number of guns in the hands of conservative drunks comes to mind, darling…'_

So instead, Lauren just nodded to Jon and replied with a more benign answer, "Of course, when you're staying in a place that only has five hours of light, the melatonin levels of the brain are going to be much more conducive to sleep."

"Mela what?" Jon asked.

Lauren chuckled, "Melatonin. It's a neurotransmitter that… you learned about those in Biology, right?"

Jon laughed, "You're not exactly in the hotbed of public education here, Doc. Survival and the General Store are my first priorities. School takes a back seat to those."

"Survival?"

"That meat and fish that was on the table for lunch and dinner yesterday had to be caught, skinned, cleaned and frozen just after. We need about five hundred salmon and a good equivalent of five bear for meat to feed our family. Hunting takes time, so if we're behind on our quota, school gets skipped."

"Can't you just buy frozen meets online? Amazon?" Lauren asked which led Jon to bust out laughing, "Hey. I'm an Alaskan rookie. Be nice and explain why my question is so hysterical."

Lauren smiled at Jon. They'd become close in the short time they'd known each other. She dare not ask where the moms and grandmothers were, but she guessed that he had taken to her as a sort of big sister or mother figure. God, she hoped it wasn't the mothering thing. She didn't think she could handle a teenager as a surrogate son. Still, when he wasn't being yelled at or ordered around by Big Jim, he had a great sense of humor and she enjoyed being around him. He was obviously excited about teaching Lauren the native life and she welcomed his lessons.

"Well, have you ever looked at the cost of meats? There's a place called Oklahoma Steaks on Amazon. It costs like eighty bucks for five little steaks. Add to that the cost of shipping from there to here and you're adding on another hundred bucks. Then add on the shipping in state and it's another fifty for the plane to fly it out to you. Those are mighty expensive steaks when I can go out in my back yard, find a bear, shoot it clean for about fifty cents worth of ammo and do the prep work myself. On top of that, for that fifty cents and a little time and sweat, I can feed my family for a month."

Lauren nodded, "I'd never thought of that."

"Most people from the lower 48 don't think of stuff like that because you have grocery stores filled to the brim with anything you could possibly want and a helluva lot of stuff you don't want. You throw away ten times the amount of food you eat. We shop in the woods and bring home only what we absolutely need."

"When you put it that way, I feel sort of awful for not growing my own food." She looked up at the waitress who placed a plate of eggs and bacon in front of her, then looked at Jon who smiled,

"I took the liberty of ordering you brunch. I know you had coffee and a muffin early this morning, but you're probably going to be hungry again. Your clock was all out of whack yesterday. I noticed you didn't eat much lunch or dinner."

The pair laughed out loud when Lauren's stomach took that moment to let its hunger known with a loud growl.

"Eggs it is, then!" Lauren said, clicking her fork against Jon's raised utensil, "I think my stomach sees the sun on the horizon and thinks it's six in the morning."

Jon nodded, "The days are already getting longer. By Mid-March we'll be at twelve hours of daylight. That's when things will probably get a bit rough for you, but we can cover your windows with black curtains. It helps. This time of year, you get a lot of drunks and depressed people. All this darkness is rough. Some people get really down and don't get out when the sun is up. That just makes it worse."

Lauren nodded, "I'm sure it does, but thank you for that information. I'll be sure to add mental health checks to all of my patient visits." She took a sip of her coffee, "I'm actually looking forward to experiencing full daylight hours. I've heard about all sorts of phenomena. The aurora borealis, sun dogs… it all sounds fascinating."

Jon smiled, looking out across the lands he had traversed in this train many, many times in his short life. It really was an amazing place to live. Maybe he took it for granted more than he should, but he sure would like to travel to another state one day. Washington and California weren't that far. He had read and seen a lot of pictures on line of Seattle and San Francisco. He was curious about big cities and big city life. Of course, he would dare not talk about it to his family. It was expected that he would stay and take over the General Store. But still… he could dream of what life was like in places like Boston where Doctor Lewis lived.

They ate quietly, neither having much else to say for now. Rather, they enjoyed the scenery until the waitress came to collect their plates. Jon looked up and smiled, giving Lauren a nudge,

"Moose."

"Ohmagosh!" Lauren shouted excitedly, turning sideways in her seat, her face pressed up against the glass, "That's amazing! He's huge! I had no idea they were that big! Does he have a mate? Are there any babies?"

Jon laughed. He'd seen plenty of Moose in his life, but he would never tire of watching tourists and visitors see a Moose for the first time. The reaction was always the same. They were shocked and awed, then the excitement and questions would start. After the moment passed, they spent the rest of the day hoping to see another Moose, or better yet, a bear. He figured Lauren would prefer not to see another bear, polar or otherwise, ever again. At some point today, he would have to start the conversation about how to handle herself if she were to see a bear… and show her the can of bear mace he's packed in her supplies. He had to admit, he was worried. The sight of the polar bear had made her freeze solid. While that could be a benefit, usually such a reaction was followed by running and that was never a good reaction to a bear.

"Will we see more?" She asked, turning to Jon.

Her eyes were wide, her face flushed and her smile spread wide across her face. The sheer joy was a pleasure to see. He sat back in his seat, a satisfied grin on his face. He wished Bo would smile like that once in a while. He wondered… what had taken her smile away? Surely all kids smiled. When had Bo's left her face?

"Jon? Are you alright?" Lauren asked, sitting next to the young boy, "Is something wrong?"

He shook his head, "Not at all. I was just… well, you reminded me of something." He looked out at the passing landscape before he looked back to Lauren, "I love the way tourist and visitors react to seeing our wildlife. It's so cool to be able to share that with someone who's never seen it before. The smile on your face… well, my Mom would have called that a 'feel good moment'. She told me to live a life that gives me a whole lot of those. If I had moments where I felt good about something I'd done for someone, then I had my life on the right track."

"So do you get those moments often?" Lauren asked.

Jon shook his head, "I suppose I should feel good about loading trucks and hauling goods to people in the village who need them, but mostly I guess… well, I guess I feel like those people could do those things for themselves and… well, when I bring their stuff to them, they don't exactly look like they feel good."

"I suppose they take the work you do for them for granted."

Jon nodded, "I guess. But that moment you just had? They only come around during tourist season and for as much as the native community complains about crowds and tourist idiots, they bring a lot of money into our community and well, for me, I'm proud of my culture and my land. I like that they want to know more about us and I like it even more when they realize how strong we are to survive here… how amazing generations of my people are."

"It sounds to me like you should be working with the tourists." Lauren replied, adding up everything Jon had told her.

"Yea, right. Try telling Big Jim I'm going to leave the store to go work with the cheechakos. No way he's letting that happen."

Lauren sighed, pausing for a long moment, considering whether or not she should ask the question that had been gnawing at her. Finally, she decided to give it a try,

"Jon, why is it that Big Jim seems to be the one who gives all the orders? He's retired, but still seems to be running the store… and his son, grandson and great-grandson's lives."

The boy offered a tight smile, but answered, "Circle of trust?"

"What?" Lauren asked.

"The circle of trust. You guys have that in the lower 48, right?"

Lauren looked just as confused as when he'd first mentioned the circle, "I'm not sure what you're talking about."

"I saw it on a movie. Meet the Fockers. I watched it Netflix."

Lauren's eyes went wide, "Of course." Lauren laughed, "Well, I think they have that in the movies, but not necessarily in real life. We can have one though… you and me."

"That would be awesome. I would get in a lot of trouble for talking about Big Jim… well… anything about the elders, really."

"I'm afraid I don't really know much about native village life." Lauren said, honestly.

"Well, let's see…" He thought for a moment, wondering how to explain the complex culture, "Alaskan Natives are made up of the Aleut, Athabaskan, Haida, Inupiat, Tlingit, Tsimshian and Yupik peoples. Now that Athabaskans – that's my people – there's Canadian and Alaskan ones and a lot of villages with different names in each of those groups. That's why I said it gets complicated. Some are Eskimo and some are Native American – something I thought might explain Bo's parents, but I'll get to that later."

He took a breath, then continued, "Anyway, my family is Dena'ina Athabaskan. They came mostly from the south and southwest and lived along the Cook Inlet where we stilI do most of our fishing today. I guess across Alaska, all natives total about a hundred thousand… maybe less, just in Alaska. Together, we speak twenty different languages. We're mostly in non-urban areas. I think there's like two hundred villages and I don't think the population of any of those villages is more than two thousand or so. The Federal Government likes to lump the tribes into groups like Northern Eskimo and Southern Eskimo, but frankly, most of our elders find the word Eskimo offensive because it's a name that was given to us by the white man when they came and started to take over our land."

"No to the word Eskimo. Got it." Lauren said, although Evony had already told her that much. Damn she wished she had taken the time to read those books instead of arguing with Nadia over a stupid table lamp.

He continued, "So, our villages are still fighting to maintain their own laws while the state and federal governments want to enforce their laws on us. Needless to say, we have a sort of uneasy peace about the laws. Most natives are handed over to native authorities and the state government just keeps an eye on making sure they're actually punished accordingly by the tribe."

Lauren scowled, "So the lynching I heard Bo talking about."

Jon frowned, his eyes lowering to where his hands were playing with the plastic stirrer from his earlier cup of coffee,

"They don't really tell me much about it, but I got a good earful yesterday when Bo and my Dad were arguing. They forget sometimes that the trailers outside the store sort of amplify sound."

Lauren nodded, "I heard them too. I was stocking the cans Pops asked me to stack and then getting dressed to take the package out to Bo. It didn't sound good."

Jon agreed, "No, but a lot of pieces fell into place for me. You see… when I was ten years old, I followed Bo out trapping. I was old enough to know better, but… well, I was sort of crushing on her. I wanted to be around her all the time. I sort of followed her everywhere."

"That's adorable." Lauren said, causing Jon to blush.

"Okay, okay. Enough picking on the little kid crush." He smiled, "So, back then, Bo had just arrived in the village. She's part Northern Athabaskan on her Mom's side. They think her dad was Navajo. How the two of them would have gotten together, no one knows, but for some reason, her 'half-breed' status, caused the elders to mistrust her. My Dad is a lot more forward thinking and so is Pops for the most part. They just saw a young woman trying to stay alive."

"Where are her parents now?" Lauren asked.

Jon shrugged, "No one knows and Bo doesn't talk about it. Well, she had to answer questions from the elders when she first arrived and I'm sure they asked, but I don't think she's every told anyone else. Anyway, Bo's Iñupiaq. She's from Utqiaġvik – well, you might still find it on a map as Barrow, but they've re-taken their native name. It's the northern most tip of Alaska where there's pretty much nothing but tundra. No roads, not much game, not much of anything, really. That's what impressed everyone – well, my Dad and Pops, anyway. They said that any woman who had survived on her own from age sixteen to adulthood traveling from there to here deserved a shot at living among our native village here, no matter what her lineage."

Lauren had pulled the map out of the seatback and opened it to the full image of the state, "She traveled across the entire state."

"I'm sure she didn't travel in a straight line. She never would have made it. Besides, I know she was in Nome and Sitka, so she definitely came down the west coast."

"That's even longer." Lauren replied, "My God. How in the world…"

"Bo is very skilled. I don't know who raised her, but whoever it was, they taught her well. I don't know anyone better. She may not win every sled dog race, but no one could outrun her if they lengthened it. She ends that race looking as fresh as she did the day she left. Same with the dogs, mostly… except Harper."

"The eldest dog." Lauren said, remembering the adorable gray-faced dog.

"So anyway, the native names are being given back to landmarks all over the state. The government is making good on their promise to the natives, so it's pretty cool. Another example is what used to be Mount McKinley has been given back its' traditional native name and is now Denali again."

"I've heard about Denali. It's on my to do list," Lauren said, "Though I hear it's rare to see it."

He nodded, "Denali's peak is so high that it actually has its own weather system. For that reason, fog, cloud cover or heavy snow make it very unpredictable. I know tourists and natives alike who have traveled all the way here from all over the world hoping to catch a glimpse of it, only to be washed out for their entire two-week vacation."

"Well, maybe I'll get lucky."

Jon suddenly stopped talking and stood, staring out the window. He looked at Lauren and then around the mostly empty train car before he called out,

"She's out! She's there! It's Denali!" He shouted, looking down at Lauren, "You really did get lucky!"

The seats of the train emptied on one side as everyone shifted to the other, cell phone cameras at the ready as they stared out the train windows. Lauren was a step behind, still trying to register what he was saying, but when she finally looked out the window, her jaw dropped open,

"There she is. Einstein… she's… beautiful. I've never seen anything so beautiful in my life." Lauren said, her voice barely a whisper as she pressed her nose against the glass, trying to get closer.

"Doc?" Jon asked, causing Lauren to turn around to see him holding up his phone. She heard the sound of the camera and smiled, "Now you have a picture of you with Denali. Proof you actually saw her."

"Come on, let's take a selfie." Lauren grinned, pulling Jon in beside her. They smiled together as Jon held up the camera, getting the perfect angle for the picture.

Lauren looked at his phone, "Awesome! You have an iPhone. Airdrop it to me."

They held their phones out to each other and shared the picture, "Jon, I will cherish this moment for the rest of my life. Thank you."

Jon laughed, "All I did was point at the mountain. Thank Denali for coming out to play with you."

Lauren smiled, her hands coming up and clapping together rapidly as she turned to the mountain, "Thank you, Denali. Thank you for showing your face today."

They both sat, staring at the mountain for the next half hour when trees in a wooded area surrounded the train. At that point, Lauren turned back to Jon,

"So, can you tell me more about Bo?"

Jon nodded, "Well, like I said, she came here and the village allowed her to stay. From what I understand, it was on a trial basis. Big Jim didn't like her from the get-go. He's what me and my friends call a blood snob. He calls us disrespectful of traditions. I guess he's right that our traditions are important, but at the same time, if our traditions mean treating other people like trash, then I'd rather not stay with the village."

Lauren didn't know how to respond to that, so she just tried to support how he felt, "I can understand why you might feel that way."

Jon smiled, "A very diplomatic answer, Doctor. You may do fine walking the line between state and village."

"Good to know." Lauren replied.

"So, my Dad was cool with Bo teaching me stuff. He saw her skills and knew there was no one better in our village. Knowing that she was Northern Athabascan, he felt like she was kin. Of course, Big Jim didn't see it that way since her Dad wasn't. Regardless, my Dad… surprisingly enough… stood up to his grandfather, the elder and told him it was his decision who taught me native ways. They really got into it. I was about eight or nine and was sitting on the back porch. Finally, my grandfather agreed, but he wanted to test her."

"To what?"

"I know, I know, right? He wanted to test her native knowledge."

"I take it she passed?"

"He called my Dad in to do internet searches of some of the stuff she told him. Even he didn't know some of the stuff she knew. Like he didn't know that you could use seal blubber to get a high-protein fat that's loaded with other nutrients for sled dogs. She taught me later that she traveled the coast to keep her dogs alive. Seal blubber and fish mixed with melted snow kept them loaded with nutrients and hydrated. Most dogs won't drink water in the winter because it just makes them colder."

Lauren nodded, "The freezing temperatures would freeze the water before it had a chance to be absorbed by the body."

"You know dog doctoring too?"

Lauren laughed, "Hardly. I mean, there are similarities between canine and human body systems both anatomically and physiologically but their diseases, conditions, vital signs… well, there are many differences. Still, much of my initial anatomical education was done with practical work on feline and canine species."

Jon laughed, "You know, when you go all doctor mode, I don't understand much of what you say."

Again, Lauren laughed, "Sorry. Short version, I've worked on dog and cat bodies, but they're very different than working on humans. If I had to, I guess I could get by, but I wouldn't be the first choice. A veterinary doctor is much, much… much, much more qualified than I am to tend to animals."

Nodding, Jon replied, "I see."

"So, back to Bo."

"Right. So for a little over a year and a half, I learned everything from Bo about hunting, fishing, survival and dogs. I learned a lot about her dogs."

Lauren watched Jon's features suddenly morph into sadness, "What's wrong?"

"Those pieces I connected yesterday? Well, let's just say that Bo's first team began with one dog."

"Harper."

Jon nodded, "Harper. She was the lead dog of the original team… a gift from her Mother when she turned sixteen. She's twelve years old now and while she's still going strong, she gets stiff after a long run, so Bo has to spend a lot of time massaging her legs and giving her warms soaks to keep her from being in pain."

"I might be able to help with the pain."

Jon shook his head, "No drugs. They're mostly illegal in the sport of sled dogging, so her whole team would be disqualified if even one dog tested positive."

Lauren nodded, "I see. I didn't realize there was doping in dog sports."

"There's a lot of money on the line. Some people will do anything to win… and I do mean anything."

"That reminds me of a movie I saw when I was younger. A kid loses his Dad and enters a sled dog race. They try to kill him to get him out of the race. It was actually quite inspirational."

Jon nodded, "I know the movie. Sort of reminds me of what got Bo into sledding."

"Her Mom dying?"

"Don't ever say that. Bo says she's just missing. Same with her Dad. She hasn't given up trying to find them. It's part of the reason she came this way. She'd heard she came down here to make some money."

Lauren nodded, "Got it."

"Anyway, over that time, we had been inseparable. Well, in truth, she couldn't get rid of me. She took good care of me when I had no mother and the village and community appreciated all she did for me."

"And Big Jim?" Lauren asked.

Jon shrugged, "I think he was jealous. I started to talk a lot about all she was teaching me. I listened to him less. I learned from him less. I asked for stories less. I was young and excited about being out there in the wild learning how to survive like my ancestors did. Most of the elders were excited that I was excited because I was teaching other kids in the village the stuff I was learning from Bo. It was like she had injected an a piece of the old ways back into our culture."

"So the elders loved that."

Jon nodded, "All except for Big Jim."

"Of course." Lauren shook her head at the stubborn man. She'd known him less than a day, but she already had his number. She'd known a lot of men like him in her life and profession."

"One day Bo headed out to check up on a lead she'd gotten about her Mother. She told me I couldn't go along." He sat back in the seat, shaking his head as she smiled, "Boy did I beg. I gave her a million reasons why I should go. I promised not to slow her down or ask too many questions. I promised I she wouldn't even know I was there… and she didn't."

"You followed her when she left."

He nodded, "In an effort to win me over, Big Jim had bought me a three-dog team of my own when I turned ten. I left behind Bo thinking I could track her and – in my young mind – thought I could keep up with her. My three dogs to her eleven."

"I thought there were twelve dogs on a team." Lauren asked.

"Bo ran with just one lead dog back then."

Lauren replied, "Harper."

Jon nodded, "Bo will be devastated when she dies."

"I'm sure. It's the last piece of her Mom she has left." Lauren concluded.

Jon agreed, "Her dogs were Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner and Blitzen."

"That's only nine including Harper." Lauren deduced.

Jon smiled, "Bo loved Disney movies as a kid, so she named the other two Cinder and Snow after…"

"Cinderella and Snow White." Lauren nodded.

"Yup. She never told anyone but me which is one of the reasons I needed the circle of trust."

Lauren raised her hand, offering the Vulcan symbol, "On my honor."

"Uh, Lauren… that's not the Boy Scout thing."

Lauren looked at her hand, "If you were a Trekkie, you'd understand that this is more honorable than any Boy Scout could ever be. Vulcans cannot lie."

Jon laughed along with Lauren for a long moment before they both turned to see a beautiful waterway. Again, Lauren leaned into the glass taking in the glorious view. The sun glistened across the surface of the ice making it look like glass. Jon's eyes were fixed on the expression on Lauren's face, again happy to be with her for another first sight.

Slowly, his eyes traveled to the icy water, taking him back to his childhood once again,

"I didn't know much about overflow back then. It's something Bo had never taught me about – largely because she had no plans to take me on the sled across a river."

"What's overflow?" Lauren asked.

"There, not far from the water's edge…" He pointed out the window at a large area of ice, "… the ice is getting very thick because of how cold it is this time of year. Unfortunately, three rivers converge at this point and the water has nowhere to go but up and over the ice. It keeps moving until it finishes sliding off the ice leaving only a thin layer where it stops. Get caught on overflow ice on a sled… even a small sled with only three dogs and a small bag of supplies… you're going under… fast."

Lauren covered her mouth, "Oh God."

Jon nodded, his eyes absent of emotion as he stared out across the frozen waterway, "It was dark beneath the surface. I tried to get my bearings, knowing I was supposed to get my mouth between the water and ice to breathe, but I was being pulled deeper by my sled. Then I remembered my dogs and I tried to see them… I tried… but they were gone. Next thing I know, I'm being hauled up out of the water."

"Bo."

Jon shook his head, "Harper. She jumped in after me, Bo – thank God – had the presence of mind to throw down the ice hook that kept the sled up on the ice. She laid out and grabbed the tow line calling out to the dogs the whole time to keep them pulling me and Harper up."

"That explains your relationship with Harper."

"Yea." Jon replied, "Anyway, while I was following Bo, she thought Big Jim was following her. She circled around to ask him why he was following her and saw me just as my sled was going through the ice. That's when I learned to love that Bo doesn't trust people. If she had trusted him, she might not have circled around. Anyway, everyone was safe, so all good, right?"

"I take it Big Jim didn't think so?"

Jon shook his head, "My dogs were gone, my sled was gone – both a gift from my great grandfather and he was pissed. I disobeyed not just Bo, but my Dad, Pops and Big Jim when I left to follow her."

"And Big Jim blamed Bo."

Jon nodded, "And my Dad, but mostly Bo. He told her the elders would want to talk to me about how all of it had happened… they trusted her with me… blah, blah, blah."

"Got it."

"The rest we heard from Bo. They apparently turned it into an inquisition and threw her in jail. I'd overheard my Dad arguing with Pops about how they'd killed her dogs one at a time in front of her. They'd left Harper because Big Jim wanted him as a working dog… and work Harper he did. Bo was thrown in jail until Sheriff Dyson came to town."

"That Chris Martin look-alike from the store?"

Jon nodded, "He wanted to know why there was a prisoner in his jail since there was no record of her arrest, that she was given representation nor a trial by jury. In addition, she was in bad shape… real bad shape… and hadn't received any medical care. The village elders – led by Big Jim – argued that it was a village matter because Bo was a native, but Dyson found the loophole."

"What loophole?"

"Actually, my Dad helped him find the loophole because I was devasted that Bo was thrown in jail because of my stupidity. All the townspeople knew she was innocent, but when the elders make up their minds about something that's a native matter, that's it. I don't know any tribes that are as backwards as this one. It makes me sick to even think about how they treated her. And now to know that she was in bad shape because they actually tried to lynch her?"

"I guess Dyson intervened?"

"That's what I'm guessing. He'd come into two a few days before it happened. There was a standoff between the townspeople and the natives. When Bo was dragged off behind an tin dog, there wasn't much they could do. That's when my Dad must have stepped in. He went and saw Dyson, told him what they were doing. It was just him and his Deputy – a guy named Hale – so the townsfolk went along with my Dad. They stopped the lynching, but not before they'd done some serious damage."

"So what was the loophole?"

Jon grinned, "I'd call it poetic justice. The village elders had not given Bo native citizenship within their village. She was on a trial, remember? My Dad kept pushing for them to accept her, but they kept putting it off, saying they still needed to do more research on her background. Finally, the fancy doctor we had here at the time agreed to do a DNA test. They never made the results public thanks to Dyson. He said there's something called hippo laws?"

Lauren laughed, "HIPPA Laws. They govern patient confidentiality."

"Oh. I get it. That's why that fancy doctor was fired. Dyson had her run out of town so she couldn't tell the village elders anything. Boy was Big Jim pissed at the Sheriff for that one."

"I'm sure."

"Anyway, she wasn't a native, so she was protected by state law. They'd made an unlawful arrest. So, they told their story and my Dad told mine. I argued that I was man enough to speak for myself, so Dyson sat me down in my office and listened to my story. He's kind of a drama queen, but back then, I liked the guy because he listened to the kid when all the adults told him he shouldn't. That was pretty cool."

Lauren smiled, "Definitely. Sometimes adults get caught up in their own superiority and forget that kids have a perspective that is often very important for us to hear and heed."

"Well, hear and heed he did. Bo was released to the care of Selina who helped her to heal… physically, anyway. She hasn't been the same since."

"Who is Selina?"

"Our village healer. Don't worry about finding her. She'll find you the next time you're in town. She likes to merge the new with the old. She was all kinds of excited that you were coming. Sadly, she doesn't leave the village much unless she's got a patient to see. She's very old and very busy. She says that's a good combination, otherwise she would wither away and die without a purpose in life."

"I like Selina already." Lauren replied.

"Anyway, Dyson got Harper back from my great grandfather. There was no crime by Bo and if he didn't want to be charged with theft of property and the murder of ten dogs, he'd give the dog back without question and pay for her to buy new dogs."

"Well, at least she got that."

Jon shook his head, "Have you not met Bo? She was too proud to take his money. She took Harper and hopped the train to Talkeetna. She's a carpenter by trade, so she took a job building houses. She came back to the village to do a job for my Dad here at the store and they've been patching up their relationship ever since. My Dad thinks Bo is good for me, but he insists we keep her involvement with me quiet."

"Like setting traps with her today?"

He nodded, "As far as Big Jim knows, I'm coming here to get you settled. He has no idea that Bo has a job here working as a carpenter on your new hospital."

Lauren's eyes went wide, "She… she what?"

"You didn't hear? She's doing all of the moulding, doors, cabinetry… well, anything wood is Bo's territory."

"A carpenter, huh?" Lauren asked.

"A carpenter. Like I said, she's a survivor. She knows how to do a lot of things and carpentry is good pay for the winter. There's a homestead just outside of Talkeetna that boards her dogs for the winter. She goes to see them every morning and rotates two into her apartment every week. I think Harper will be by her side all winter this year."

Lauren nodded, "I can see why after hearing all they've been through together."

Jon agreed, "Yup. They're quite the pair. Big Jim worked her hard for those months she was with him. Harper's fur was rubbed clean off where he's made the harness too tight. He had her pulling him on a sled by herself, sometimes with supplies."

"Geezus. What's wrong with that man?" Lauren covered her mouth, "I'm sorry, Jon. I know he's your…"

"He's blood and that's all. I'd suck his blood out of me if it wouldn't mean taking Pops and Dad's blood out too. I'm proud of their blood, but Big Jim's… well, he just gets worse with age. Bo was right, what she said about the village elders. If he doesn't speak better of her before he dies, they'll make what happened to me her legacy for the next two generations until she's long buried."

"That would be tragic."

Jon nodded, "She saved me, Lauren. She, Harper and the rest of that team. They pulled me up, sled and three dead dogs while on ice that could just as soon have taken all of them in had the tow line not been long enough to stretch back to thick ice. Damn lucky to be alive and I don't want to spend my life kowtowing to the likes of my great grandfather."

Lauren smiled at the young man, shaking her head, but said nothing. Finally, he asked,

"What?"

"You may be just eighteen, but you are wise beyond those years, Jon."

"Bo was tough on me. You know, my people are a matriarchal society. That is, the village you belong to is your Mother's village. But somewhere along the way in my family, Big Jim took the reins."

"Jon, what happened to all of the women in your life?"

Shrugging, he replied, "My Mom died a couple of years ago of the flu. We didn't have a doctor, only Selina. She's too smart to settle only for village medicine when the strains of the flu we get are often from tourists and other travelers. She tried to get medicine for her, but as I'm sure you know…"

"There's no cure for a virus. Don't you have the flu vaccine here?"

"Not usually enough doses, no."

Lauren pulled out her phone and typed out a note, "Well, that's about to change for the entire state. That's ridiculous. I'm sure every member of your state government has seen the movie Balto."

Jon chuckled, "Gosh, I played that movie to death when I was a kid."

"And your Grandmothers?"

"I never knew Big Jim's wife, but my Dad tells me that when she died, that's when he got angry. She was out gathering with their sled team. The sled flipped and she broke her leg… tore the artery. When they found her, it was tied off, but she'd lost too much blood for the cold. The team brought her all the way back to the village. Pops told me he shot all of the dogs. Never had a sled again after that and neither did Pops or Dad."

"He blamed them for not getting her back soon enough?"

Jon shrugged, "Don't know, but now that you mention it, that would make sense as to why he shot the dogs." His eyes went wide, "And why he shot Bo's dogs and wanted her lynched."

He pulled his wallet out of his back pocket and opened it before removing an old photo, "This is a family photo just before she died. The whole family with the team. My Dad said his Grandma loved to race her sled. She loved those dogs. You can see it."

"Yes."

"Bo must remind him of her. Me hanging out with her is like my Dad hanging with his wife learning about sleds and dogs."

Nodding, Lauren had to agree. The question was, how could this information help Bo with Big Jim. Still, that was a problem for later,

"And your Grandmother?"

"Pops wife died of cancer just before I went through the ice. It was sad, really. Got into her bones. She was in a lot of pain right up until the end. Selina gave her a root that… well, let's be honest, it's basically a hallucinogen. I made a tea with it one time thinking it was the one she gave me for an upset stomach. Boy did she laugh at me while I was getting sick for about eight hours. It was horrible."

"And that tea helped your grandmother?"

"When mixed properly, yes. She slept most of the day. When she was awake, we'd go through old photos and she'd tell me about my family. I was young, so I don't remember a lot of what she told me, but I do remember this picture. I keep it with me everywhere I go."

"I'm so sorry you've lost all of the women in your life. I'm sorry Big Jim is so damn stubborn. But look, I'm going to do everything I can to help your situation. I promise."

Jon smiled, "Don't go getting yourself on Big Jim's bad side. You'll be banished to Talkeetna for good and the snow is going to get mighty deep here. Being closer to Anchorage will be a good thing. Trust me. Besides, I still have good women in my life. I have Selina, I have Bo, I have Kenzi and now I have you, Doc."

Lauren smiled, "Who's Kenzi?"

"A Russian Princess – which is short for the woman who runs the Brothel tourist trap in Talkeetna."

"Tourist trap?" Lauren asked.

"She bought an old run-down shack there, renovated it with Bo's help and made up stories about how it used to be a house of sin for people that came to Talkeetna during the gold rush. Don't get me wrong, there was a huge red-light district back in the day, but it was primarily in Skagway. If you ever get a chance and want a good laugh, go there to The Red Onion, have some lunch and hang out with a 'prostitute' to hear all about it."

"Wow. Sounds like… fun. I'll get right on that."

Jon laughed, "Bo seems to think it's fun."

"Well, I guess that's just another thing me and Bo don't have in common."

Jon smiled, "I think the two of you will get along really well at some point."

"Now who doesn't seem to know Bo?"

"She's a different person in Talkeetna. You'll see. Up here, she's well-liked and well-respected. Hell, she's rebuilt half the town. Now, she's helping to build a real hospital in a place where there are actual roads, planes and trains to get people to help when they're sick. Being appreciated goes a long way with Bo."

"Well, I'll appreciate her when she's not barking my head off."

Jon pointed out the window, "Look! We're here! The budding metropolis of Talkeetna!"

Lauren looked out the window and her heart sank. There was a small town next to the tracks that seemed to go on for about three blocks. The buildings looked a little worse for wear, though the snow did make it all look somewhat pretty. Still, she had an apartment here? And where would the hospital be?

Jon gave her a nudge, "Come on, Lauren. It's not as bad as you think."

"Are you sure Evony isn't building that hospital in Anchorage?"

Jon shook his head, "There's already a big hospital there. The problem is the people that get sick here and surrounding areas that can't make it to Anchorage. Evony is bringing small hospitals to seventeen small towns throughout Alaska! You are the pilot program! I know you're going to do great things here, Doc. I just know it."

Lauren sighed, staring out the window of the train as Jon got off. She was still staring when Jon started jumping up and down outside of the glass making faces at her. Finally, she laughed at his antics. It wasn't, after all, his fault. But she was going to kill Evony… in exactly five months when spring came.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **Marquis Hotel, Bar & Restaurant – Talkeetna**_

"Evony Fleurette Marquis I despise you!" Lauren said, dropping her luggage into the foot-high snow at her sides as she gazed up at the wreck of a building where she was about to spend a year of her life.

"Honestly, Lauren. It's fully renovated inside, I promise. Bo is working on the outside as she has time off from work at the new hospital. It will be done before you know it."

"Bo? Sled-dogging, mistrustful Bo? She'll be lucky if she lives to move a tile on top of that roof!"

"She's…"

"Jon, seriously? Look at this place! It looks like the roof is going to cave in from all of the snow."

"I promise the roof is actually built to handle the weight of the snows that fall here. It's fine, really. Let's just go inside so you can see…"

"Inside? You want me to go inside this place so it can collapse on top of me?" She looked up to see a curtain moving, "I thought my apartment was on the top floor?"

"It is. There are three apartments up there, remember? See the sign? Hotel, bar and restaurant. Third floor is your apartment and two others. Second floor is hotel rooms. First floor restaurant and bar."

"Great. I'm sure I'll get plenty of sleep every night sleeping over a bar."

Jon attempted a smile but, in all honesty, he had no idea how to respond to the doctor's concerns. A bar in the winter was surely going to be loud… not to mention drunks firing off pistols in the street on New Year's Eve. He decided to keep that firearms part to himself as he spoke,

"I can try to find you another place. I'm sure Evony would pay for it."

Lauren scoffed, "Then you don't have enough experience with Evony and her bottom line."

He nodded, "Maybe not."

They stood quietly for a long moment before Jon asked, "So, what do you want to do?"

Lauren sighed, "Get out of the snow. I guess I'm going inside."

Jon turned and picked up Lauren's bags before she had a chance to grab them, "Let's go then."

Lauren watched as her younger companion trudged into the entrance of the hotel, bar and restaurant. Looking up, she noticed the curtain flutter in the window of the same room,

"Great. And I'll probably have a creeper in the apartment next door…" She shook her head and followed Jon's tracks into the building, "…until I die in a horrible building collapse. Evony you suck."

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **Lauren's Apartment, a few hours later…**_

"Jon, do you have somewhere you have to be? You keep checking your watch."

He gave an adorable shrug, giving away his reluctant answer, "Uh… not yet. I just don't want to be late."

Lauren nodded with a smile, "Hot date?"

His head swung up, "Date? No, no! No date! Not-a date at all. Just… well… please don't tell. You won't tell will ya?"

Lauren laughed. She could have a little fun with him, but she remembered being teased about her first date, so instead,

"Circle of trust, remember?"

A broad smile spread across the young man's face, "Thanks, Doc."

She nodded, "So what's going on?"

"I'm going out with Bo… not out… I mean… definitely outside, but not a date out. Not like that. Totally professional."

Lauren chuckled, "Professional?"

"Well… friendly professionals."

"Oh, friendly, are we?" Lauren laughed, watching him squirm, "Jon, I'm kidding. I know Bo is your mentor and you've clicked with her for a long time. I admired my mentor as well."

"You had a mentor?" Jon asked.

She nodded, "I've had many, but one doctor showed me exactly the type of medicine I wanted to practice… the kind of doctor I wanted to be."

Jon nodded, "That's what Bo does for me."

He sat down with a huff, "I wish I could stand up to Big Jim. I want to do what Bo does. I want to hunt and track for a living. I don't want to become him, all bitter and stuck inside that store."

He stood and walked to the window, "I mean… look at that out there. It's freezing cold and I know I should be afraid of it, but it's amazing and… well… it calls to me."

He turned and walked back towards Lauren, "I know that sounds crazy, but I sweat that wonderful world out there knows my name. I hear it in my dreams, I hear it when I'm out in the woods tracking with Bo. I feel connected to… to the land."

Lauren placed a hand on his shoulder, "You are, Jon… you were born to this land… to a people who clearly have a spiritual bond with the land."

"You believe me?"

Laughing, the doctor replied, "You bet I do. Doctor Everett… that's my mentor's name… she told me I had a calling. I didn't know what that mean until I performed my first surgery on the human heart. To hold someone's beating heart in your hand… to feel the very essence of their life and know how to help it heal… well, it's powerful to say the least."

She looked up at Jon, "Sometimes I would watch my classmates struggle and, well, I could tell that they were working 'on' a patient instead of working 'with' the patient. That's when I realized that I could connect on a different level with the human body than others. That's why I finally started to believe that what Doctor Everett told me about my abilities was true."

"So what did you do?"

She shrugged, "I embraced that feeling and dove into my work. I learned to trust my gut and follow it wherever it led me."

"And it led you here?" Jon asked.

She shook her head, a smile covering her face as she shoved her hands in her pocket, "No, that would be Evony that led me here. She thought I needed to get away, so she handed over her little pet project to me. Now I know why. She would never come here."

Jon laughed, "I guess as much. She forgets that we can see whatever is in the background when she Skypes us… often several times a day… well, until you arrived."

"That's Evony."

He checked his watch again, "Crap. I've got to go. Do you need anything else until I get back? I'll probably be gone about six hours or so. We can do a late dinner maybe?"

Lauren shook her head, "No rush. I'll head downstairs and check out the food here in the hotel."

He grimaced, "I'm not sure they're serving much more than fish or root vegetable soup right now. It may not due much for your tastebuds."

"I'll make do." Lauren replied, "Besides, I also have the box of food that your Dad put in my order. I can always cook." She said, scratching her head as she turned to see a kitchen that was ill-equipped.

"You can borrow things from the kitchen downstairs until you have a chance to order what you need up here. They're set up well as far as equipment is concerned. Evony made sure of that. She just forgot about ordering food for the cooks to actually cook."

Lauren smiled, "Attention to detail is not her thing. She has hired help to figure out those."

"Like you?"

She nodded, "Like me. I'm sure I'll have a fully equipped hospital, but the outlets to power the MRI and X-ray equipment will likely be something she didn't think of."

"Whoa. You've got your work cut out for you."

Lauren nodded, "I do, but that's for Monday. Today, I'm going to finish unpacking all of these boxes she sent for me… or I should say bought for me since none of this looks like it's mine."

"Have at it then, Doc. I'm going to head out."

Lauren waved a finger, "Actually, I'm going to follow you down. Can I get a good cup of coffee here?"

He smiled, "Nothing but the best. Evony insisted."

Lauren laughed, "She knows I can't function without a good cup of morning coffee."

"No freeze-dried coffee for her favorite doctor?" Jon laughed.

"Something like that."

They pair exited the apartment, Jon turning the lock on the handle while Lauren wagged her key at him and put it in her pocket,

"Wouldn't do to get locked out on my first day."

She turned to head for the stairs and ran right smack into Bo. The two bounced off of each other, both smoothing down their clothes and pushing back their hair,

"Damn, Doc. You play tight end for the Seahawks?"

Lauren wasn't sure how to feel about the comment, "I assure you that's not the case, although I'm not entirely sure if I should be flattered or insulted by that comment."

Bo turned and picked up her dropped bags and headed for the stairs.

"And we're back to being an asshole." Lauren shrugged, her hands flying up as she spoke.

Jon laughed, "Come on. I'll introduce you to Kenzi. She's probably working the bar or counter today."

"Kenzi, the owner of the house of ill repute?"

Jon laughed and nodded, "Evony hired her to manage this place. She said if she could sell lies to the tourists, she'd be perfect for making a gold mine out of this hell hole. Direct quote."

"I'm sure." Lauren nodded as they made their way down the stairs. When she reached the bottom, what she saw made her breath catch in her throat. She gripped the bannister as her body betrayed her,

"Lauren? You okay?"

She heard Jon's question, but she could not respond. Her eyes were transfixed on the absolute beauty before her. Bo stood, leaning over the end of the bar talking to a young woman whose long black hair was highlighted by strands of purple. The two were laughing and sharing conversation like old friends would back at the bars in Boston. It was the first time that she'd seen such friendly banter since arriving here. While she wasn't usually the friendly-banter type, for some reason – in this moment – she wanted to be a part of their happiness.

Bo's eyes were bright. She looked… happy… genuinely happy for the first time she'd met her. Her hair was pulled up high and braided, revealing a long slender neck. She had an adorable dimple and her smile was… well… perfect in every way. It wasn't until she felt the slap on her arm that she turned to see Jon staring at her, concern shrouding his face,

"Are you okay?"

"Uh… yea. I just… wow… this place is… not what I expected."

"I know. Cool, huh?" Jon asked.

Lauren took a deep breath, "I was actually thinking it was kind of warm in here."

She cleared her throat, her eyes chancing a quick glance towards the woman one more time.

"I meant the renovations. I think the place looks great now."

Shaking off the feelings of… well, she couldn't describe what these feelings were. They were new. They were… foreign. Looking over to Bo one more time, their eyes met and for a moment, Lauren could feel the corners of her own mouth turn up at the sight of the brunette smiling back at her. Only she wasn't smiling at her… she was smiling at something the bartender had said and the smile was slowly vanishing from her face the longer their eyes remained locked.

So, Lauren did the only thing she could do. She pulled her eyes away and went into doctor mode. It was her safe haven from all things feelings and lately, she was very, very good at getting away from all things feelings. She supposed that deep down inside, she always knew that Nadia wasn't that forever kind of love, but still… she'd hoped that… well, she didn't know what she hoped. She was content… not in love. She never wanted to admit that. She had even learned to say the words even though she didn't feel them. Yes, Doctor mode had helped her to avoid many emotional situations, but as she looked up at Bo one more time, she realized that Doctor mode wasn't really going to help whatever this was.

"Lauren, come on! I've got us a table." Jon called, waving to the doctor from where he was taking a seat.

The blonde made her way to the table, her mind reeling with random thoughts and feelings. She took deep breaths, one time – in and out – with each step. Finally, she arrived at the table. She couldn't help but feel like Bo's eyes were on her the entire time. She chanced a glance and found the brunette looking over her shoulder, eyes locked on her. Slowly, she turned back, taking a sip from her beer. She shook off the feelings,

"A little early in the day for drinking, isn't it?" Lauren asked.

Jon looked out the window and then looked back at Lauren, "Well, it's dark out, so it must be late enough."

Lauren chuckled, "If the amount of light outside signals happy hour, I'd better start lining up livers for the entire state."

"Good idea, actually. There's a lot of booze here, Doc. Get used to the drunk and disorderlies."

"They'd better get used to not being anywhere near my clinic. Drunk and disorderlies won't be welcome unless they're unconscious." Lauren said, shaking her head.

"Got it." Jon smiled.

"Good. Make sure word spreads quickly on that front." She picked up the menu, "So what's good to eat here?" She asked.

Jon shrugged, "Don't know. This is my first time actually eating food here."

Lauren nodded, "So when are you and Bo heading out?"

He shrugged, "When she gives me a wave. With my luck, it will be right when my plate comes."

"You've got to eat." Lauren replied.

"Doc, Bo runs her life on her own clock. Get used to it."

Lauren shook her head, "Well, that's a bit inconsiderate of the time of others, isn't it?"

Jon shrugged, "She doesn't really involve herself in the world of others, so anyone that chooses to enter Bo's world does so of their own choosing."

"And you choose to enter Bo's world knowing that she doesn't really care about how her actions impact you?"

The waitress barely had the time to put the plates down before Jon was digging in to his breakfast. He let out a chuckle, taking a sip of his coffee before he replied to Lauren's question,

"I've been running around with Bo long enough to know to always bring a pack with loads of snacks in it." He patted the small bag attached to his backpack.

Lauren nodded, "I guess I just…"

Bo's voice stopped Lauren from continuing,

"Heading out, kid."

She breezed by, heading for the exit without looking back. Jon quickly shoved as much food into his mouth as he could before opening the thermos in the side pocket of his bag and pouring the remainder of his coffee into the container. Screwing on the lid, he shoved it into the pocket once again and heaved the bag over his shoulder. He grabbed a muffin and took a bite before picking up the rest of his gear and pushing back from the table,

"Gotta run, Doc. She's out there counting to sixty and if I'm not there, she pulls out without me. See you later."

Lauren nodded, "Right."

She shook her head, watching as he ran off. When she turned back to the table, she saw his gloves sitting by his plate.

"Shit. He'll get frostbite in no time." She grabbed the gloves and sprinted for the door.

Three steps off the porch and she was in knee-high snow, the ice-cold winds hitting her like a brick wall. Whiteout conditions had returned. It was dark and the only light to assist her was that of the single street lamp in front of the hotel. Her throat burned and her eyes hurt. She squinted, trying to see Jon, but it looked like she was viewing the world through dark, foggy windows. Two more steps and she instantly froze, dropping to her knees as she tried to catch her breath. She recognized Bo's voice as she spoke to Jon before speaking to Lauren, her voice filled with a tone she didn't recognize,

"Dammit, woman! You trying to kill yourself?"

Lauren looked up, dazed. Cold. She was so cold… or not… hot? Her skin burned. She felt two hands gripping under her arms, then… darkness.

"Kenzi!"

"Already on it, BoBo."

"Dammit!" Jon said, throwing blankets over Lauren while Bo pulled warm tea from the table, poured if over a cloth napkin and put it across the doctor's mouth.

"She's still breathing." Jon said as Bo nodded.

"One. Two. Three. Four. Five." Bo counted Lauren's breaths until finally, on the sixth breath, her eyes opened.

The doctor tried to sit up, but Bo held her down,

"Easy there, Doc. Just stay down until you get your head on right. Going outside in minus forty-five-degree weather without at least a jacket, goggles and mask is crazy. How's your breathing?"

Lauren squinted up at the brunette, "Heavy. Burns."

"It will for a bit. Think frostbitten lungs."

"That's not… that's not a thing." Lauren replied, closing her eyes and shaking her head as she tried to figure out what was wrong with her body… she felt… exhausted… hot and cold… numb.

"Blurry vision?" Bo asked.

Lauren moved her hands to her face, but Bo pulled them away, "Don't rub your eyes, Doc. You basically just froze your eyeballs solid. Give them a minute to thaw out. Your vision should go back to normal in a few minutes. You got lucky Jon was running back for his gloves. The light inside the hotel backlit you when you came out. If we weren't looking at the door in that moment, we might not have acted so quick."

"I uh… I… what?"

Jon placed a hand on her shoulder, "You were bringing my gloves out to me."

"It was just a minute." Lauren said, confused.

Jon explained, "That's all it takes here, Doc. Remember? We talked about how quick the weather changes and how you have to dress."

"Googles. My eyes." Lauren said, again trying to move her hands to her eyes, but Bo's hands were still holding her wrists.

The blonde looked down through blurry vision, seeing where the rough hands of the brunette were holding her hands. She chuckled as the thought of a good manicure could really help her skin… maybe. She could see that the very tip of one finger was missing.

"Doc?" Bo called to the blonde.

Lauren shook her head, "Um… can I have my hands back?"

"Depends. Will you touch your eyes?"

"I promise I will not touch my eyes." Lauren replied.

Bo slowly released Lauren's wrists, watching as she slowly sat up. For a moment, her hands went for her eyes, but when she saw Bo flinch, Lauren motioned for her to relax before dropped her arms to her sides.

"Wow. It's amazing what just a few minutes can do to you out there." Lauren said, shaking her head.

Jon nodded, "You got lucky, Doc."

As her vision cleared, Lauren could see the twisted expression on Bo's face. She looked terrified yet angry, concerned, yet frustrated,

"I guess I'm just a dumb cheechako, huh?" Lauren asked.

"Don't call yourself that." Bo snapped, taking a deep breath, "Sorry."

"Wow. An apology for something." Lauren grinned, "I guess I'm growing on you."

Bo laughed, "Like mold."

Lauren smiled, "I'll take that as a compliment. Molds are used for making medicines that save lives. I've worked my entire life to save lives. No one has every saved mine." She lowered her eyes, summoning the courage to face this woman. As she raised her eyes again, she was hit once again by the beauty of this woman. Gathering her thoughts, she spoke,

"Thank you." She looked at Jon, "Both of you." She looked back at Bo, "For saving my life."

Bo nodded, looking at Jon, "I'm heading out then. You coming."

Jon stood still, unsure of whether or not he should stay and watch over the doctor or go with Bo, but Lauren made the decision for him,

"Go. I'll be fine."

"Yea. I'll watch out for her, Little J." Kenzi said, chomping on her gum as she tossed a rag over her shoulder and planted a hand on her cocked hip.

"Thanks, K." He replied, running after Bo.

"Little J… wanna take those gloves this time?" Kenzi asked.

He grinned, "Right. Gloves." He said, picking up the gloves and heading or the door, "Take care, Doc."

Lauren nodded, offering a small smile as she watched him exit the hotel. She turned to Kenzi, "So…"

"Eat your breakfast, Doc." Kenzi said, heading over to the bar.

Lauren laughed, shaking her head, "Great bedside manner."

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **The Next Morning…**_

Lauren descended the stairs into the hotel's restaurant and was unsure if she was having a déjà vu moment or if it was actually a new day. Maybe she'd traveled back in time?

Bo was standing at the end of the bar talking to Kenzi just as she had the day before and Jon was waving to her from the same table where she'd laid to recover from her White Walker moment. She remembered finishing whatever meal that was before Kenzi sent her to bed. Had she really slept through the early evening and into the morning? Or was this just a late dinner hour? Darkness during the day was really messing with her circadian rhythm. She wondered how these people lived this way.

"Doc? You okay?"

She looked to her left to see Jon standing only a foot or two away from her, concerned.

She nodded, "Yes, sorry. I was just… trying to figure out what time… or day it was?"

He smiled, "You slept for a really long time. You had us all really worried. I mean… you're the doctor. It's not like any of us would know what to do."

Lauren grinned, taking the final step and walking with him towards their table, "Well, you all seemed to do fine getting me back yesterday."

"Village medicine. We know the basics of what to do for cold-related illnesses, but our knowledge pretty much stops there for most things. I mean, Bo has survived on her own for a long time, so she's taken much more of an interest in medicine than most of us, but… well… whatever. I'm just rambling. I mean… I'm responsible for you and Evony would…"

"Jon." Lauren said, placing a hand on his shoulder, "I was the one that ran out into the cold without thinking. It was my fault. It's okay."

"Well, Bo doesn't usually get riled up, but you had her scared enough to check on you through the night."

Lauren stopped drinking her coffee, her fingertips tightening on the brim of the mug, "Bo checked on me?"

Jon shrugged, "Slept in the chair next to your bed."

"Sh-she was in my room all night?"

"Relax, Doc. She was a perfect gentleman… or lady. She watched your temperature, used what she calls her Alaskan humidifier treatment on your lungs and kept the compresses on your eyes warm. Feel better today?"

"Much, actually." Lauren replied, looking up across the bar at where Bo was seated, having some eggs as she talked to her friend Kenzi.

"Good. Then we can take a trek up to the clinic?"

Lauren shuddered at the thought of going outside again, "How far?"

Jon shrugged, "A couple of miles. Bo's gonna take you on her sled. Mine's too small to carry you."

"I thought your grandfather wouldn't let you have a sled?" Lauren asked.

Jon smiled, "We tell everyone it's Kenzi's sled so no one tells him, but it's mine. Trained and raised my dogs from pups." He paused, then looked at Lauren, "Circle of trust?"

Lauren grinned, "Absolutely. When are we leaving?"

"First light. Bo thought it would be better for you to travel during out daylight hours."

"Is that enough time? I mean… if we leave earlier, won't we get back in the warmer hours? I only ask because it seems like it gets colder at night and… well, you two are the experts, but wouldn't we rather come back before it gets so… risky out?"

Bo came to stand by the table in that moment, "It's always risky out there this time of year, Doc." She looked at Jon, "I'm heading over to the lumber yard to get the wood for your 'Doggie Hotel' idea. You coming?"

Lauren watched Bo's mouth twist with disapproval, "Doggie hotel?"

Jon smiled proudly, "Bo thinks my idea is stupid, but I saw it online and read about the benefits of shared body heat. I'm thinking that if we build a super big dog house that all of the dogs can stay together and create more body heat. If it's insulated well, the heat would be trapped inside and the dogs would stay warm just like we do in the hotel. If we drill small holes for ventilation in the top sides, the heat will circulate out as they make more since hot air rises."

Lauren nodded, "That sounds like a great idea." She looked up at Bo, "You seem to disagree."

The brunette shrugged, "My team lives with me during the night, they stay out during the day. No need to spoil 'em like that, my opinion."

Jon smiled, "Bo wants her dogs to live as they do on the trail and not get used to being too comfortable. Part of their training."

Lauren smirked, "Oh? And do you stay outside all day as part of your training? I notice you eat breakfast inside."

Bo scowled, "Heading for the lumbar. You coming?"

Jon nodded, "Coming." He said, grabbing a muffin and taking a big bite before grabbing his pack, leaving his gloves behind again, but Bo pointed causing him to stop and turn back.

Lauren whispered, "Déjà vu."

He turned to Lauren, "We'll be back in a couple of hours."

Bo added, "We'll leave at noon to give you more time, but dress warm, Doc. It'll be dark and colder than yesterday."

She watched as they turned and left the restaurant. Staring out at the darkness, she could see the snow flying sideways in the shadow of the streetlight outside. This place was an abyss. A dark, cold, empty abyss. Why would anyone want to live here? Why would Evony send her here? She was a top cardiothoracic surgeon – one of the best in the country if not the world. What possible value could it be to send her here?

Lauren looked down at her coffee, staring at her reflection as she considered the top questions on her list. There were many others, but these were the ones that kept nagging at her. These people would never be able to afford top medical care. How was Evony possibly making any money from this project? What was here that she would want to save, protect or benefit from financially or otherwise? It just made no sense.

She looked up at the waitress who asked if she wanted her usual. She chuckled to herself. Her usual? Hadn't she only had one breakfast here? Lauren nodded, thinking eggs, bacon, toast and juice was probably the best thing for her. She watched the waitress walk away, her eyes traveling up to Kenzi who was polishing glasses behind the bar while talking to a middle-aged man drinking beer.

She looked around the hotel noting that many of the locals were drinking already. Might as well, she supposed. There wasn't much else to do. She sipped her coffee thinking wondering how she would spend her morning. She could break down and unpack the rest of her boxes. She clearly wasn't going anywhere until at least spring. She could also read some of those books about native culture in Alaska, although honestly, there didn't seem to be a whole lot of native people in this hotel. She could clean her apartment, though it looked like Evony had made sure it was cleaned after the renovations. In all honesty, she had to admit that the apartment was very nice… and it ran a third of the length and width of the entire building. She supposed the other two units did the same.

As she pondered how she might spend her morning, her food came, and she began to eat. Only a few bites in, she realized that the food was actually quite good. That chef that Evony had brought in clearly knew how to get people into this restaurant.

She finished her food and gathered her things, standing to head back to her apartment when it hit her… maybe she would stop in to meet her neighbors. Smiling, she walked up the stairs. She straightened her clothing, smoothing down her shirt as she approached the door next to hers. She held her hand up, hesitating for a moment before knocking three times. She waited, nervously rubbing her hands together before she knocked again. When there was no answer, she sighed and moved on to the next unit. Hesitating again, she finally knocked – a bit quieter this time. She waited for a few seconds before she began to walk away, but the door opened revealing a young, dark-skinned man, his rippled abs contorting as he raised his hand against the wood frame of the door,

"Hey there, little mama. What can I do for you?"

Though not her type in more ways than one, Lauren could appreciate a man's muscular frame and bright smile. He was attractive and seemed friendly. His accent also gave him away as someone who had spent some time in a bigger city,

"Hello. I just… a… wanted to say hi. I'm doctor… a I'm Lauren… the doctor. I live… there… I mean, not there, but two doors down there. I'm… your neighbor."

The man smiled, "Well, howdy neighbor. That's cute… stopping by to say hi. I'm Hale Santiago, local law enforcement. I'm the Sheriff's Deputy."

"Oh, right. I saw you down in Anchorage. You helped Big Jon out with those young men."

"Right. You were there?"

Lauren nodded, "I was, hiding behind a garment rack."

He smiled, "I see. Not much protection there from bullets."

"So I've been told." She nodded, a tight smile on her face.

Hale laughed, "You're funny. I like funny."

"You think I'm funny?"

"Yea. In that awkward, nervous way you have goin'. So, you finding everything okay? Feeling better?"

"Feeling better?"

"Word has it you took a deep dive into the subzero yesterday. Good thing Bo and Little Jon were there."

She nodded, embarrassed, "Good thing. Well, I think I'll just head home now."

He nodded, "Sure thing, Doc. You need anything, I'm right here… most nights, anyway. I do shifts three times a week in Anchorage. The rest of the time, I've Chief of Police here in Talkeetna."

"The Chief leaves town?" She asked.

He nodded, "When I'm down there, my girl Tamsin comes down here from Denali. She works the Federal lands up there, bringing idiot climbers down from the mountain."

Lauren nodded, "I see."

"She'll be in later this week. You'll meet her then. We're all under contract at your clinic until the hospital is built, so we'll be around keeping you safe."

Lauren nodded, "Thanks for that."

"You're welcome, Doc." He said as he watched Lauren give him a half wave and start to walk away, "Doc?"

Lauren turned to the man, "Yes?"

"I know it can be tough, but you'll find your feet here."

"You sure about that?" Lauren smiled.

He nodded, "I've got a sense about these things. Yea, I think you'll do fine."

"What makes you say that? I've never felt more out of place in my life."

He grinned, "Because you've started to melt that frozen shell that Bo built around herself when she pulled Little Jon out of that lake."

"Melt… Bo?"

"She sat with you all night. Never done that before for anyone."

Lauren's face twisted with confusion. She didn't know how to feel about what Bo had done for her. The woman had showed her nothing but contempt since she'd arrived and now two people had mentioned the bedside vigil Bo had performed last night.

"It was very nice of her."

Hale smiled, "It was very Bo of her. That's who she is… always looking out for people who can't look out for themselves."

Lauren scowled, "I can take care of myself."

Hale nodded, "She said you said that."

Lauren stood still, not knowing how to reply.

"Some advice?"

She looked up at the man who took a few steps closer, "Ask, listen, learn and do."

"What?"

He rolled his eyes, "Ask the people who are willing to help you, how things need to be done here – from the way you wear your boots and socks to the way you make your bed. Listen to the answers. Be a learner – don't try to pretend you can take care of yourself here because you can't – not until you learn. Do what you learn. Never stray from the rules – like not going outside without coat, goggles and facemask when it's below twenty-five outside. The human body isn't cut for that. We don't have double eyelids or thick eyelashes like polar bears. We can't survive like they can out there. Ask, listen, learn and do."

"Got it." Lauren said, "Thanks."

"You're welcome." Hale replied.

Lauren turned and walked back to her apartment. Maybe unpacking boxes would be the best use of her time before going to the clinic.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **Just before noon, Hotel Restaurant…**_

"That what you're wearin', Doc?"

Lauren looked up to see the gum-chomping Kenzi standing across the table from her, hand perched matter-of-factly on her hip while her other hand rest on the back of the chair,

"I know, I know…" Lauren pulled her small backpack from the seat beside her, "Goggle, facemask and gloves are in here."

"You have three nylon layers on, a single pair of pants that may or may not be waterproof, I'm guessing that's a single pair of wool socks and those boots?"

"Wow. You forgot to ask about the underwear I'm wearing."

"Ew. Really?"

Lauren's eyes went wide, "Excuse me?"

"You're actually wearing underwear?"

"Of course I am."

"Of course?"

"Kenzi!"

"What!" The pair turned to see Bo standing, covered in snow, arms crossed over her chest, glaring at her friend.

"What?" Kenzi asked.

"I thought we agreed." Bo said.

"I didn't. Okay, well I did, but it was reluctantly."

"You still agreed, Kenzi." Bo reminded.

"Okay, but I hate that I agreed and when I hate that I agreed with something that I was reluctant to agree with in the first place, I find it hard to stay… agreeable."

Bo sighed, "Kenzi."

"Okay, okay. Fine. One set of clothing suitable for riding Bo's sled coming up." She snarked, giving a mock bow to Lauren.

"Kenzi!"

Lauren sat, confused as to what had just transpired.

"Hey, Bo. I got all of the dogs settled in." Jon said, handing Harper's lead to Bo, "Your Queen."

Bo smiled, looking down at Harper who immediately sat by her side, staring up at her, "Good girl, Harper."

Lauren looked at the dog, then Bo, "I thought we were going to my clinic?"

Jon intervened, "Bad weather came up. We're going to have to wait it out."

"Bad weather?" Lauren asked, "And what, exactly, did you call what was happening out there for the last few hours?"

"Some squalls." Jon replied, waving to Sara at the bar. The young red-head waved back before moving to the kitchen.

"Squalls?" Lauren asked, jumping a bit when a wet tongue licked her hand. She turned to see Harper nudging her hand with her head, "Awww. Aren't you a beauty." She cooed, putting the dog's head, "Is this okay? I mean, I know work or show dogs are supposed to be treated in a certain way."

She looked up at Bo, smiling but the brunette seemed to scoff at her dog's demonstration of her affection, but still, she replied to Lauren,

"It's fine. What Harper wants, Harper gets." Bo sighed, as her best friend looked up at her, "Traitor."

Harper turned back to Lauren who smiled, "You're not a traitor. You're just getting the attention you want from the person who is willing to give it to you, right? That's right. You're such a beautiful girl."

"Oh brother." Bo mumbled, rolling her eyes, "If you don't mind, I've got to go give her a rub down, food and water or she'll be no good to us when the weather breaks."

Lauren nodded, "Can't you give her a break? I mean… does she have to go with us to the clinic? Jon said it's just a few miles."

Bo seemed to tense at the suggestion, so Lauren backtracked, "Of course, you're the expert. I was just curious."

"Where the sled goes, Harper goes."

Lauren nodded, "If there's anything I can do to help, please you need only ask."

"You a vet?" Bo asked.

Lauren shook her head, "No, but I did…"

Jon laughed, "She learned on animals, but she's no Vet. Her words, not mine."

Lauren sighed, "Actually, I didn't tell Jon about the turn I did in Veterinary emergency medicine."

"Emergency medicine for dogs?" Jon asked, "Why on earth would you do that?"

Lauren looked out at the darkness, then chose to look back at Harper, finding it easier to talk to the dog about this than any humans. After all, those two years weren't normal for a human… what happened there wasn't human… it couldn't have been. There was no humanity. Only violence and anger and hatred and more violence,

"Because the military dogs were put in harm's way on a regular basis in Afghanistan. I had to be able to treat the bomb dogs and the guard dogs and the service dogs when they fell ill or were injured. They deserve a doctors' best too, right Harper?"

"You were in Afghanistan, Doc? Like in the war there?" Jon asked.

"The Marines paid for my medical school. I paid them back. First Battalion, Fifth Marines unit," Lauren replied, before whispering, "Oorah."

She focused on Harper as her eyes welled up and she found herself tightening her jaw to bring her emotions back under control, pushing the memories back down into the darkness. She felt something on the side of Harper's throat. She probed a bit, looking up at Bo returned her gaze with something different in her eyes,

"What?" Lauren asked.

"You were really in the Marines?" Bo asked.

Lauren only nodded in reply, her hand searching, probing around the area on Harper's left side, "Yes. Is that so hard to believe?"

Bo shrugged, "You seem more… delicate… than someone who has been in the armed forces."

"Yes, well that sounds more like a stereotype than an insult so I'll chalk that comment up to lack of education." She looked up to see Bo scowling, "Not that I mean you don't have an education overall. You seem very knowledgeable about all things Alaska and you definitely have a skill set I do not have."

The blonde realized she was digging herself a whole, "I'm just saying that you shouldn't judge someone based on their appearance. I may appear delicate because I'm just a cheechako to everyone around here, but trust me when I tell you that I am far from it."

"I said, don't call yourself that." Bo snapped.

"Then don't call me delicate." Lauren said, standing from the table. With one last pat to Harper's head she added, "I'm concerned about a lump on the side of Harper's neck. We need to get to the clinic so I can scan it and be sure it's just a benign cyst. I'll be in my apartment. Come and get me when you're ready to go."

Lauren moved quickly to the steps and ascended then to her apartment. That woman was ridiculously frustrating… and beautiful… but frustrating. Dammit! What was it about her? She really did need a manicure.

Bo stood frozen to the spot, her eyes set on Harper, filled with tears. She didn't move until one escaped. It was then that she wiped the tear and spoke,

"You're fine, right girl? You wouldn't leave me… not yet. I'm not ready. You can't leave yet." Another tear fell causing Bo to turn and head for the stairs, leading Harper to their apartment, "We just have to rub you down, get you fed and watered… you need rest. You just need to sleep. We'll go to the village tomorrow. We'll go see Selina. She'll know what to do."

Jon had sat quietly sipping his coffee and eating his muffins as the two women bantered before each ran off to break their own personal version of the tension… and boy was there tension. He looked up to see Kenzi had returned to the table,

"So that's gonna get messy, huh?" He said.

Kenzi looked up at the staircase, "Gonna get messy? Little J, let me tell you… that shit's already gettin' real."

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

As soon as Lauren had closed the door to her apartment, she began pacing. Back and forth, back and forth across the barn wood floors of her living room. She walked with the grain of the planks, punching the fist of her right hand into the palm of her left.

"Arghhh! That woman is the most frustrating, obstinate, stubborn, strong-willed, anti-social, judgmental… beautiful being on the face of the planet!"

She threw her hands in the air and plopped back onto the easy chair in the corner, fingers covering her eyes as she shook her head,

"What is it about this woman? It's like an obsession. Is this just that I'm so fascinating in the way she's survived and the way she lives her life completely on her own like some sort of Tarzan of the Arctic?"

She pushed herself out of the chair, pacing once again, "Or is it this strange – God help me – sexual attraction I feel every time she's in the same room?"

Walking to the kitchen, she grabbed a glass from the cabinet and poured herself a glass of water, "It's hardly an attraction of the heart. I mean, she's heartless, right?"

She through her head back, dropping her shoulders as she rolled her eyes, "Until you see her with Harper, then she completely melts your heart at how much she clearly loves that dog. I hope she's not too stubborn to let me get ahead of… okay, let's not even go there yet. It may be completely benign."

Sighing, she looked up at the clock, "Well, maybe I can find my own way to the clinic. Just a few miles, right? What's to stop me from just walking there? Kenzi was getting all of that gear together for me… I think. What was that argument they were having? Those two are weird together. They talk without saying a word."

She pulled a pot out of the cabinet below the counter. Filling it with water, she placed it on the stovetop and turned the burner on high. She moved to the refrigerator and grabbed the cooked chicken, throwing it into the pot, then threw in a can of tomatoes, a can of string beans, some mystery beans and a can of corn,

"Okay, that's a good amount of protein, the broth give me fluids."

She moved to one of the unpacked boxes in the corner and began pulling out various mugs and to-go cups until she found the one she was looking for,

"Okay Yeti brand. Let's see how good you really are. Can you hold up in the arctic freeze? If you do, I'll write a helluva review on Yelp for you."

She pulled out one of the books that Evony had bought her, _'Surviving the Arctic Freeze'_.

"Okay, Evony, so what are all of these colorful post-it notes doing throughout this book? Suggested reading, maybe?"

She pulled back the page marked by a pink post-it labeled _'subzero travel'_ and began to read aloud,

"There is no synthetic equivalent for good old-fashioned animal pelts or the animals themselves. This is why Mushers often sleep with their dogs whose genetics have allowed them to live and thrive in the icy environment."

Her eyes went wide as she remembered something Evony had said to her while she was packing her things. She ran to her phone, calling down to the bar,

"Yes, Kenzi?... This is Lauren in the apartment upstairs... Evony said something about fuzzy friends for me... Yes. Did she by any chance… she did?... Why didn't you tell me?... Oh, right… Where… Okay…Thanks… Right… don't do anything stupid… of course not... No... Right... Okay, bye."

Hanging up the phone, she returned to the easy chair and picked up the book again. This time she opened to the post-it note marked _'driving a dog sled team'_ ,

"I can do this. I'm a Marine. Oorah. I can figure out how to get myself a few miles down a very snowy road."

She began to read, skipping the parts about hitching up the team since she had seen that done first hand behind the General Store. Of course, she didn't know anything about her dogs, so she wouldn't be sure which should go where, but maybe the dogs would instinctively go to their usual spots on the lead. She continued reading, practicing the signals,

"Okay, so right turn is gee. Gee! Gee!"

She ran her finger beneath the lines as she read,

"Haw. Haw. Haw is left."

She turned her head towards a sound coming from behind the wall near her bedroom door. She put the book down on the side table and walked towards the wall. Putting her head against the wall, it sounded like… crying? She turned and ran to the kitchen, grabbing a glass and then ran back to the same spot. Putting the glass against the wall, she listened again, hearing the muffled words,

"You're okay, right girl? You're fine."

Lauren pulled her ear away, "Oh, Bo. I'm so sorry."

She listened again, "We're going to go see Seline. She'll know what to do. Her medicine is strong. We don't need that fancy city doctor, right? She'll fix this."

Lauren laid her hand on the wall as she listened to the muddled sounds of Bo crying. Saving Harper was going to be harder than she thought. For as much as Bo seemed to hate Big Jim, it looked like she had his stubborn streak as well. She needed to get her clinic up and running. Putting the glass down, she moved back to her reading chair and picked up the book. She shoved it into her pack as well as a few more supplies.

She moved to the kitchen where her soup of boiling on the stove. She pulled a thermos from the cupboard and filled it with the hot liquid, then grabbed her Yeti and filled that one the same. She grabbed three bags of the beef jerky she'd picked up at the General Store. She might need that for the dogs. It wasn't what was described in the book, but it would do if it had to. She moved to her bedroom and pulled on the five layers described in the book, then packed her goggles, mittens and mask in her pack. Everything else she would get from Kenzi.

She turned and took one last glance around the apartment before shouldering her bag and heading downstairs. Yes, it was high time she soldiered up and got her act together. It wasn't like her to sit around waiting for other people to do thing for her. She was tired of being afraid. She was tired of being stationary.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **Restaurant Bar, Two Hours Later…**_

Bo made her way to the bar, ready to take the doctor to the clinic, then start her run back to Anchorage to see Seline with Harper. The team was due for a checkup anyway, so she might as well do it now before they got too far into winter. She waved to Kenzi who seemed to hesitate before she came to stand in front her her friend.

"What's wrong with you?" Bo asked.

"Me? Nothing. What could possibly be wrong?"

Bo eyed her suspiciously, "You see the Doc? I want to get going. I'm going to drop her off and then head to Anchorage."

"Back to the village? Why?"

"I want Seline to check that lump the Doc found on Harper's neck." Bo replied.

"But why would you have Seline do that when she apparently missed the lump? Besides, it seems like the Doc has some fancy equipment you might want to try out…" She mumbled the rest, "… before she gets herself killed."

"What was that?"

Kenzi wiped the counter, her eyes turned away from Bo, "What?"

"What is up with you?"

"Bo! Hey! You seen the Doc? I can't find her anywhere." Little Jon came into the bar, pulling his hood back and shaking off the snow.

"I just mopped that floor!" Kenzi scolded.

"Sorry, Kenz." He turned to Bo, "So, you know where she is? Her apartment?"

"Her apartment?" Bo asked.

Jon nodded, "Yea, she's in the one right next to yours."

Bo scowled, looking at Kenzi who was now further down the bar, still polishing the counters, "Why are you wiping the counters so much? Kenzi, where is the Doc?"

"Hanging out with her dogs."

Bo nodded, "So why didn't you just tell us that?"

Kenzi shrugged, "Dunno."

"Did you get that gear ready for her?"

The young woman nodded, "Yup. She has it all. Showed her how to wear everything proper, too."

"Good." Bo said, pulling on her gloves, "You gave her my old Mukluks?"

Kenzi nodded, "Yes, I gave her your favorite pair of dead seal boots. They're gross."

"They work and they're more waterproof than anything she brought with her." Bo replied.

"Good thing."

"What?"

"Oh, I just said… you-better-hurry-if-you-wanna-catch-up-with-her-before-she-dies-out-there." Kenzi rapid-fired the words, causing Bo and Jon to stop what they were doing to look up at the bartender. When she continued to wipe the counter, they said in tandem,

"WHAT?"

Kenzi slouched over the bar, "Okay, so theoretically, she may have asked me to show her the dogs and then asked to borrow the sled that was in the barn with the dogs. She had a little trouble, but she seemed to know how to hook up the team. Of course, there's only three dogs, so she probably didn't get too far… and she seemed to have an idea of how to work a compass. I mean, she is a Marine after all. Hooray!" Kenzi cheered.

Bo shook her head, "It's oorah and there's nothing good about any of that! Why in the world would you have let her leave? Why didn't you come and get me?"

"She told me she could handle it."

"Geezus, Kenzi! You know she can't handle it! Hell, you can't handle it and you've lived here all your life!" Bo said, hastening her preparation for a quick trip, "Jon, hitch up your sled. We're going to have to hustle so travel lite. We can get everything we need when we get to the clinic. I stocked that ridiculously huge storage shed that Evony put there. It's got enough groceries, dry good and clothes to last three years. I swear that woman just likes to spend money."

"Is there anything you want me to do?" Kenzi asked.

"I wanted you to keep her from doing anything stupid! Just like Evony asked, remember? It's why we have jobs! Protect her precious doctor! Dammit, Kenzi!"

"You can't always save people from themselves." Kenzi replied.

Bo shook her head, "Dammit."

She stormed out of the bar and into the snow followed by Little Jon.

"What's the plan, Bo?"

Bo set to work hitching her team, leading Jon to do the same, "You take the left, I'll take the right. We head out side by side, driving by compass since that's what she seems to be doing. She'll use true north on the compass so as long as we hold to that, we'll be fine."

"I don't have a compass, Bo."

"Then you better now lose me." She replied.

Jon watched as she set out the lines, "Five dogs?"

Bo nodded, "That's all we should need. You take Diana as your lead and Aphrodite as your swing. That will give you five."

"Are you sure Harper is…"

"She's fine." Bo said, cutting Jon off before he could say anything.

He set to work quietly hitching his dogs to the sled before the two tied their light packs to the sled, turned on their headlamps and headed off towards the clinic. Hopefully, the Doc made it to the clinic in one piece.

"You think she made it?" Jon called out to Bo over the barks of the dogs.

Bo shouted back, "I'm guessing the dogs ditched her by now. They're not used to being hitched. They've only pulled logs so far. I didn't have time to run them as a team. Had planned to start that part of their training next week. Damn this Doc is stubborn."

Jon laughed, "She says the same thing about you."

He couldn't see Bo's face through the mask and goggles, but he knew the look he was giving her right now. He laughed to himself.

"Let's just focus on the run. Harper! Gee! Gee!"

Jon called out an identical command, the two sleds turning in tandem to avoid the large landscape of trees ahead. As they passed the tall pines, they turned back, heading due North again,

"Haw! Haw!"

They continued up the dark path, Bo monitoring the compass while looking at the area off trail as Jon did the same on his side. They continued forging ahead as the winds kicked up,

"Another squall coming." Jon called out, to which Bo nodded, "This is what you wanted to avoid."

Bo nodded again, "You hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"Jon, brake." Bo called to her young companion before calling out, "Harper! Whoa! Whoa, girl!"

As the two teams came to a halt, the two mushers squinted into the darkness. Bo's heart stopped when she saw a sled team coming towards them.

"Shit! Jon!" Bo quickly threw her snow hook into the ground, stepping on it twice to be sure it held before stepping out into the gap between her sled and Jon's who was now standing next to her,

"Grab the dogs, not the lines. They're coming hard. If the sled is still attached, don't get hit. That's a lot of momentum that could do a lot of damage."

"Got it." Jon said, mimicking Bo's stance and bracing himself for impact. He'd never had to stop and oncoming runaway sled dog team before.

He could hear the barks as they approached and then heard Bo shout the commands, "Whoa, Elsa! Whoa!"

The two mushers leaned down, catching Lauren's lead dog, "Okay girl. It's okay. Where is Anna and Belle?" Bo asked the dog, checking the lead and neck lines attached to Elsa, "These neck lines were cut. They were intentionally freed… and in a hurry."

"Who would have cut their line?"

Bo shrugged, "I don't know. Maybe it's a message. It would have been just as easy to unclasp them unless the musher was injured. But I'm going to put Elsa in the lead and move Harper back to swing."

Jon shook his head, "But she's just a pup. Isn't she going to…"

Bo pulled the pack from the sled, knowing it would have Lauren's scent on it, "The pack isn't full. Lauren would have packed this full knowing that she was coming out here with no experience. She's crazy, not stupid. Elsa knows where Lauren is, Jon."

She held the pack in front of Elsa, letting her get a good whiff of Lauren's scent. It was a long shot that she could track anything out here in this snow, but it was all she had besides the compass. Bo knelt down in front of the young dog, "Elsa, I need you to find Lauren."

Detaching her neckline, she set to work rearranging the team. She attached Elsa last, leaving Lauren's sled in a ditch along the path. If Lauren didn't have the sled, she couldn't pull this stupid move again. She looked at Jon, giving him a nod. The young man nodded back, following behind Bo as she called out,

"Hike, Elsa! Hike!"

The young girl took off like a shot, causing Bo to do some quick pedaling to get them going. Once momentum was on their side, they were moving along well,

"Gee! Gee!"

Elsa began to move left, causing the sled to swerve as the rest of the team turned right on command, "Harper! Pull her in, girl!"

She watched as Harper accelerated, nudging Elsa's back left quarter, effectively pushing the young pup back on track. Bo could see the darkness fading ever so slightly. With any luck, they wouldn't pass Lauren in the dark before the sun came up. She had no idea what shape the woman was in, if she was injured or unconscious or if someone had decided to take advantage of a lone newcomer out here in the Alaskan wilderness by herself. One thing she was fairly certain of was that it hadn't been a bear or wolf. If it had, Elsa would have blood on her for sure.

Elsa began to bark, followed by Harper. The sled turned, nearly throwing Bo off, but she leaned back and rode the curve, giving the dogs freedom to go after whatever they'd instinctively wanted to find. Bo hopped off and ran behind the sled, pushing along as a small fire came into view. There lay Anna and Belle, curled around…

"Lauren! Lauren!" Bo threw down her snow hook, "Elsa! Harper! Halt! Halt!"

The brunette hopped off the sled and ran to where the two young dogs were laying on the doctor, keeping her warm,

"Good dogs! Good dogs!" Bo said, petting each dog's head before pulling them off of the blonde and giving her a gentle shake, "Lauren? Lauren!"

There was no response. Bo removed her glove and placed her fingers in front of the blonde's mouth just as Jon came to her side,

"She's breathing. Bring my sled over. We've got to get her to the clinic."

Jon pointed at the ground in front of him, "There's blood here."

Bo looked at the doctor's head, "Her head. It looks like she bumped her head." She looked around the area, the coming dawn and her headlamp lighting the area enough to show the events that led to the cut, "Looks like the sled flipped with her on it. I'm not surprised. Elsa almost flipped me twice. Damn dog still doesn't know 'gee' from 'haw'. Gets it backwards every time."

Jon walked back and pulled Bo's snow hook from the ground, leading Elsa over to Lauren and past her so they could load her onto the sled,

"This is the last time we drag her unconscious ass out of trouble. Next time we leave her behind." Bo said, her worry now replaced by anger.

"You don't mean that." Jon replied.

"Right now, I'm angry enough to mean it. What in all that's good did she think she was doing? It's like hopping in a car back east without a drivers' license."

"Well, she obviously had her reasons." Jon defended.

The pair lifted the doctor onto the sled, putting Anna and Belle on either side of her to keep her warm, then headed off to the clinic where they could get a better idea of how she was. They rode for another mile or so before they pulled up in front of the older building. Bo had wanted to renovate this one as well, but Evony was putting all of her money into the hospital here.

They carried the doc inside, laying her on a table, then proceeded to bring in the dogs. Bo gave the dogs her special mix of liquid and protein before moving back to Lauren,

"Okay, let's see what we've got here." She checked her body from head to toe, not finding any fractures or swelling. Just the gash and bump on her head. She found that her pupils were dilated by responsive, so the doctor likely had a concussion.

"How's she doing?" Jon asked.

Bo shrugged, "Okay, I guess. Did you get the gas on?"

Jon nodded, "Heat's on. Generator is up and running."

"Thanks." Bo replied, pulling out a hook and thread for stitching the gash on the doctor's head, "Now, to clean and close this gash."

Jon shook his head, "I don't think the Doc would appreciate you stitching her up, Bo."

"You see anyone else around here who knows how to do it?"

"No, but…"

"Well, I think she's going to like having an infection from an open cut even worse. Now that we're inside, it's getting warmer, so infection can set in. I've cleaned it, now it's time to stitch it. Now, do you mind?" Bo asked.

Jon shook his head, "Not at all. That's actually really gross. Do your best. I'm going to look after the dogs."

"You do that. I'll take care of Princess, here."

As Bo stitched, she couldn't help but allow her eyes to drift over the blonde's face… her hands… her body. She was beautiful. It had been a very long time since Bo had felt this feeling stir inside of her. One thing she knew for sure was that this woman was trouble… in more ways than one if she was as stubborn as she'd proven so far.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 **A/N 2:** I am one of the lucky ones who has seen Denali… several times. The first time was from the train to Talkeetna which is all glass from your waist to the sky. I was in awe of the landscape views, but when the mountain appeared, I couldn't take my eyes off of it. Beautiful, amazing, incredible, majestic… there is no single word. I'd go back there in a blink.


	3. Chapter 3: Closing the Gap

_**A/N:**_ _Pardon errors of any kind! The proofread kind of got tossed aside again in exchange for bedtime so I could post this tonight. Hopefully the gaps were all fixed! Gotta get some sleep! Those of you just heading to jobs, safe travels and enjoy your day… this is probably not good reading for work. This chapter is definitely for mature audiences only!_

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 **Chapter 3: Closing the Gap**

Lauren's eyes fluttered open, her eyes landing immediately on a pile of fur in front of her. She turned her head when a wet tongue touched her lips and immediately felt a surge of pain in her head,

"Okay, girl. Okay. I'm awake. Maybe we should try to get to the clinic, huh?"

"You're already at the clinic, Doc."

"Okay. I definitely have a concussion because I could have sworn I just heard you talk. Dogs don't talk."

"That's true. Dogs don't talk. But they do bark and the bark of that particular dog saved your life. We might have driven right past you if she hadn't sensed us."

Lauren closed her eyes and opened them again, looking up at the ceiling… a ceiling… no stars, no snow… a ceiling. She was inside. Where was she?

"Don't go back to sleep Doc. You've been out for a while and conscious is definitely better for you at this point. Of course, I'm not the doctor so you probably know better than me. Your pupils are dilated, but responsive so I know that's good. You were hypothermic when we brought you in, but we were successful at warming you slowly with the help of our tried and true methods. You have a bit of frostbite on your right cheek where your face was in the snow… probably for about a good thirty minutes from the looks of it. You'll have some scabbing and discoloration, but it should heal up. The little finger on your left hand has frostbite too. I did what I could with it, but that's a bit more severe. Time will tell. Feels like you have a pulse in there, but you'll have to watch that."

"My hand? My finger?" Lauren went to sit up, but stopped, her hands gripping her head and then her hand, "Fuck!"

"Language, Doctor."

"My head… my fucking hand! What the hell!" She looked down to see a bandaged hand, "What the hell?"

"Mouth like a truck driver, this one." The voice mumbled.

"I need to know… wait… who are you?"

The brunette stood and walked to stand next to the table, "It's me. Bo."

Lauren looked up, confused, "Bo? How did you… why are you…"

"I have a contract with Evony… to keep you alive. Of course, it will be hard for me to get paid if you get dead, so I'd appreciate you not doing anything that stupid again."

Scowling, the blonde replied, "Well, it didn't seem you were up for getting me here, so I decided to make the trip myself. I'm not in the habit of sitting around waiting for things to be done for me. I'm also not in the habit of being insulted continuously as I have been since my arrival here. Since I'm obviously trapped in this hell hole, I decided I'd rather chance death than spend any more time listening to you complain about everything I don't know about living in your state. And I'd also like to say that if you ever find yourself in Boston, trying to adapt to city life, I'd be happy to shit all over you like you've shat all over me as you try to adjust to unfamiliar territory and customs."

"Shat?"

"Yes. Past tense of shit as far as I'm concerned." Lauren replied with a huff, "Do you mean to tell me that of everything I just said, that word is the only thing that meant anything to you?"

"I asked because that was the only word that didn't mean anything to me. No… seriously… shat… no idea what it means."

"Ugh!" Lauren said, rolling her eyes and laying back, "Owa! My fucking hand!"

Bo sighed knowing that she needed the money from Evony, so she was going to have to find a way to deal with being around this blonde. Foul mouth and all… although she was certain her hand definitely deserved a lot of 'F' bombs,

"Look. We both have a job to do here. You have to take care of opening this new hospital and dealing with this virus that's going around the area. My job is to keep you alive to do those jobs while also doing my job as a Trapper and Carpenter. I'm also training for the Iditarod, so I have very little free time which is making me a little bit… short tempered. Add to it the fact that I spend almost all of my time away from people and you might understand a bit about my lack of social skills. For that reason, I'm very blunt… actually, I'd prefer to call it honest. I have no time for subtleties, and I am not here to make friends. I have no need for friendships… it's not a requirement for my survival or the survival of those around me."

Lauren slowly rose to prop herself up on her elbows, the dog spinning around and settling herself between her legs. Lauren reached down and scratched her head before looking up at Bo,

"Surviving isn't living. Friendships can make living a helluva lot more pleasant and friends can also help you to juggle all you're trying to juggle."

"There's nothing anyone can do for me. Everything I'm juggling is mine to deal with. You can't drive a dog sled – despite your best effort – you can't hammer a nail and you can't set or retrieve traps. Like I said, there's nothing you can do for me."

Lauren nodded, "Right. Fine."

She held up her hand, again noticing the bandage. Bo explained, "I wrapped the finger, then packed it in snow to limit the decay of tissue before we moved you…"

"Packed it in snow? You packed a frostbitten limb in snow?"

Bo nodded, "Rewarming frostbitten limbs is not recommended when you have a core body temperature below 82 degrees Fahrenheit."

"I'm a doctor. I'm aware of that." Lauren snapped, then replayed Bo's words, "My core temperature was below 82 degrees?"

Bo nodded, "I didn't have a thermometer, but you weren't shivering, you weren't conscious which I wasn't sure was from hypothermia or the head injury and you were barely breathing. Good enough for you, Doctor Lewis?"

Lauren scowled, "Yes. Please call me Lauren."

"But you said…"

"I know what I said!" Her patience was short, her head hurt, her hand hurt and she was in a piss poor mood. She had no idea why, but she just… she just wanted to go home. As snowbound as they were in Boston, she missed normal snow and cold. She loved winters in Boston, but this… this was altogether different,

"I'm sorry. I'm in a bad mood."

"You're recovering from hypothermia."

Lauren nodded, "So, why did you wait to rewarm the limb if you had me warm on the sled?"

This woman was unreal, "You second guessing my decision, Doctor Lewis?"

"I don't think you understand how serious this could be for my career if I lose this finger – pinky or not."

"As I mentioned, I couldn't rewarm the limb until I had you in a place where it wouldn't refreeze. If we hadn't made it back – I mean, obviously you now know that shit happens out here, even with the most experienced Mushers – refreezing would have become a real issue. So we wrapped Anna and Belle in a large blanket with you and put you on my sled to slowly work on your hypothermia. Moving you faster with a chopper or vehicle was out of the question in whiteout conditions. We were about an hour from the clinic when we found you – faster to get moving than wait for the weather to clear. So, to prevent your hand from warming and then refreezing due to exposure, we wrapped it, then packed it in snow to keep it cold. I realize that's not the first aid method of the lower 48, but here, things freeze much more rapidly and once they do, if you don't keep them frozen until they can be permanently thawed, they cause infection, loss of limb and death. It's a time-tested method – one that saved your finger. If I had tried to warm it out there, it would be gone now."

Lauren slowly unwrapped the hand, but Bo protested,

"I wouldn't…"

"I need to see it."

"Seeing it won't help it heal faster." Bo replied.

"Yea, well wrapping it doesn't change the fact that the tissue is dead."

"The tissue is not dead. You have a pulse in the finger and the discoloration has not spread into your hand. It does have blisters and removing the wrap may threaten the tissue."

"I thought you said I was the doctor?" Lauren huffed.

"Sorry."

Lauren looked around, "Warm water?"

Bo nodded, going to the sink and filling the bucket they'd used to thaw her hand. She brought it back over to Lauren who slowly sat up and placed her wrapped hand slowly in the warm water,

"Shit." She hissed, swirling her hand around in the bucket, making sure it did not touch the sides. When the bandage fell loose, she looked down at her hand through the clear water,

"It appears cyanotic. You said I have a pulse?" Lauren asked, her eyes welling up with tears.

Bo nodded, "Best I can tell. I didn't want to touch the skin too much since I didn't have gloves. They're in one of these boxes, I'm sure. All I could find was the Hibiclens."

"Thank you for attempting to keep it as sterile as possible." Lauren said, trying to see the damaged limb through the water.

"The blisters look clear to cloudy. They don't seem to be holding bloody fluid. We agree that's good, right?" Bo asked.

"Very good." Lauren nodded.

"Okay then, let's keep our thoughts on the bright side here." Bo encouraged, awkwardly patting Lauren's shoulder.

"You really don't understand, Bo. The work you do requires what we call gross motor skills. Swinging a hammer, driving a sled, setting traps. What I do requires what we call fine motor skills."

"Doc, no offense, but it's just a pinky. You have four other fingers on that hand and I've been around you enough to know that you're clearly right-handed. It's your left pinky." Bo said, trying to force a smile and be… friendly. It was awkward territory to deal with someone else's tears over a little finger. Everyone knows that our index finger and thumb are the most important ones.

"I'm a surgeon. My hands are crucial." Lauren replied.

"Your pinky is crucial to surgery when you're clearly right-handed?"

Lauren shook her head, "Surgery is a two-handed skill and… well… the surgeries I do are… delicate."

Jon laughed as he entered the room, "Delicate? Bo, meet Doctor Lauren Lewis, WORLD-renowned Cardiothoracic Surgeon and Chief Surgeon in the Critical Coronary Care Program at Boston General Hospital."

Bo looked unimpressed, though she knew she should be, "So… she's super smart."

"The smartest and the most skilled." Jon replied, "And very modest about her smarts. Although, taking a dog sled out with no lessons and no experience – not to mention alone in the darkness with no knowledge of the trail – does not demonstrate much intelligence… or common sense for that matter."

"Wow. I thought my Mother was back in Boston reminding everyone of my long list of failures. Apparently, she followed me here to add to everyone else's incredible need to insult me every chance they get." She laid back, "Damn I'm exhausted. You still didn't tell me how long I've been out."

Bo and Jon looked at each other, then back at Lauren.

"Well?" Lauren asked.

Jon looked at Bo and shrugged before he replied, "It's about seven o'clock now."

Lauren nodded, "Not too bad then."

She lifted her leg over the dog and turned away from the two natives. Slowly, she stood, pausing for a moment when a wave of nausea caused her to wobble.

"Doc, what are you doing?" Jon asked.

"I need to aspirate these blisters. I need a rectangular white box labeled sterile. Did you happen to see it?"

Jon went looking or the box, while Bo turned to Lauren, "What are you going to do?"

"Right now, these blisters are… well… think of your icebergs up here. You see a small part of the berg on the surface, but there's a massive chunk of ice below the waterline, correct?"

"That sounds about right." Bo replied.

Lauren nodded, "Well, these blisters are small on the surface and while damage to my skin is of concern, below the surface, the pressure of a larger mass of fluid pressing on my nerve and/or blood vessel is of greater concern. Popping the blisters could cause bleeding. Aspirating the blisters will draw the fluid out."

"Aspirating?" Bo asked.

"Yes. I'm going to insert a fine, sterile needle into each blister and draw out the fluid. It will relieve any pressure and also allow me to be sure the fluid is clear or slightly cloudy."

"Doc… I mean… Doctor Lewis…"

"Would it really kill you to call me Lauren?"

Bo sighed, "Lauren…" the brunette hesitated at the feel of the name rolling off her tongue so naturally, "Are you really going to do that to yourself?"

"Well, I'm the only doctor here and as you were quick to remind me, I am right-handed."

Bo nodded, "I'll help Jon find the box then."

She turned and moved immediately to Jon, whispering, "Are we really going to let her stick a needle in frostbite blisters?"

Jon shrugged, "Bo, I've seen the articles Evony sent my Dad and Selina about her. She's like a Rockstar Goddess in the medical world. I think you're selling her short. She knows what she's doing."

Bo shook her head, "Jon, she doesn't know anything right now. She was hypothermic big time. She was unconscious for over twenty-four hours."

"Yea, but she doesn't know that." Jon smiled.

"I can't believe you lied to her." Bo replied.

"I didn't lie. It was around seven o'clock when she asked."

Bo shook her head, "She thinks you mean seven o'clock yesterday! She doesn't know she was out for over a full day which means she has no idea just how hypothermic she was! She's making medical decisions with incorrect medical information!"

"Okay, then you tell her the truth."

"No!" Bo said, before she realized the word was coming out of her mouth. Dammit! What was her problem? Why was she so… weird… about this woman?

"Got it." Jon said, holding up the box.

"Great." Bo said watching him carry the box to Lauren, "Just great."

She watched from across the room as Jon helped Lauren get everything set up. She watched… and watched… and watched… until finally, she couldn't watch anymore,

"Wait!"

The pair turned to look at Bo who was tapping her fingers on a stack of boxes, looking at the floor trying to gather her courage to speak.

"Bo, what are we waiting for?" Lauren asked.

"Seven o'clock today."

"What?" Lauren asked.

"It's seven o'clock today."

Lauren placed the syringe on the blue sterile cloth of the surgical tray, "What are you talking about?"

"It's seven o'clock today… not yesterday. You left the bar at about eleven or twelve o'clock yesterday. Kenzi wasn't sure how long it took you to hook up the sled and actually leave. We found you around three o'clock yesterday. We got you back here and thawed out around four-thirty yesterday. You woke up at seven o'clock today."

"Wh-what?" Lauren asked, her bottom lip quivering as her eyes squinted, trying to take in what Bo was telling her."

"You've been unconscious due to hypothermia, the head injury and frostbite for…"

Lauren slowly walked to a chair and sat down, "Minus an hour or two when I was conscious, I've been out for over twenty-nine hours. I'm still tired. My hypothermia would have been classified as severe. You would have been unable to warm me externally. What else did you do?"

When there was no response, Lauren turned to Bo, "What else did you do!"

Slowly, Bo moved to Lauren. Reaching out, she took her right hand in her own. The two looked at where their hands were joined for a long moment before Bo used her other hand to raise the blonde's fleece and two under layers, revealing an adhesive strip on the anterior side of her arm at the elbow joint,

"What did you do?"

"Well, Seline would have done something called reperfusion with ECMO, but I don't know how to do those things."

"I needed ECMO?"

"She said it would help the reperfusion along since your vitals were so low."

"How low were they?"

"Low." Bo replied, her face twisting into what Lauren believed resembled fear.

"Bo?"

She looked up at the blonde, "You were near death, Lauren. You were laying outside in the snow for over an hour in an outdoor temperature of minus 25 degrees Fahrenheit or less. You were clearly dehydrated – we knew that because either Jon or I had been with you every minute for the prior twenty-four hours and you weren't drinking much other than coffee or tea, both of which dehydrate a person."

"So, you had to hydrate me while restoring circulation to my hand and countering the hypothermia."

Bo nodded, "But again, I don't know how to do… uh… I think Selina spelled it C-A-V-R?"

"Continuous arteriovenous rewarming. It's a relatively new procedure that is done with SR… standard rewarming – externally."

Bo grinned, "Yea, well Selina reads up on all of the newest procedures and adapts them to our life here."

"Reads up on?"

"Village medicine isn't as archaic as you think, Lauren. Selina graduated from the University of Alaska medical school. She just chose not to practice traditional medicine."

"Then why am I here if you already have a doctor?"

Bo cocked her head, "Uh… did you not just hear what I said? Selina is not going to work in a big hospital. She is only going to treat her village."

"I see. So… Bo, how did you save me?"

"I did all of the usual things on the outside once we got you out of your wet clothes." She blushed, remembering the blonde's soft pale skin and… well… everything else.

"Bo?"

"Uh… right. Uh, Selina had me find a bag of normal saline, warm it to a very specific temperature of 106 degrees and then pump it in through your arm there."

"My arm?" Lauren asked.

Bo nodded, "I learned how to put needles there to hydrate myself or my dogs during races. I've never learned how to find any other arteries, so that's the one we used. She wanted me to use one in your leg so it wasn't so close to your heart, but she didn't trust me to not pump it into your leg if I missed the artery. She said your heart would have to work harder to pump the excess fluid off if I did that – not to mention you could lose your leg."

Lauren whispered, "Thank you, Seline."

"Anyway, you're alive," Bo said, "And you're lucky to be so. Lauren, you really can't do stuff like what you did yesterday. You could have gotten yourself killed."

"Right and then you'd lose your job with Evony and the financial benefits that go along with that. Her hospital wouldn't have me around to take care of it and you wouldn't have a cardiothoracic surgeon to treat your mystery virus – which, by the way, should be treated by an infectious disease specialist! You would have much more time to do your important jobs like training for the Iditarod, hammering nails in Evony's precious building and setting traps to kill helpless animals!"

"Hey! We have to eat and stay warm!" Bo countered.

"You have rooms stock-piled with fruits and vegetables! You have rice and all sorts of dry goods with canned sauces to go with them! There's an ocean full of fish not far from here and I've heard you can drill through lake ice and fish through a hole! Don't tell me you need to kill animals! You also have all sorts of synthetic options for clothing! Add a layer and they can be just as effective as fur!"

"Wow. It must be nice to know everything about a land that almost took you to an icy grave not 24 hours ago!" Bo yelled in return.

Lauren marched across the room to where she had seen a phone perched on the desk. She leaned on the hard wood surface, knowing that when she picked up the receiver if there was no dial tone, she'd look like an even bigger idiot, but right now, this was a call she had to try to make. Lifting the receiver to her ear, she felt relief at the sound. She immediately dialed, hearing a familiar voice on the second ring,

" _Well, well. If it isn't Doctor Lewis, finally checking in. I cannot believe you'd be calling to tell me I missed something. I thought of everything."_

"Evony, get me out of here. Now! I'm done with this frozen fucking hell hole! You completely misrepresented the situation. This is a job for a general practitioner, a general surgeon, and an infectious disease specialist! This is NOT my wheelhouse at all!"

" _Oh really? And I'm making you my Chief of Staff when you return because all you do is cardio? Or is it just that you miss me that much, darling?"_

"I mean it, Evony. Get me out of this frozen abyss or I will sever all ties with you and the hospital."

" _Is a little cold too much for you?"_

"A little cold? I am in the fucking frozen tundra out here! There will be almost 100 inches of snow on the ground by spring! How are you planning to build a hospital in this?"

" _I take it that animal Bo Dennis hasn't managed to get you to the site of the new building yet?"_

"I've only just gotten to the clinic. It's not like there's a subway to hop on, Evony and you know it! What's your angle here? Why did you really send me here? Tell me this doesn't have anything to do with Nadia!"

" _You two were unbearable! And you have been moping around endlessly since she broke your little cardiothoracic surgeon's heart. This will be good for you. A new experience in a new land. Darling, challenge yourself. Find your resilience! There's more to life than cutting open hearts and writing another boring journal article. I'm telling you that I was there for a month in the summer and it absolutely inspired and energized me!"_

"Summer? Summer! You want to compare what you did in summer to what I'm going through right now!" Lauren countered, absolutely furious now.

" _Lauren, don't be so dramatic. A few more months and you'll be home for spring break in Cancun!"_

"Cancun? I'm not going to Cancun, Evony! I want to go back to surgeries… if I can." Lauren said, looking down at her blue finger.

" _If you can? What happened! That Trapper was supposed to keep you safe!"_

"So now that your top surgeon that does wonders for the public relations department of your hospitals may not be able to perform her miraculous surgeries, you worry?"

" _What's wrong!"_

"I have frostbite on a finger of my left hand and have lost all sensation!"

 _Evony screamed, causing Lauren to pull the phone from her ear, "Where is that Trapper! She was supposed…"_

"Evony, just stop it! Bo is not my guard dog! She can't control my every action, nor would I ever allow her to, just like you cannot control my every action! I am not some little girl who needs a fucking baby sitter! Besides, even if she had been with me, Bo can't prevent frostbite in the conditions here! Did you happen to see her? She's got frostbite damage from head to toe – everyone here does!"

" _Oh, believe me, I saw all of her… from head to toe. She's very good at… sexual healing."_

Lauren looked up at Bo, shaking her head, "I have no desire to hear of your sexcapades with Bo, Evony."

She turned her back on the Trapper, feeling the sting of knowing that she'd slept with the one woman in the world that Lauren had been forced to tolerate throughout her relatively young career to access the best care for her patients. She had no reason to feel… whatever it was she was feeling. The woman was bull-headed, stubborn, rude and anti-social. She could barely stand to be in the same room her. She wasn't jealous. She wasn't. She was just… appalled that an attractive, independent, strong woman like Bo fell for Evony's games. Despite her obvious sexual appeal, the fact that she had slept with Evony was simply… revolting. It certainly wasn't jealousy.

"I just want to hear you say you are sending a replacement so that I can return to my duties in civilization."

" _I am not sending a rescue... or a replacement… or anything else you'd like to call it. You have a job to do. Need I remind you that the contract you signed allows me to move you to any hospital owned by my company? If, in two years, when your contract is up for renewal, you wish to leave my employ or renegotiate the terms of our agreement, you can do so at that time. Until then, you will remain in Alaska or you buy out your contract. You know the deal."_

"Buy out my contract? That would be millions of dollars!" Lauren argued.

" _I didn't hear a complaint when we were negotiating your salary." Evony laughed, knowing she was definitely getting under the blonde's skin._

"Evony Fleurette Marquis I despise you!"

 _Evony laughed, "Well, I'm sure that's not the first nor last time you'll say that. Ta, Darling."_

With that, the boss hung up the phone, leaving Lauren with nothing to do but slam the phone down. She leaned forward, planting both hands on the table before cringing at a surge of pain that ran through her little finger. She gripped the injured hand at the wrist with her other hand as tears brimmed in her eyes.

Her young companion took a step forward, "Doc, is there…"

"Jon, I appreciate your concern, but there's nothing you can do for me. I know you're supposed to be back home soon. Hell, I don't even remember what day it is."

Jon shoved his hands in his pockets, "It's okay. Actually, while you were out, I called my Dad. He told me to stay nearby in case you needed anything. My Uncle lives… well, what you city people would call a block away. His son, my cousin, went down to Anchorage to go west with Pops on an ice fishing trip, so my Uncle had him stay to help out my Dad while I stay here to help my Uncle at his General Store. My cousin is staying to learn how to do the books for the store, so they made the switch until next weekend. My Dad and Uncle want me to help you get this place set up while Bo's doing her other stuff during the day. She'll do all the carpentry stuff, but I can unpack boxes, clean and do other stuff, like teach you how to do the petro and the other day to day stuff."

"That's really not necessary." Lauren replied, walking towards the windows which showed an illuminated gravel road and a town that looked like something out of the wild, wild west.

"It's no bother, Doc. My Uncle's store is just like my Dad's. They're just trading sons for the week. We do it all the time. Little Jim and I are basically interchangeable."

"Convenient." Lauren replied, her eyes traveling down the street to the sign for a pub, "Well, I'm going to drain these blisters and then head down there for something to eat."

"Okay, but you really shouldn't go out there, Doc." Jon cautioned.

"It's a short walk. I'll make sure to cover every inch of skin and protect my cheek and finger." She turned and walked across the clinic, stopping when she saw her three dogs looking up at her. She knelt down,

"Come here, girls." The three two-year-old dogs ran to her, excited. It only took a moment before she was forced to sit back on the floor, the dogs rolling on and around her as she tried to give them each attention, while keeping her hand away from them, "Good girl, Elsa." She tried not to tear up as she spoke softly in her ear, "You did it, baby girl. You saved us." She looked at the team, "You saved us all. Good girl."

Bo stepped towards the small group and nodded, "She did do good. Real good."

Lauren stood, smiling down at the pup, "Definitely."

"Doc, what happened out there. I mean, don't get me wrong… you made it just over a mile to your destination which is a small miracle considering your level of training and theirs. You got so far. The snow was getting deeper, but it was pretty much powder. They should have been able to pull through another couple of miles if they made it as far as they did. I just can't figure out… what went wrong?" Bo asked.

The blonde shrugged, "I said gee, Elsa heard haw, the sled flipped unexpectedly, and I flew off, hitting my head on what I can only guess was a rock. I managed to keep myself conscious long enough to get the sled upright. I was confused and it was getting dark. I thought about sending the sled back, but then I thought I'd freeze to death if I didn't have something to keep me warm. I was able to start a small fire using the small rocks I found to make a base and walls. Then I remembered hearing that you sleep with your dogs to keep yourself warm during races, so I kept two with me and sent one back."

"Good thing you sent this one." Bo said, rubbing Elsa's head.

Lauren looked down at her lead dog, "That bartender, Kenzi, told me that you had been training Elsa as the lead dog, so I figured – with you being the expert and all – that you picked her because she was the fastest, smartest and had the best sense of direction…"

A few of the dogs barked. Lauren smiled down at them, "No offense, girls…"

She gave Anna and Belle each a rub on the head, "I bought a book at Jon's store the other day on the Iditarod after watching you take off into a blizzard that day. On the train here, I started reading about the best breeds, choosing and raising the dogs, how you line up a sled… that sort of thing. Based on what I'd read, I decided that if you were in my situation, you would have sent your lead dogs for help since they'd have the best shot at making it back. Since I only had one lead dog, I sent Elsa since you had picked her as the lead."

Lauren looked down at her dog again, "The hard part was figuring out how she would know where I wanted her to go. I hoped she had the instinct, but wasn't sure, so I gave her the scent on the pack that Jon had carried. I wasn't even sure if dogs can catch scents in snow, but thought it was worth a try. At the very least, I thought she would want to be home where she would be fed and have a bed. I kept the other two with me to keep me warm."

Bo was surprised at the resourcefulness of the blonde. Maybe she had misjudged her a bit,

"Wow. That was… smart."

Lauren laughed, knowing that was probably the best she could expect from the highly critical woman,

"Yea, well… thanks."

Bo nodded, "Really, Doc…tor Lewis." She stumbled, remembering that the blonde didn't want her to call her Doc. She really couldn't understand why. After all, she didn't seem to have a problem with Jon calling her that.

"You see, most people would have panicked and tried to ride the sled back. If you had kept all three pups together and sent them back, they probably wouldn't have made it. Elsa is far from the alpha at this point. Belle and Anna probably wouldn't have listened to her lead, so they all could have been lost. I noticed the neck lines were cut. Why not just unhitch them?"

Lauren shrugged, "Just another message. I figured if they were cut, whoever found the sled would have at least sent law enforcement or a search party knowing someone may have abducted me. Probably a stupid idea, but I was just trying to do as many things as I could think of that would appear abnormal."

Bo nodded, "You mean other than a doctor who had no experience with either the Alaskan climate or dog sledding doing both of those."

"Look. I don't need another lecture on how…"

"Doc, that's not… okay well, maybe I was but… it's my job to keep you safe while you're here and…"

"And heaven forbid you don't get your precious paycheck from my bitch of a boss. Don't worry. I'll follow orders from now on. I wouldn't want her to punish you by withholding sex now, would I?"

Bo watched as the blonde pumped some Hibiclens into the warm water bowl next to the surgical tools on the table. She swirled it around with her hand, slowly lowering the injured digit into the water. She allowed it to soak, counting aloud,

"One-one thousand, two-one thousand, three-one thousand…"

Bo watched while Jon moved over to sit in front of Lauren by the table in case she needed any help.

"Pump a small bit of that solution onto your hands and scrub vigorously. Don't miss any surface of your hand. Your job will be to open the syringes, one at a time after I use each one."

Bo tapped the counter, feeling like she should be helping, but not sure if the blonde wanted her help. Still, she supposed a show of some social skills might help to bridge the ever-growing gap between them, so a polite offer – even if the blonde didn't take it – was worth a try,

"Can I do anything to help?"

Lauren nodded, "Actually, yes. Can you grab the red plastic biohazard container out of that white box, please?"

"Sure." Bo said, doing as asked.

"Bring it over here and put it on the counter. Each syringe I hand you, stick the needle in the hole there and squeeze those scissor-like handles together to cut the needle off before tossing the syringe into the bin as well."

Bo nodded, "Got it."

Lauren pulled her hand out of the solution before laying it gingerly on the sterile cloth. She held her other hand out to Jon who placed a syringe in her palm. Lauren gave him a nod, before slowly inserting the needle into the first blister and drawing out the fluid. Bo and Jon watched as the blister slowly deflated. When finished, Lauren studied the fluid,

"Cloudy, but not bloody. That's good."

Jon and Bo nodded before Lauren looked at Bo, "I'm not steady enough to do this on all of my blisters. It's really a two-handed job. You said you know how to insert a needle. Do you think you can handle what I just did?"

Bo stopped short of a reply, instead staring at the blonde for a long moment before she asked, "What if I put it in too deep?"

"Well, that would hurt and you could damage a nerve or blood vessel, so please don't. Just the tip goes in, Bo. The fluid is just beneath the surface of the blister."

"Right." Bo said, coming around in front of Lauren while Jon moved to her side.

"You've got this, Bo. Just like putting in the I.V. of warm normal saline. She's alive. You got this."

Bo took a deep breath, "Shut it, Jon."

Lauren shook her head, "No, he's right. You've got this, Bo."

The brunette took a needle from Jon, slowly leading the point to the next blister. She hesitated twice before she finally inserted it on the third try…

"I did it!"

Lauren grinned at the brunette's smile, "Yes, you did. Two down, five to go."

"This really is a blistered mess." Bo said.

Lauren nodded, "It is, but I think it will be okay – thanks to the two of you. Really… thank you… both of you."

The pair smiled and nodded as Bo moved on to the next blister. They worked quietly from that moment on until they were finished. At that point, Lauren had Jon make a new Hibiclens bath for her. After a good long soak, Bo re-wrapped her hand in light layers before tying off the bandage. While Jon got to work cleaning up the mess, Lauren sat back in the chair for a moment, waiting for the throbbing to stop,

"Pain is good." Bo reminded her.

"Pain sucks. This place sucks. Evony sucks the most." Lauren frowned, "I swear I'm going to suffocate here."

"You won't suffocate here if you take the time to learn the rules and live by the rules. You just need to make sure that I'm with you when you want to go somewhere. Or Jon's with you. Don't take chances." Bo explained, knowing that she sounded like a chaperone on a high school field trip, "Not yet."

Lauren laughed, "Right. Follow my masters. Well, master…" she spat, "… if you could kindly direct me to the cage where I'll be kept while I'm here so that I can clean up before walking down to the pub to get some dinner?"

"Doc, you're not…"

"Again… my name…" Lauren began, before realizing she was raising her voice. She took a deep breath to calm herself and spoke more softly as she continued, "… is Lauren. I would appreciate it if you would call me Lauren or Doctor Lewis and not Doc. I don't call you Trap, do I?"

"Trap?" Bo asked, "Why would you call me Trap?"

"The Doc equivalent to Trapper?" Lauren reasoned.

Bo nodded, "Right. Jon calls you Doc."

"He does."

"Preferential treatment?" Bo asked.

"Something like that." Lauren replied.

"Hungry?" Bo asked.

Lauren nodded, "I guess I haven't eaten in over a day."

Bo looked at Jon, "You up for a run?"

Jon nodded, "I'm starving and I've got to drop my gear off at my Uncle's, so yup!"

He started gathering up his gear, "Okay for me to take Belle and Anna?"

Lauren looked up at Bo, "What?"

Bo explained, "You're keeping Elsa here because she needs to bond with you. Belle and Anna need to bond with the rest of the dogs."

"You mean with your dogs?" Lauren corrected.

"With any dogs. You'll be adding to your team for next winter, so they need to learn how to socialize."

"And you don't?" Lauren replied, regretting it when she saw the look on Bo's face, "Sorry. Your words, not mine."

Bo nodded, "I did say I'm anti-social."

"I believe you said you don't need friends… or people." Lauren amended.

Bo offered a tight smile, "Yea, I guess I did say that."

"Well, it seems that people need you, Bo. Maybe you should reconsider that social policy of yours." Lauren walked to the examination table, her head throbbing again. She laid down on her side, pulling the pillow beneath her head and curling up.

Bo walked over to her, handing her two blankets, "You might be more comfortable on the sofa over there in the corner."

"Now she tells me." Lauren grumbled, removing herself from the table and heading to the couch. Bo shook out the two blankets and pulled each one over the blonde, "Wow. You're getting more social already. Thank you."

"Don't confuse chivalry with socializing." Bo grinned.

"I'll take chivalry over insults any day." Lauren replied.

Lauren closed her eyes as Bo sat down in an easy chair not far from her,

"So is this the waiting room?" Lauren asked.

Bo smiled, "It is. A sofa, two chairs, a radio and a black and white TV. You like it?"

Lauren chuckled, "State of the art. Love it."

"Sleep a little. Jon will be at least an hour with the food." Bo said, wanting desperately to move the long sliver of blonde hair that lay across the Doctor's cheek and lips.

Jon moved into the space, "I've got everything together. I've got two neck lines, but no lead. Do you have a spare lead for those two princesses?"

Bo nodded, "On top of my pack."

Jon hustled across the room and grabbed the lead, "Come 'ere, girls!"

All three dogs ran to Jon, tails wagging. Bo called Elsa back, "Elsa, come."

The silver and white Siberian ran to Bo who redirected her to Lauren, "See Doc."

Elsa ran immediately to Lauren's side, the blonde opening one eye to see two bright blue eyes staring happily back at her, "What?"

Bo grinned, "She wants to know where you want her. If you want her keeping you warm on the couch, you just say U-P. If you want her to stay on the floor, tell her to L-A-Y-D-O-W-N."

"I take it she doesn't know how to spell?" Lauren asked.

Bo laughed, "I didn't teach her that yet, but she does know those commands."

Lauren looked back at Elsa, "How can I ever resist you and your wonderful body heat. Up."

Elsa jumped up, laying in the space between Lauren's knees and the back of the couch. Once she was settled, Lauren lay her head back down, pulling the blankets over her shoulder with a shiver.

"Are you cold again?" Bo asked, the concern in her voice evident.

Lauren nodded, "A little."

"Jon's bringing plenty of soup and tea back."

The blonde nodded, her teeth chattering, "Bo, do we have anymore blankets?"

Bo shook her head, "Not unless you had them shipped here. I think they're back-ordered from what Evony sent."

Lauren nodded again, "My coat?"

"All of our clothes are still damp. We were worried about warming you, not drying clothes." Bo replied, "Dammit! I should have kept the other two dogs here. You need their body heat. I'll have to turn up the heat and risk burning through the petro."

Lauren shook her head, "Yu-you can… body heat."

Bo's eyes went wide, but when her eyes fell on the discoloration in Lauren's lips, she knew she had to do something. They were keeping the temperature down in the clinic to avoid mold and other bacterial growth. She would have to talk to the mayor about adding another petro tank to the old building. She moved across the room and broke open one of the plastic emergency bins that Evony had sent. Sure enough, there was a blanket inside as well as a pair of wool socks.

"Lauren, pull these on your hands up and over your forearms. Be careful with your finger."

The blonde did as asked while Bo went over to the other side of the room and opened another bin, pulling out the blanket and another pair of socks.

"I'll put these on your feet. I'm sure you'll have trouble pulling them on with that hand."

Lauren sat up and turned over so Bo could add another layer to her feet. She then watched as Bo climbed over her legs and lay on her side behind her,

"Elsa, come." She patted the area in front of Lauren's abdomen where Elsa settled obediently.

Bo pulled the other two blankets over them, wrapping her arm over Lauren's midsection and pulling her close to her body,

"You're too cold again, Lauren. I don't like it." Bo said, feeling the cold of the blonde's skin against her.

"Give it a chance to work, Bo. I think I was just up too long, burning fuel I don't have. I don't suppose you checked my blood sugar, did you?"

"Dammit! Dehydration and glucose levels! You need…"

"Insulin while unconscious, sugar once conscious – especially after twenty-four hours with no food." Lauren laughed.

"I'm so sorry." Bo said, jumping over Lauren to run across the room and search the emergency bins for some sort of food that didn't need to be heated, "Jackpot. Powerbars."

"Ugh. I hate those." Lauren replied.

Bo shrugged, "Sorry, you're going to learn to love them right now. Peanut butter. Sugar, fats and protein. Your new best friend."

Lauren nodded, "Fine."

She sat up, taking the offered nutrition, downing it in record time, "Guess I was hungry."

"I guess. Want another one?"

"No, I really want to close my eyes. My head hurts and I'm cold."

Bo frowned, "Lauren… you really shouldn't…"

"Sleep. I know. Hypothermia. Lower body temp means lower body function including my brain. It's shutting down which is why I want to sleep, but I'm really not up for fighting how I feel."

Bo hesitated, "How about a dance?"

"Wh-what?" Lauren asked, through eyes clearly more interested in closing than opening.

Bo crawled over the blonde and stood, holding out her hand, "Dance with me."

"Wow." Lauren said, closing her eyes, "If you'd behaved more like this when we first met, we might have actually liked each other."

"You don't… like me?" The words escaped before Bo had a chance to think about why she would care, but the truth was, the thought of Lauren not liking her bothered her… it hurt, even.

Lauren groaned, pulling the blanket over her head, "Arghhh! Can we not do this right now?"

"Do what?" Bo asked, pulling her hand back and crossing her arms over her chest.

"Fight. We always fight. Can we please not fight?"

Bo sighed, "I didn't ask you to fight. I asked you to dance and you responded by telling me you didn't like me rather than telling me you don't like to dance."

"I like to dance."

"Oh. So you just don't like to dance with me." Bo replied.

Frustrated, Lauren rolled over and sat up… too fast. She gripped her head, squeezing it between her hands until the room stopped spinning,

"This isn't about you. It's about how I feel… physically. I want to sleep, Bo. I'm tired."

"Because you need to be warmer."

Lauren threw back the covers, "Fine. I'll dance."

She wiggled her body, spinning in circles before she stopped and turned back to Bo, "There. We danced. Satisfied? Now can I please go to sleep?"

Sighing, Bo took several steps towards the counter. She looked up at the walls she had painted the week before Lauren's arrival. She had tried to picture the doctor who would occupy the space over and over again. She never believed she would be as beautiful as Lauren. She never believed she would be so stubborn and at the same time, so curious and full of life. Now, she was sick and being just as stubborn as ever about letting Bo help her. Why didn't Lauren know she just wanted to help her? Maybe…

She reached into the dark corner and slid the paint-speckled black boombox over to the outlet and plugged it in. She turned it on, slowly increasing the volume until sound filled the room. The voice of her old friend Hop who ran the evening radio station streamed into the room. She smiled. He was such an old romantic, something he always told her she was not. She turned, leaning against the counter as she looked at the blonde from across the room.

Lauren stood, eyes closed, arms folded over her chest. Was she asleep? Standing?

Bo felt bad. She'd been through what Lauren was going through on more than one occasion. She knew how desperately the body could crave sleep in this state, but she also knew if Lauren went to sleep right now, things could go south very quickly. She was finally awake and Bo intended to make sure she stayed that way… at least for a little while longer. At least until her skin didn't feel like icicles.

She pulled off her jacket and her T-shirt, leaving herself in just a tank top. She wanted as much of her warm skin in contact with Lauren as possible. Her heat and physical support of the blonde's body was truly all she had to offer her right now.

" _And now, a not-so-old rock ballad for all of the couples out there – young and old – on this cold arctic night. Whether you've been married for decades or are just getting to know each other, this oldie but goodie is sure to stoke a fire that will warm your hearts. So, don't close your eyes, because you won't want to miss this…"_

Bo smiled at the appropriateness of her friends' words in this moment as she walked slowly to the blonde, sliding one hand around her waist. Lauren's eyes opened, hazy,

"Bo…"

"I know you want to sleep, Lauren. But I'm asking you… please… for everyone else you do like… stay awake. Just a little while longer. My body will help to warm yours and you can lean on me the entire time. I'm stronger than I look."

Lauren lay her head on Bo's shoulder, unable to keep it upright any longer, "You look incredibly strong to me."

She wrapped an arm under Bo's arm and over the back of her shoulder, then put the other arm on her chest,

"Mmmm… you are definitely warm." She pulled Bo closer, the brunette responding by wrapping her arms tightly around the blonde as the voice of Steven Tyler filled the room,

 _I could stay awake just to hear you breathing_

 _Watch you smile while you are sleeping_

 _While you're far away and dreaming_

 _I could spend my life in this sweet surrender_

 _I could stay lost in this moment forever  
Every moment spent with you is a moment I treasure_

"Did you call the radio station and tell them to play this to keep me awake?" Lauren asked, her voice soft and raspy.

Bo chuckled, "No, but I am friends with the DJ and will thank him for giving you these words of encouragement.

Lauren smiled as Bo gently swayed them back and forth, her legs pressing up against her own, encouraging her to move with her,

"You know, Bo. I don't not like you."

"Lauren, you don't have to…"

"No, Bo. Let me say this. Please."

"Okay." Bo replied, looking down to see the blonde's eyes were open and set on where her fingers were tracing slowly up and down along the stitching of the fabric on her chest,

"From the first moment I laid eyes on you, I was… curious… and… I guess, impressed by your strength. There was… something… I couldn't quite label that drew me to you. I still don't know what it is, but I… I want to know you. It's just that every time I start to feel like we're about to talk…"

"I snap."

"What?"

"I tend to… put up walls. Anytime anyone starts to get too close… I snap."

Lauren sighed. She really was too tired for this conversation, but as long as Bo was opening up a bit, she didn't want to shut her down. Of course, she also didn't want to press too hard,

"So you felt me getting close?" She could feel the brunette's arms tense around her at the question, so she lifted her weary eyes to see the expression on Bo's face only to find dark brown eyes focused down on her own,

"I think I felt me getting close." She cradled Lauren's head and pulled it to her chest, "Honestly, I didn't think you felt anything, so I guess it's nice to know that you don't not like me."

Lauren smiled, "I like you, Bo. I just don't like when you yell at me."

Bo nodded, "You should know that lately, I've been talking to… Seline a lot… about… my past. She's helping me to figure out how it affected me… especially about what happened to Jon. That moment… it changed me."

Lauren could feel a quiver in Bo's arms, "How?"

"I think it was the first time I felt fear… real fear… of losing someone I cared about."

"You love him." Lauren concluded.

Bo nodded, "I never had a little brother. Anytime I came into town to sell my furs or get the dogs treated by Seline, he was right there at by my side. He would follow me around like a pup. He was adorable when he was younger. Little Jon was excited about everything. Hell, he even got excited when I had to clean the poop out of the kennels. He just wanted to help me with anything and he wanted to learn. Lauren, he wanted to learn everything I knew about everything. He had a question for every minute of the day."

Lauren smiled, "He had a crush on you."

A light laugh escaped as Bo nodded and replied, "His Dad warned me. So I started to harden my demeanor to him just a little bit at a time."

"Awww… you wanted to let him down easy."

Bo laughed, "I did. I loved that little boy. How could anyone not? He was adorable."

Lauren felt the laughter die in Bo's chest, replaced with a silence that just felt… dark, "So what happened?"

Bo shrugged, "You heard the rest, right? He followed me out with his three-dog sled…"

"You didn't know he was following you and he fell through the ice."

"Luckily I had figured it out and circled back around behind him. Still, I was too far away to keep him from going under. The sled dragged him down. I thank God every day for my dogs and their instincts. He'd cared for them like they were his own and they were not about to let him drown… even if it meant they died doing it. I guess that's what I love about dogs more than humans. They are loyal to the point where they would do anything for the people who care for them."

Lauren smiled, "It sounds like you and your dogs have a lot in common."

Bo shook her head, "Oh believe, me, I have nothing on those dogs. They're amazing."

"Well, you'll excuse me if I call it a draw. You saved Jon with the help of your dogs and you saved me with the help of my dogs and your own. I'd say you're all amazing."

Bo gave a slow nod, "Only the dogs that saved Jon aren't the dogs that saved you."

"Bo, I'm so sorry what they did to your dogs. I can't imagine…"

"Sure you can. That's why you understand the complicated relationship between me and Big Jim."

"I do?"

Bo nodded, "Lauren, you're a doctor. I think in the short time you've been here, you've figured out more than you let on about this land and these people."

"I try to preserve judgement in all situations except for the ones I must provide urgent judgement for, such as surgical situations."

"Fair enough." Bo replied, feeling Lauren shiver, "Maybe we should get you to the apartment upstairs."

"There's an apartment upstairs?"

"Um… yea, well… Evony said you sometimes went days in your lab studying… dishes? I just thought maybe you had a thing for fine china." Bo replied, suddenly remembering the jokes that flew around the clinic that day during the remodeling project. Honestly, she had chimed in with the rest of the guys talking about the crazy doctor that was coming to town with a fetish for dishes.

Lauren looked up at Bo, her face twisted, "Fine china? Really? Who would have a… thing… of any sort for fine china?"

"Well, what's with the dishes then? I have to admit, it seemed really… strange." Bo cringed.

Laughing the blonde agreed, "I think strange would be an understatement. In my lab, I study petri dishes. They're samples of various infectious diseases that invade cardiac tissue cells and cause various strains of cardiac disease that result in heart hypertrophy, a condition that can lead to heart failure and death."

The blonde looked around the lab, suddenly awkward, "Uh… the music stopped."

Bo stopped, reluctantly allowing the doctor to step back, "That's strange. Hop never signs off until early morning."

"You look worried." Lauren replied.

Bo nodded, "I am."

She walked to the phone, "Any idea how long since the music stopped?"

Lauren shrugged, "Honestly, I don't remember another song playing after we started our dance. I mean, I was quite enthralled with our… uh… conversation, but usually, the last song I hear – consciously or not – gets stuck in my head and I hum it incessantly for the rest of the day. I only have Steven Tyler."

Bo nodded, picking up the receiver of the hard line, "Me too."

When the door suddenly burst open, Bo dropped the phone and ran to Lauren, stepping in front of her, a knife pulled in front of her.

"DOC! DOC! Are you the doctor?"

Lauren was startled at first as three large men covered from head to foot with snow-covered fur practically broke down the door. She looked down to see them struggling to carry a man on a blanket.

"HOP!" Bo shouted, running to help the men, "Oh God, Hop!"

She grabbed the loose corner of the blanket and helped the men hoist the unconscious man onto the table where Lauren had laid for days. They all went to work, removing his clothing as Lauren stood, still startled by what was happening.

"Lauren? Can you help him?" Bo turned to Lauren, the look on her face one of fear and desperation.

The blonde scanned the clinic, "I… I… I don't know. Do I have… are there any supplies here?"

Bo ran from the room while Lauren moved towards the older man. She looked up at the three men, hoping one of them would have some information,

"What happened?"

What looked like the youngest man of the group pulled his hood back and removed his gloves before running both hands through his long, snow-covered hair,

"The music stopped. The music never stops. My Dad has never missed a shift. He's never shortened a set. He plays until five a.m. every morning without fail. When the music stopped, I knew something was wrong. I got there as fast as I could. Jet and Russ here got there almost the same time for the same reason."

"What did you find?" Lauren asked, stepping between the men and Hop to check for a pulse.

"He was like this. Is he okay?"

"Shit. No pulse." She hopped onto the table and straddled the man, beginning chest compressions, "BO! You're looking for a machine on a cart that has…"

"These?" Bo asked, rolling three carts into the room, "Evony set them up and put them in the storage cart with strict instructions that they were not to be plugged in by anyone but you."

Lauren turned to the man who seemed the calmest, "You. Give me your hands." She positioned the man's hands, "Press down two inches every second. Don't stop until I tell you to. His life depends on it."

Jumping down from the table, Lauren stumbled, falling to her knees as her head swooned.

"Lauren!" Bo ran to her side, but the blonde shook her off, using her arms to help herself up.

"I'm fine." She looked around the room, finally spying the plate on the wall, "Is the oxygen tank hooked up yet?"

Bo nodded, "It's in the crawl space behind the wall. Evony said it would be fine to have it on."

"Thank you, Evony." Lauren said, handing Bo the plug, "This end goes in the blue port on the wall."

Bo looked at the tube, "Right. Oxygen flows from where we connected the tank to… where? What am I hooking the other end to?"

Lauren tossed Bo a mask, "Open that mask. There's a small valve that the tube will fit over. Once the oxygen is flowing, put the mask over your friends' head so it covers his mouth and nose."

Lauren found the crash cart and went to work getting everything connected before plugging it into the wall. She rolled the cart next to Hop just after Bo got the oxygen over his head.

"Tear his shirt open, big guy." She said to the man performing CPR.

With one mighty pull, Hop's bare chest was revealed.

"Everyone clear." Lauren said, taking a beat to allow everyone to step back as she rubbed the gel together between the two defibrillator pads. She repeated herself once more, "Everyone stand clear. Charging."

She turned the switch on the machine and watched the meter rise before the familiar beep sounds, "Clear!"

Placing the pads on the man's chest and ribs, she pressed the switch and watched as the shock was delivered. The monitor showed no conversion, so she charged again,

"Clear!"

Again, there was no change. She increased the voltage and charged again, "Clear!"

Nothing. She looked up at the big man, "Continue CPR."

Everyone stood still, looking at Hop, then at the doctor who shouted, "Continue CPR! He's hypothermic! It may take a while for his blood to warm. Continue CPR! He's not dead until he's warm and dead!"

They all stood, standing. Lauren turned to Bo, "I'd do CPR myself, but I'm barely standing. Someone has to do CPR or this man will die!"

Bo nodded to the big man, "You heard the doctor, Russ. She's smarter than all of us. Get busy. Let's bring Hop back."

Russ nodded, "Right."

They all watched as he went back to work circulating blood through his friend's body. Lauren turned to Bo,

"Is there a heater around?"

Bo took off up the steps, returning quickly with a small space heater, "Where do you want it?"

"Under the table. The metal table will take on the properties of the heat and warm his body slowly." Lauren explained, helping Bo with the extension cord.

"Two more minutes." Lauren said, sitting in the chair not far from the table as she watched Russ do compressions, "Russ, if you get tired, just say so. Someone else can take over. We want those compressions to be at least two inches every second or this won't work. Of course, I'm not making any guarantees here, but I have seen this work on drowning victims before."

Bo leaned over and whispered in the blonde's ear, "Lauren, if he didn't have a pulse when they found him and then they carried him two miles here, do you really think…"

Lauren looked up at Bo, "They didn't cover him or put a blanket on him, Bo. They put him on the blanket and carried him through sub-zero temperatures. The conditions were perfect to put him into a more or less hypothermic shock. People who drown in cold water are saved every day, Bo. Little Jon is an example of that."

Bo stood, her face twisting into a frown as she remembered more details of the day she had tried for almost a decade to forget,

"He had no pulse. When they pulled him from the water, he had no pulse. They warmed him slowly by Seline's fire." The scene replayed in her head, "She attached tiny pieces of metal to his hand and put his hand in water. Then she plugged in… a lamp? I remember a lamp? It's all pretty scattered. Big Jim was screaming at me and the elders were arguing while they tied my hands behind my back to one of the beams of her clinic."

Lauren's eyes went wide as the pieces of Bo's past were revealed.

"That's two minutes, Doc." The young man announced, pulling Lauren from Bo back to the situation at hand.

"Stop CPR, Russ." Lauren said, watching the man climb down from the table before she stepped in again with the paddles.

She repeated the process twice more before the monitor came to life, announcing a steady heartbeat, "We have a pulse!"

She checked the monitor, "Oxygen saturation is low, but I expect that to climb as he warms."

She looked at Bo, "Can you increase the oxygen flow on the wall to a seven, please?"

Bo nodded, rushing over to the wall and doing as asked before walking back to the table where her friend lay still and unconscious. She looked up to see Lauren swaying for a moment before reaching out to try to hold herself up on the crash cart. Unfortunately, the wheels weren't locked and the entire cart started to roll. Bo rushed to stop the cart, allowing her to hold herself upright.

"Lauren, it's time for you to rest. You were in no condition to do all you just did. You're recovering as well."

Lauren shook her head, "My patients come first, Bo."

"Well, if you're unconscious or worse, you won't be of much good to him, will you?"

"No, of course not. But we still haven't determined why Hop was unconscious or why his heart stopped. If he has a blockage or damage to his heart, this will happen again."

"Are you saying you think my Dad had a heart attack or something?" the younger man stepped up and asked.

Bo ran a hand down his arm, "Nicky, this is Doctor Lewis. Doctor Lewis, this is Hop's oldest son, Nick."

Lauren nodded, "Good, you're next of kin. Does Hop have a partner?"

Everyone's eyes lowered, giving Lauren the answer she had feared upon asking the question. She looked at Bo who shook her head,

"We lost Alice last year. She had her second stroke and didn't make it. Hop hasn't been the same since. It's why he took the late shift at the station."

Nick added, "He doesn't want to sleep in their bed."

Lauren nodded, "I see. Well, it may be that your Dad's heart is simply broken. We've seen it and studied it a great deal in recent years. When couples have been together for a long time and the bond is strong, the partner left behind often literally suffers from a broken heart. Now, I won't know for sure until I get him under a scanner."

She looked at Bo, "Any chance…"

"There back rooms are these huge machines." Bo nodded.

"Take me there." Lauren said, taking Bo's hand for support, but Bo shook her head,

"Stay put for a second."

She left the room and came back, pushing a wheelchair, "Let's do it this way."

"Bo, I am not getting in…"

"You are or I'm throwing you over my shoulder and carrying you up to bed and locking you in the room until you get some sleep. It took too much for us to get a doctor here. Hop needs you. This town needs you. We're not losing you now because the brilliant doctor was stupid."

"I beg your pardon!" Lauren retorted.

"Don't argue with me, Lauren. I mean it. Now sit."

The blonde stood for a moment her arms crossed over her chest until she was too tired to battle the brunette over this issue. She needed to see what equipment she had and if it was ready to go. She relented, taking a seat in front of the brunette who wheeled her to the back room.

The three men stood around Hop, watching the two women leave the room. When the room was clear, Jet pulled his hat off of his head and took a seat in the chair Lauren had been using,

"Well, that's interesting."

"What?" Nick asked.

"Those two? I think Bo has finally met her match."

Russ laughed, "In more ways than one."

"Huh?" Nick asked, running his hands through his hair.

"Never mind, boy. Never you mind." Jet laughed.

They were all silent for a long moment, their eyes set on Hop until Jet spoke, "That Doc done good."

The other two nodded.

"She saved Hop, that's for sure."

Nick admitted, "I was preparing myself to have called Cap to have him make plans to put Pop on ice til we could do a spring thaw burial."

"Looks like Doc ain't lettin' that happen anytime soon if she has a say."

Jet nodded, "Word has it the Doc took out her pup sled team to get here."

Russ nodded, "Word has it Doc almost got herself killed, weren't for Little Jon and Bo."

The two looked at each other and grinned, "Balls of steel."

All three men laughed until they saw Hop coughing and trying to sit up. Nick put his hands on the big man's shoulder,

"Pop, relax. Lay down. You're okay. We're at the new clinic. Just relax. Keep the mask on. It's good air, Pop. Just relax and breathe."

"Whu… Whu…" He started, but Nick interrupted,

"The music stopped and we all came running. You were unconscious on the floor. What happened, Pop?"

Lauren and Bo came back into the room as the question was asked. They waited to hear a response from Hop who stuttered around for a moment before he finally replied,

"Damn short! Trying to fix the relay and the damn thing blew. Last thing I remember was getting the shock of my life."

They all looked at Lauren who visibly sighed, "Oh, thank God."

She reached up to her shoulder where Bo's hand had found her shoulder, "I guess that buys us some time to get those machines set up."

Lauren nodded, "It does."

They all watched as Hop sat up, "I gotta get back to the station."

The blonde stood and walked slowly to the bed, "Hi. Hop, is it?"

"Who's the blonde?" Hop asked, looking at the group.

Bo came to stand next to him, "Hop, this blonde is the new Doctor in town."

"The dish lady?" He asked, causing everyone – especially Bo – to cringe.

Lauren glared at the brunette before looking back down at her patient, "Yes, the dish lady. Petri dishes, for the record."

"What?" Hop asked.

"Petri dishes. They're small plastic cylinders that biologists use to study cell samples of various contagions and tissues."

They all just stared at her like she had two heads, so she shook it off, "Mr. Hop…"

"Hop. Just Hop." He corrected.

Lauren nodded, "Well, just Hop, your heart stopped and you were hypothermic when they brought you in."

"Well, I'm fine now." He replied, pulling off the oxygen mask.

"Pop…" Nick began, but his Dad held up a finger to him,

"I'm fine, Nicky. Now get me back to the station. How'd we get here?"

"We carried you on a blanket between two snow machines."

"You what?" Hop asked looking down at his ripped shirt, "Is it any wonder I went deep freeze."

Lauren shook her head, "If they had covered you or tried to keep you warm, we wouldn't be having this conversation."

"Wouldn't be such a bad thing."

"Pop, please…"

"Excuse me. If everyone would please allow me to speak with my patient for a moment, I'd appreciate it. We'll need some privacy."

The men went to argue, but Bo knew that Lauren would put up a fight and she looked like she was ready to pass out. She intervened,

"Guys, let's step over here and let Doc and Hop get better acquainted. She saved his life. We owe her that much."

They all nodded and headed to the other side of the clinic. Lauren came to stand next to the man,

"Look, I've had a very long day and I have no desire to argue with you."

"Good. Then don't. I'm leaving."

She put a hand on the man's chest, effectively stopping him from jumping down from the table, "Hop. I'm asking me for two minutes of your time. Please. Hear me out. Then, if you want to go, you can go… hopefully with a different attitude."

"Nothing wrong with my attitude."

"Right." Lauren said, crossing her arms over her chest, "Those three men, one of them your son who apparently has already suffered the loss of one parent, just not only ran to the radio station to check on you in this massive snow squall in sub-zero temperatures but also carried you here in blinding whiteout conditions to get you to me, the only cardiothoracic surgeon in this town where, by some strange stroke of luck, I'm alive and able to bring you back."

Lauren took a breath as a bout of nausea struck. She swallowed hard, fighting off the need to run to the sink and continued,

"So, if you don't see all of that as an omen that you're meant to survive, then I'd suggest you look very closely at those four people standing over there who worked with me to bring you back from the land of the dead. I can't imagine the pain you feel over the loss of your wife, but you need to wake up and recognize that it's not your time yet. You're here for a reason and if you haven't yet found that reason, start searching. And if you're not sure where to search, start by looking inward and finding that man that these people think it important enough to fight through a snowstorm from hell to save."

He sat there quietly, staring at Lauren before he slowly lowered his eyes and laid back down on the bed. She took that as a sign that he was going to wait a while longer, so she decided to move on to discharge information,

"Now, if you would like to go home, I would be fine with that as long as you can be transported by vehicle and it will take no longer than ten minutes of fully protected outdoor time. Hypothermic shock would likely cause dangerous arrhythmias or cardiac arrest this soon after electrocution."

He lifted the oxygen mask, "So I can go back to the radio station?"

Lauren shook her head, "You can go home to lay down and sleep."

She thought it best not to mention his bed, but added, "And drink plenty of warm fluids. No alcohol, no smoking and no caffeine for at least seventy-two hours."

"You're really no fun, Doc."

"Yea, well you don't really know me now, do you?"

He shrugged, "Fair enough."

"Fair enough." Lauren nodded, "So, you'll stick around for a bit? Let us figure out some proper transportation?"

"For a bit." Hop replied, "And thank you, Doctor… about my son… you're right. He shouldn't have to bury me so soon after his Ma. Up here, it's a long wait 'til you get closure. Can't very well dig a grave in frozen permafrost."

"I hadn't thought of that." Lauren replied, "I didn't realize… but, it makes sense now that I think of it."

Hop nodded, "Different world forty-eight states away."

"So I'm learning." Lauren smiled.

"Heard you had a run in with a bout of hypothermia yourself."

Lauren blushed, "Not my finest hour."

"Yea, well when you did what you did, everyone thought you were crazy. When you survived it by using your smarts and staying put, you earned everyone's respect. Gutsy move, Doc."

Lauren laughed, "Maybe, but I'm still labeling it a stubborn streak that led to an irrational moment of stupidity."

Hop nodded, "Not surprised she likes you then."

"Who?"

"Bo." He replied, casually.

"What?"

"Never mind. Gonna sleep a bit, Doc."

"Me too, Hop. But I'll talk to the guys first." Lauren smiled, placing a hand on his shoulder and giving him a nod.

Lauren stood for a moment, looking up at Bo who was in conversation with the other men. She pondered Hop's words as Bo's eyes glanced over, finding hers. The brunette gave her a soft smile before returning to the conversation. Lauren made her way to the group,

"So, we'll need a safe method of transportation for Hop. He needs to be fully covered and not be outside and exposed for more than ten minutes. Any way we can do that?"

It was like a domino effect, the way glances were exchanged before Jet replied,

"How about those greenhouse covers Evony bought for Doc to grow her plants?"

Lauren's eyebrows raised, "She bought me a greenhouse?"

Bo nodded, "The greenhouse itself isn't built yet… well, a green dome, actually, but for now, there are shelves that have these covers that allow sunlight in while being waterproof and windproof… supposedly."

"Supposedly?" Lauren asked.

Jet replied, "Well, they're from a company in Virginia, so we're not really sure how much they know about what's considered waterproof and windproof in Alaska. It's kind of like all of these outdoor gear companies that think they make clothing that is suitable for wearing here. If you really want to manufacture something for use in all parts of Alaska, you have to live in all parts of Alaska for at least a few years."

Lauren chuckled as she nodded, "I certainly understand that more than most from my state now."

"If we use the frame from the shelf, we should be able to use the parts from the shelves to make a frame that fits over one of the snow machines. Then we put the cover overtop and you'll have him protected." Bo explained.

"Sounds good to me. Nicky, you're the builder. Wanna see if we can put something together?"

Nick nodded, "Let's pull one of the snow machines into the portable garage out back and work in there."

"Let's do this." Russ said, grabbing his outdoor gear and heading for the door, "I'll drive hop on my machine."

"Thanks, Russ." Nick said, pulling on his gear while Jet did the same.

"You need any help?" Bo asked.

"Nah. Doc looks like she's ready to collapse. Why don't you get her settled upstairs in that bedroom we built for her. We'll let Hop sleep until we're ready to go and then head out. Russ will come back in and sit with Hop until we're ready to go so Doc can sleep without worrying." Jet explained.

"Lauren, does that sound good to you?" Bo asked.

She nodded, "I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to sleep."

Bo noticed Lauren's arms were wrapped tightly around her torso and she was shivering. They shared a glance, the brunette offering a tight smile before she lowered her eyes to the floor when she noticed Lauren's lips were not the healthy pink they were after they'd shared a dance. She was overdoing it and Bo was worried about the potential consequences of that. Selina had always warned her of things like sudden cardiac arrest in victims who were not fully recovered pushing too hard. While Bo didn't think she was that bad, she was still concerned. Sure, Lauren was strong but… she sighed, reining in her emotions. She didn't want to seem to overprotective…

"Bo?"

She looked up to see Lauren standing beside her, "I'm going to head up to bed. I'm cold again and I'm not feeling well."

Bo raised the back of her hand to Lauren's forehead, "You're freezing, Lauren."

The blonde took gentle hold of Bo's hand and gave her a strained smile as she lowered it to hold it between her own hands,

"Like I said… I'm cold."

Bo nodded, calling out to the men, "You guys good?"

Jet nodded, "We're good. Go take care of your Doc. We'll handle Hop."

"You'll lock up when you go?" Bo asked, cringing at Jet calling Lauren _her_ Doc. She hoped Lauren didn't take offense.

"We've got it, Bo. We'll slip the keys back through the mail slot after we lock all of the doors."

"Thanks, guys." Bo replied.

"You bet. Thank you, Doc. We appreciate you working so hard to save our Hop when you're feeling like shit yourself."

Lauren smiled, "It's what I do, Jet. Take care gentlemen."

With that, the blonde turned back to Bo, "Lead the way?"

Bo nodded, offering her elbow for Lauren to take for support. She picked up the extra blankets from the sofa before they reached the stairs, then allowed Lauren to go ahead of her up the winding narrow loft staircase. At the top, Lauren moved immediately to the bathroom and was quickly back out after a quick flush of the toilet and a run of the spigot.

She crawled into bed and pulled the covers over herself before lifting her head again to fluff the pillow. She closed her eyes, but her face was twisted in discomfort. Bo felt horrible seeing the blonde look like she did, but there was nothing more she could do at this point. She reached for the light switch, but before she could turn it off, she heard Lauren's voice,

"Bo, are there more blankets? Or can the dogs come in and sleep with us?"

"Us?"

"Well, you're sleeping here, aren't you?" Lauren asked.

Bo nodded, "I… I thought you would want me to sleep down in the clinic."

"I still need your body heat. Do you mind if I use your body?" Lauren asked, her eyes reflecting the pain as another shiver ran through her body, "And can you get my dogs? You can bring Harper up too if you want. I just need…" She shivered again, "God, I'm so cold."

"I'm on it." Bo replied, hustling down the stairway.

When she reached the bottom, she moved quickly past the bed where Hop lay and moved to the cold room door. She opened it and squatted down by the dog door to call out to the guys in the garage,

"Nick! Jet!"

"Yea, Bo?" She heard Nick's voice.

"Do me a favor and let Lauren's dogs out of the kennel? And Harper too?"

"You got it Bo. Give me sec. They'll be in."

"Thank you!"

She moved back inside, closing the cold room door behind her so Hop's space stayed warm. She thought for a moment. Knowing that Hop would be leaving soon, she decided the extra space heater was no longer necessary down here. It was warm enough without it. So, she moved to the wall and pulled the extension cord hooked to the space heater and radio. She grabbed both devices, then moved back to the cold room door, opening it to reveal four dogs, sitting obediently inside. She turned on the large blower and smiled as they all moved around in front of it, their thick fur floating in the warm breeze.

"You know, you guys better not get too used to this. Evony really overstepped on this one, but she insisted the good Doctor would not appreciate having dog fur in her sterile clinic. I tried to explain that the cold kills germs, but she insisted."

She laughed as Harper backed up against the machine, her back leg kicking reflexively, "Okay, you weirdo. Give the other girls a chance."

Elsa came to her first, sniffing at the air. She sat by Bo, staring up at her with her big blue eyes, "You smell your Master, don't you?" Bo knelt down, checking to be sure her snow white fur she was dry, "You're nice and warm. That's exactly what Lauren needs right now. You keep her warm tonight, you hear?"

Elsa's tail wagged as she excitedly ran through the clinic and up the stairs as soon as Bo released her. Bo hoped that she didn't scare Lauren when she jumped on the bed, but she figured the sooner she was there, the faster the blonde would warm up and get some sleep.

One by one, the dogs tired of the blower and moved to Bo. She sent each of them on their way to Lauren after a quick check of the fur, all except Harper, who would always insist on waiting for her to just about anywhere. She closed the door to the cold room and headed for the stairs, giving Russ a nod as she passed.

When she reached the bedroom, she found Lauren still shivering as the three dogs lay on the floor beneath the windows,

"Girls, she needs you on the bed, not on the floor. Elsa, come on. Up. Up, girl." Bo said, patting the bed behind Lauren, "Anna, come. Up." The red-haired dog hopped up and settled between Lauren's legs. Finally, she called to Belle, "Come on, girl. Right here."

She moved to plug in the space heater as Belle settled in front of Lauren's legs, then added the extra blanket over Lauren. Harper settled in front of the small heater on the floor. Bo didn't try to move her. She knew that getting her up into the bed this late at night would be tough. She was already limping a bit. She moved into the bathroom to relieve herself before coming to sit on the chair opposite Lauren's bed.

"Bo?" Came Lauren's voice just as Bo allowed her eyes to close.

"You okay?" Bo asked, standing and walking to Lauren's side of the bed, "Do you need anything?"

"Get in bed."

"Lauren, the dogs are all around you. Just let their heat work. They're much warmer than I am." Bo insisted, now truly nervous about climbing into bed with the blonde.

"Please, Bo. It helped when we were laying on the couch earlier… and when we danced. Your skin felt good and I don't want the dogs under the covers with me. Please." Lauren said as another pained expression filled her face.

Bo moved over to the heater and turned it to high. It was going to be awfully hot in here for her and the dogs, but they could slip outside after Lauren fell asleep to get some air. She stripped off her clothes and quickly climbed beneath the covers, sliding over closely to Lauren.

"Thank you, Bo. I just want to sleep. I want to sleep for days."

Bo shook her head, "No, Lauren. You're going to sleep for one or two hours at a time. I'll be nudging you awake to make sure you're going to wake up."

Lauren mumbled a barely coherent no causing Bo to smile. The woman was exhausted and she deserved rest after pushing her body beyond normal limits,

"Lauren, if there's no change in your body temperature, what's next?"

"Is there more normal saline?" She asked.

Bo nodded, "A whole case. I only gave you one bag."

"That's enough. Too much fluid… not good." Lauren said, already beginning to nod off.

Bo pulled the blonde closely too her, feeling a strange tug in her chest when the blonde covered her hand with her own and pulled it to her chest. She kept her eyes open, locked on the blonde's face as the words of Steven Tyler replayed in her head,

 _Don't want to close my eyes  
I don't want to fall asleep  
'Cause I'd miss you, babe  
And I don't want to miss a thing_

Finally, she felt the days' event catching up with her as well. She decided getting some shut eye herself wasn't a bad idea,

"Sleep tight… Lauren." She whispered, before closing her eyes and nodding off herself.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

Bo felt a wet sensation on her lips. She opened her eyes to see Elsa standing over her. She lifted her head and checked the clock,

"Midnight. Time to wake up Lauren, huh?"

Elsa moved to Lauren, licking her face as Bo called her name, "Lauren?"

She didn't move, so Bo checked her skin. She was still cold, but she had a bit more color in her cheeks. For her part, Bo was just plain hot. She noticed that the other dogs had moved to the floor near Harper. Only Elsa remained on duty,

"Good girl, Elsa. Good girl." She turned back to Lauren again,

"Lauren, you need to wake up. Lauren?" She gave her a shake and finally, to Bo's relief, the blonde opened her eyes,

"What's the matter? Is it Hop?" Lauren asked, pushing back the covers.

Bo smiled. Naturally, the woman thought of her patient before herself,

"No, Lauren," Bo started, pulling the covers back up and over the blonde, "Hop and the guys left, remember? I just wanted to give you a quick wake up… you know… just to make sure… well, that you wake up. You can go back to sleep if you want."

Lauren frowned, "Still cold. My eyes are closed and I'm trying to sleep, but I'm kind of in and out."

"More saline?" Bo asked.

Lauren shook her head, "Not until I'm going to be up and moving. Too dangerous. You already gave me an entire bag and my pee is clear. I'm plenty hydrated. I'm just still thawing."

Bo nodded, allowing Lauren to move in close again, her hands curled up against Bo's chest, her leg sliding between Bo's thighs. The brunette swallowed hard as her heart raced and her body was awakened to sensations and desires she hadn't felt in a very, very long time. Too many dark cold nights alone she had squashed any needs of the flesh to keep herself from going insane. A few times, she had sought the comfort of another to settle her body's needs, but she hadn't felt that need go beyond the physical… not like this… ever. What was it about this woman?

"Bo? Are you okay? I can feel your heart racing."

Bo stayed silent, trying not to release the moan struggling to remain in her throat.

Lauren pressed up onto her elbow, "Bo? Are you okay?"

The brunette opened her eyes to find the big round compassionate orbs she'd come to love staring down at her from just above. She could feel the warmth of Lauren's breath close to her lips,

"Always the doctor, huh?"

Lauren frowned, "It's who I am."

Bo shook her head, taking a chance to brush a loose strand of hair back behind the blonde's ear,

"No, it's your title. Compassionate, caring, strong, smart, quick-thinking… those are just a few of the characteristics that make you who you are. You put the needs of others before your own."

She ran a finger down her cheek, "I've never met anyone like you. You are stubborn, impatient and relentless when you want something yet you're shy and reserved around people and things that are new to you. Well, except for dog sleds. That was new to you and yet you literally took the reins and headed into the unknown."

"Pretty stupid, huh?" Lauren said, settling her head on Bo's chest.

"Maybe. Pretty brave considering your level of knowledge about what extreme cold can do to the body." Bo replied.

"Yea, I'm still going with stupid… and impulsive. I do things like that sometimes. I think I've thought things through when in reality, I'm just following an instinct. Sometimes my instincts are wrong."

"I think we all have that problem sometimes." Bo replied, her breath hitching when Lauren slid her hand beneath her shirt, her hand settling just below her breast, her fingertips landing on the rounded tissue at the side, "Mmmm… warm. Your skin is so warm."

Bo ran her hand over Lauren's arm, "Damn! You're still so cold. I don't know what else to do, Lauren."

The blonde shrugged, "We just need to get my blood circulating. Warm the blood, circulate the blood."

Bo felt the blonde move in closer, her thigh pressing in tightly to her core as her hand moved to cup her breast,

"Want to help me warm up?" Lauren giggled.

"Uh… Lauren… I…"

Lauren stopped, pulling her hand back and rolling away, "I'm sorry. I thought… I guess I just…"

"No, Lauren. Please. I just… it's been a long time. A very, very… very, very long time. I'm just not sure that I know how…"

"Oh God, you're not into women? I've totally misread this…"

Bo rolled over and gathered the blonde into her strong arms, rolling back towards her body, "Stop. Just… stop. You haven't misread anything. I'm just… awkward… at best… in social situations… in these situations. I'm so… Lauren, I live with dogs, not people. Seline, Little Jon, his Dad and grandfather, Dyson and Hale, Kenzi, Hop, Russ, Jet and Nicky… a few others… that's my people world. You… you are just at a whole new level for me. I don't know what it is, Lauren. I just… since I met you… your eyes… they spoke to me."

Lauren smiled, "You kind of scared me at first, but then I saw how fiercely you protected the people in that store and… well, I consider myself very good at reading people, but you… you were a mystery to me and I found myself wanting to know you… to really know you."

"Most people just want to stone me. They want to judge me for my past actions… well, Big Jim's interpretation of my past actions. A lot of people are afraid of me. They don't trust me…" She sighed, "Which I suppose is fine because I don't trust them either… not after almost everyone sided with Big Jim. Anyway… I want to know you, Lauren. And for the first time, I feel like… maybe… I can let you know me."

Lauren smiled, "I'd be honored to know you, Bo. I don't want to do anything you're uncomfortable with, but I will say that I find you very attractive and for the first time in a long time… well… maybe ever… I'm not afraid to say it. I feel… bold… when I'm around you."

Bo nodded before pulling back from Lauren, "I have to pee. Give me a minute?"

Lauren nodded, "Of course."

The brunette disappeared into the bathroom and reappeared moments later. She walked over to the space heater and turned it down a single notch before turning on the small corner lamp. She then walked to the side of the bed,

"So, we're going to be… bold?"

Lauren smiled, "It's a foreign feeling to me unless I'm in surgery, but yes… I want to go with it. I feel like there's this new Lauren that's been buried deep since I was a kid who is ready to claw her way to the surface. I think she's the Lauren who took the sled out."

Bo smiled, "I think I'd like to meet this new Lauren… because maybe she'll introduce me to a new Bo."

The blonde propped her head up on her hand, watching as Bo pulled her tank top up and over her head. As beautiful flesh was revealed, Lauren's eyes zeroed in on the strong chest and arms, heavy, round breasts, taut nipples, slender torso and the small tattoo just above the hem of cotton sweatpants.

"Cotton shorts? I thought cotton was useless."

Bo smiled, "Wow. I take off my shirt and you see cotton pants? Quite a blow to my ego."

Lauren giggled, "Sorry. I had heard you didn't wear undergarments up here, so…"

"Well, I didn't feel it was appropriate for me to get into bed with you dressed in what I normally wear to sleep if I'm sleeping on a bed, so I pulled these from the stock room while you were unconscious since everything else was wet at the time."

Lauren smiled, "Well, I think I need your skin against me to get warm, right?"

Bo watched as Lauren reached beneath the covers and wrestled around with her own clothing before tossing a top and pants out from under the covers. She quickly began to shiver, so slid under the covers. Instinctively, Bo pulled off her pants and began to climb into the bed, but Lauren stopped her,

"Wait."

Bo stopped, standing at the bedside, "I can put my clothes back on if you're uncomfortable."

Lauren shook her head, "No. I just… can you just stand there… just for a moment… I just want to… I want to remember this moment… I want to have this image of you in my mind."

Bo watched as her eyes traveled up and down her torso, the heat building from her loins to her face while Lauren's voice whispered,

"So incredibly beautiful. I knew you were beautiful, but… I never imagined… your body, Bo. It's so strong and beautiful. Come here… please."

Bo crawled into bed, Lauren's body instantly wrapped around her own. Flesh against flesh, they held each other closely, Lauren rolling Bo onto her back while Bo pulled the covers up and over the blonde, shielding her from the air of the room. Her skin was cold and it concerned her,

"Lauren, I don't know exactly what's happening, but I'm worried. Can your heart handle this after just a few hours of being in hypothermic shock?"

Lauren smiled, "I know the human heart very well, Bo. I'm afraid I don't always know mine, but right now, I think my heart will break into a million pieces if we don't bridge this damn divide that's been keeping us from one another."

"But… I can't… I couldn't stand seeing you lying unconscious again."

"You won't, Bo."

"But…"

Lauren silenced her with a single finger over her lips, soon joined by other fingers exploring the plump, pink, moist flesh,

"Bo, trust me… I don't want to fight… I want this… I want you." Lauren smiled, her lips grazing over Bo's.

When she pulled back, Bo nodded, "God, how I've wanted to feel your lips against mine."

Lauren lowered her mouth again, capturing the brunette's softly, carefully… her eyes set on the brunette's. She pulled back earning a smile from the brunette,

"I've never kissed anyone with my eyes open before."

"Oh?" Lauren asked.

"I guess I've never wanted them to see the truth of what I was feeling."

Lauren slid her lips over Bo's ear, "And what truth was that?"

Bo took a breath and replied, "That I didn't feel what they were feeling. It was purely physical. I had nothing else to offer."

"And I'm different?" Lauren asked, her eyes filled with hope.

Bo nodded, "I don't want to try to label this, but yes… you're different. You're definitely different."

"How?" Lauren asked.

"I feel… everything with you."

"Everything?" Lauren asked.

Bo nodded, "I want… I don't know… more… with you. More than just… uh… sex."

Lauren smiled, thinking how adorable Bo was talking about intimacy. She could only reply, "Me too."

"Good." Bo said, swallowing hard as she felt her cheeks heat up.

"Are you okay?" Lauren asked.

"Yea. Just… I mean… have you ever been… I don't know… nervous… with someone?"

"Nervous?"

Bo rolled her eyes, "If you have to ask, you probably never were."

"I've definitely been nervous, Bo. I just don't know what you're nervous about?"

She shrugged, "I dunno. Just… around you I get this feeling in my stomach and my chest and I just feel… nervous. I don't want to screw up and start fighting with you again, but for some reason, that's what always seems to happen with us."

Lauren laughed, "Well, some people would chalk that up to sexual tension."

Bo froze causing Lauren to laugh even harder, so the brunette's face morphed into a scowl. Lauren rubbed the crease above her nose and smiled,

"Don't be mad, Bo. I'm laughing because all of this back and forth we've been doing is just silly. We both feel the same attraction and the same nervousness about what the other person will want and think… and look where we are."

"In your bed?" Bo asked.

Lauren nodded, "Exactly. All of that worrying for nothing. I'm not going anywhere, Bo. I'm right here."

Bo laughed, "You're not going anywhere because you are trapped mid-squall in this… what did you call it when you were talking to Evony? Oh, right… I believe it was a 'frozen fucking hell hole' and a 'frozen abyss'. You may or may not have thrown another f-bomb out there with that second one, I can't quite remember. I was trying very hard not to listen."

"I'm sorry."

"No you're not. This place is a frozen fucking hell hole and I don't blame you for saying it after what you'd been through. Personally, I have no idea how you work for that woman, but honestly, I don't want to go there. I don't ever want to talk about she-who-shall-not-be-named in bed with you."

"So you think there will be other times you're in bed with me?" Lauren asked with a smirk.

"Uh… well…"

Lauren slapped Bo's shoulder, "I'm kidding."

"Oh. Well. Uh… okay."

"Relax, Bo. Really."

Bo sighed, "Lauren, I'm really messed up over you. I just don't know how to be."

"Well, I believe you said you didn't want to label us." Lauren reminded.

"I don't." Bo replied, looking down and fingering the necklace hanging around Lauren's neck, "I just want to be able to just… be… when we're together. Sort of like we are now. I want us to be honest and just go with whatever hits us in the moment. I just want it to be natural… and yes, sometimes for me, natural means nervous or unsure of how to handle when I feel strong emotions. I'm not very good at understanding them because I've spent most of my life just pushing them aside. Seline says that's why I'm not good with socializing."

"And what do you think?"

Bo stared at Lauren for a long moment, her mouth open before she replied, "Honestly, you're the first person that has ever asked me that question. Probably because I tend to do most of the questioning when I'm with Seline."

Lauren nodded, "Well, how about we make a deal right here and right now."

"Okay. What's the deal?" Bo asked, wrapping her arms around Lauren's back and locking her fingers.

"We both just say what we want to say and do what we want to do. If the other person doesn't like or want what we're doing, you say that to and the other person respects that."

Bo smiled, "Works for me."

"And you don't get shy on me and I won't get shy on you. I like you naked, so if naked is how you sleep and you're sleeping with me, then naked you shall be. I don't want you to change for me, Bo… and honestly, I don't want to change for you. Change should happen because it's what we want in life. People who have tried to change me have always driven me away."

Bo nodded, "Me too. There was this one woman in the village who told me she wanted to help me become more 'civilized'."

"Civilized?" Lauren asked.

"Living in the woods, living off the land, only sleeping with my dogs, always working, not having friends… apparently they were all on her list of no-no's for a civilized woman."

Lauren laughed, "Well, I find your way of life very interesting and adventurous. It's exciting to me and I want to learn everything you know. Sorry… school and learning have always been very important to me. I'm a natural student. Get used to it."

Bo smiled, "I'm sure I will. First lesson… how to train your team."

"Train them? I thought that's what you've been doing."

Bo shook her head, "I've been working with them, yes but they need to trust and obey you, not me."

Lauren looked over her shoulder and smiled at her girls all huddled together, sound asleep, "They're amazing, Bo. Thank you so much for all of the work you've been doing with them."

Bo smiled, "You're welcome."

They shared a long moment, each looking into the other's eyes before Lauren leaned down and grazed her lips over Bo's again. This time, she used her tongue to beg entrance and was received. Despite the obvious desire both felt, the kiss was languid. They took their time exploring this new sensation before Lauren's mouth moved slowly down the brunette's neck, her tongue licking and nipping along her collarbone while her body slid down until she reached the firm, rounded flesh of her breasts.

Taking one nipple in her mouth, she looked up to see Bo watching her every move, her chest lifting to offer more of herself to the blonde. Her hips rolled as Lauren slid between her legs and began a slow, rhythmic dance before mounting Bo's leg to move with her. Her mouth was replaced by skilled fingers, that continued to pleasure the sensitive flesh on Bo's chest while the brunette's hands slid further down Lauren's back and clenched her firm buttocks, pressing her closer to allow more contact.

"You have no idea how often I've dreamed of this moment. I never thought…" Bo began, but Lauren shook her head,

"I always knew… I hoped, anyway… that when I finally got the nerve to try to connect with you that you would allow it."

Bo lifted blonde's chin, reaching up to capture her lips, quickly deepening the kiss before pulling back, "This feels so good, Lauren… so right."

The blonde nodded, "So good."

Lauren could feel Bo's grip tighten, her pace quickening, "You're close."

Bo nodded, "How can I not be. God, you're beautiful."

Lauren smiled, "Don't hold back, Bo."

"You either. I want you to enjoy every moment you're with me, whenever that is."

"Believe me, I'm definitely enjoying this." Lauren smiled, a small groan escaping.

Bo smiled, "Me too. So much. You're close."

Lauren nodded before the two held each other close, their foreheads together as they shared the same breath until finally, they reached their peak together and slowly fell over the edge before their lips met once more. When they finally parted, Lauren was laying half on and half off Bo,

"That was… wow."

Bo grinned, "It was." She paused, wanting not to ask, but decided she simply had to, "Are you okay?"

Lauren nodded, "I'm fabulous."

The brunette laughed, "I know that. I meant…"

"I know what you meant, Bo. My pulsed is rapid, strong and even. I'm not shivering, though I'm sure you've noticed my feet are still very cold. And I've just had an amazing orgasm that warmed me from head to toe."

Bo smiled, "Good. I just wanted to be sure."

"That my orgasm was good?"

Bo laughed, "Yes, that's it exactly. Glad to hear it was." She twirled a strand of blonde hair around her finger with one hand while her other moved back and forth on the slender, muscular thigh that was thrown over and between her legs, "Want another one?"

Lauren smiled, "I thought you'd never ask."

"Good." Bo said, rolling the blonde onto her back and sliding a hand up her inner thigh. She wasted no time sliding her fingers between swollen folds, finding them saturated with the remnants of their first encounter, "Wow. I really like how wet you get."

"Hmmm… let's see," Lauren said, slipping her hand between their bodies to reach Bo's center, "I believe I like how wet you get as well."

Bo grinned, "So I suppose you're not just going to let me touch you without you touching me?"

Lauren laughed, "Well, since we've both been waiting since the day we met to do this, I think it only fair that we both allow the other to satisfy the initial neediness period. What do you say?"

Bo hit a particularly desireable spot, causing Lauren's hips to lift, "Oooh… found a good spot."

Lauren returned the favor, "As did I, it seems."

"I like getting to know you're body. I like how you don't seem to want to rush."

Lauren smiled, "I don't and I don't think I'm going to want to stop anytime soon either. I think I'm just going to want more and more and more."

"You really do have to get some sleep tonight."

Lauren nodded, "I know, I know. But for now, while I'm up to it, I want this, Bo. Please don't worry."

She smiled, "I'm trusting you to take care of yourself."

The blond nodded, "I promise, I will… just as soon as you take care of me and I take care of you."

Bo barely got a chuckle out before it became a groan of pleasure as Lauren entered her, penetrating her deeply before slipping out to offer more, earning her another moan,

"God, Lauren. I love feeling you inside me." Bo reciprocated, receiving a whimper of approval as Lauren's free hand latched on to her forearm,

"More."

Bo did as asked, lifting her hips just a bit to gain better access. The brunette slid just a bit to the side, looking down to see this quiet, personal act taking place between them,

"I still can't believe this is actually happening. God, this feels so good, it looks so… amazing… what we're sharing… this is… just… this feels…"

Lauren followed Bo's eyes to watch how they were touching each other and felt her core ache even more, "This is… I've never felt like this, Bo. I've never taken the time to be this… intimate with someone." Her eyes traveled back up to look at her lover's face. The expression on the brunette's face was one she'd never seen before. Bo was truly in awe of what was happening between them and Lauren had to admit, she was as well,

"Bo?"

It took a moment for the brunette to pull her eyes away from what she was watching, but when she did, she saw nothing but honesty, caring, kindness and desire on the blonde's face,

"Are you okay?"

Lauren smiled, "I'm better than okay. I feel amazing. You?"

"I feel incredible, Lauren. The way you're touching me… it feels incredible."

"I've never felt this way with anyone, Bo. I barely know you. I've just met you and yet I feel like we've done this hundreds of times before." Lauren smiled, "Now, could you spread your legs just a little wider for me?"

Bo smiled and did as asked, grateful she did when Lauren adjusted the angle of her fingers, finding the perfect spot to make Bo's eyes slam shut for a long moment. The brunette quickened her pace, bringing Lauren with her,

"Damn, Lauren. You sure do know how to use those fingers."

Lauren smiled, "And I could say the same about you."

The blonde groaned out Bo's name as she added another finger, filling Lauren's core, "God, Bo!"

She wrapped her arm around the brunette's neck, pulling her tight as she whispered in her ear, "I'm so close, Bo."

"Come for me, Lauren." Bo replied.

"I so badly want that… and to hear you come too."

Breaths quickened with the rhythm of their touch as their bodies moved in a languid dance until Lauren let out a long moan, Bo's orgasm hitting at the sound of the blonde's voice until they tensed, silent for a long moment and then fell back onto the bed, breathing hard.

Bo released the blonde to pull the covers up over the two of them, knowing that the body heat that they were generating right now was precious to Lauren's recovery. She lay by her side head propped up on her hand as her free hand continued to explore the blonde's chest, torso, hips and just about anywhere else she could manage to reach. Lauren lay watching Bo's eyes travel over her body, one arm behind her head, the other cupping one of the brunette's breasts, her thumb working gently back and forth over the hardened nipple.

"I still want you." Bo said.

Lauren smiled, "I'd be disappointed if you didn't."

Bo smiled, "I'll let you rest for a bit."

"Not for too long, I hope."

"Of course not. I crave you, Lauren. I don't think I knew how much until this very minute."

When the blonde didn't respond, Bo looked up to see her face, her eyes telling her she was somewhere else,

"Lauren?"

The blonde's eyes slowly traveled to Bo's, "Sorry. I was just… thinking."

"May I ask?"

Lauren nodded, "Of course. I want us to be honest with each other. I want to do a lot of things with you that I've never wanted to do with anyone, Bo."

"You mean… toys?"

Lauren laughed, "Well, that wasn't exactly what I was talking about, but yes, toys are on the table."

Bo grinned, "Sorry."

"For what?"

"For mentioning toys."

"Why? Toys were on your mind in that moment, so you asked. No apologies, Bo. Never apologize for being who you are or saying what you're thinking. We agreed. Right?"

Bo smiled, "Right. But just… remember, this is all new for me."

Lauren nodded, "I know and it's new for me, too. But… well, I feel like a woman on a mission with you. I don't want anything to hold us back from enjoying every moment we have together. I want us to be different, Bo."

"Different from what?" Bo asked.

Lauren shrugged, "From anything I've ever experienced before. I've never had anyone who was as honest with me as you have been. We may have fought for days when I arrived, but I think one of the things that attracted me to you was that you said what you thought, did what you wanted and were completely unapologetic about any of it. I admire that in you and I don't want you to lose it."

Bo nodded, "And I like that you didn't ask permission for anything from anyone. I like that 'take the bull by the horns' attitude and I think that as you heal and you start to learn this way of life, that I'll only see more of it. I have a feeling you are a force to be reckoned with, Doctor Lewis and I can't wait to see that force in action. Actually, I think I got to see a little of that last night. You in doctor mode was pretty cool."

"Doctor mode?" Lauren laughed.

Bo nodded, resuming her caressing of the blonde's body, "I think I understand what you mean. When you say open and honest, it's like I said before… we need to just… be. Open, honest, true to ourselves."

Lauren nodded, "Just be. I'm not sure that I'm going to 100% get it right away, but I'll sure try."

Bo smiled, "That's the beauty of 'just be'. No need to try. Just… be. However you are, whatever you feel and whatever you want."

Lauren smiled, pushing Bo onto her back, "Well, right now, I want more of you."

She slid down beneath the covers, Bo holding them up so she could see what she was doing. The blonde laughed,

"This is very good therapy for me."

Bo cocked an eyebrow, "Therapy?"

Lauren nodded, "It's very, very warm in here. I'll be better in no time if I stay here."

She slid her fingers between Bo's legs, parting glistening folds, "So wet." She said as she watched her fingers easily slide along the soft, swollen skin, penetrating the opening deeply so Bo's hips would rise up,

"Let's see if we can turn up the heat." She said before pressing her tongue into the entrance and licking the length of Bo's heat.

"Oh. My." Bo's breath hitched, "God."

The blonde smiled, "Lauren will do."

The pair giggled as Bo replied, "You're going to get it when I get you back up here."

"No, I'm gonna get this first." She dove back between Bo's legs, the brunette holding on tightly to the sheets as she closed her eyes and enjoyed the unexpected pleasure that Lauren Lewis had suddenly brought into her cold, dark life.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _Lauren came running into the ward, pulling her stethoscope around her neck, "What is it, Carolyn?"_

" _Oh, Doctor Lewis, thank God! Mrs. Gardner is coding and we couldn't reach you."_

" _Why didn't you call my cell?" Lauren asked, sprinting down the hall._

" _We did. Dr. Anastas answered and told us you quit."_

" _She what?!"_

" _She…"_

" _I heard you!"_

 _Lauren ran into the room, looking up at the monitor, "Charge to 300."_

 _The nurse handed Lauren the paddles and did as she was told, watching as the alarm sounded and the doctor shocked her patient._

" _Nothing. Charge to 350."_

 _Lauren repeated the procedure, then waited, watching and hoping… relief following as normal sinus rhythm was restored,_

" _Okay, check her fluids and continue to monitor." She turned to Carolyn, "I did not quit. How did she answer my phone?"_

" _I don't know."_

" _Are you sure you called the correct number?" Lauren asked._

 _Carolyn nodded before she vanished. Lauren stood staring at an empty room, Mrs. Gardner coding again._

" _What the hell…"_

 _She called for help, "Carolyn! Kelly! Shannon!"_

 _She shocked her patient… nothing._

 _She shocked her again… nothing._

 _She shocked her again… nothing._

" _No, no, no. How is this happening?" She shocked her again with the same result._

 _Shannon entered the room, "Doctor Lewis? You killed her?"_

" _No! I didn't kill her! Where did you go?"_

 _Kelly arrived, "Happy hour. We invited you, but you didn't want to come." The nurse moved closer, placing a kiss on the doctor's neck, "And if you came… just once… I'd bet you'd want to… come… again. I'd make sure of it."_

 _Lauren stepped back, clearing her throat and smoothing down the front of her lab coat, "That is unprofessional, Kelly. I expect better of my nurses."_

" _Suit yourself." Kelly said, walking out of the room, with Shannon, "We all know Nadia's the fun doctor. Look at all the fun she had with Evony and it took you forever to say anything to her about it."_

 _Lauren called out to them, "Evony did that! She was just trying to prove to me that Nadia wasn't worth the trouble she was giving me!"_

 _She looked to her left, seeing Carolyn standing there staring at her, "Where did you go?"_

" _Doc, I think you're a bit stressed. I didn't go anywhere."_

 _Lauren replied, "You did. And don't call me Doc. It reminds me of Bo and I don't want to be reminded of Bo. I'm supposed to love Nadia."_

" _But Nadia released you. You're free to go after Bo, Evony or anyone you want." Carolyn reminded._

" _I don't want Evony! I want Bo!" Wait… what did I say? She turned to Carolyn, "I'm free. If I'm being honest, I've been free for a long time. I just didn't want to admit it." Lauren whispered to herself, "I'm free."_

 _Carolyn offered a sympathetic smile, "Well, since we're being honest, everyone here has been concerned about how much you work. We've tried to get you out for Friday happy hours when you're not on call, but even then, you've refused."_

 _Lauren checked around her before she spoke, "Honestly, my wife was not comfortable with the idea of me going out without her."_

 _Kelly entered the room again, laughing, "Jealous much?"_

" _You have no idea." Lauren said before stiffening in horror. She was never this unprofessional, "Sorry. That was very…"_

" _Unprofessional?" Shannon said, walking back into the room, "God, you need to loosen up a bit, Doc. You're allowed to laugh and have a little fun. We're all experienced medical professionals who spend a lot of time in life and death situations. We need to take our work seriously, but we also need to take care of ourselves. Having a little laugh during the day is okay… in my humble opinion."_

 _Carolyn smiled, "Besides, you're about to start a whole new life! You're helping EFM to start up that new clinic in Alaska where you've met that totally hot brunette with the amazing rack and you're soon going to be single and ready to mingle."_

 _Kelly laughed, "Hell, if I were you, I wouldn't wait for the official papers to be signed. Nadia already fucked your boss. I'd say that's grounds for mingling whenever you damn well please. Carolyn's totally right. You're so hot for the Tracker. Go for it. You should have a whole new outlook on life. Besides, you gave Doc Anastas permission to chase her dreams. Doesn't that mean you should be chasing yours too… even if you need a dog sled to do it?"_

" _That's a fair assessment." Lauren replied, "Well, I've got to run, Ladies."_

" _Your new life awaits!" Kelly replied while Carolyn offered a fist pump from beside her._

 _Lauren suddenly found herself by the elevator. She thought about what the nurses had said. Maybe they were right. Maybe a new life was ahead. One with adventure and a new direction. She grinned as she stepped onto the elevator and hit the button for the parking garage. As the doors closed, the symbolism hit her._

" _The doors close on the last chapter of my life." She laughed when she reached the floor and the doors opened. Stepping out she smiled, "Watch out, world. A new state means a new Lauren Lewis."_

 _Suddenly, Lauren felt cold. It was dark and cold. She looked around her and all she could see was snow and ice. She was laying on the ground, a smashed sled to her left. There was blood. Reaching up, she found the source,_

" _Okay, so not as easy as it looked. Definitely not Boston. I could really use some skis."_

 _Lauren was suddenly standing on skis, "Okay. Now I'm definitely dreaming. Right?" She pushed with her poles, "When you dream, is it possible to ski? It feels like I'm skiing. This just… it seems so real."_

 _Her sled dogs came to stand in front of her, "Elsa! Good girl! Anna! Belle! How are my girls! Why didn't anyone tell me about you? I thought I'd have a car, but this… you're beautiful!"_

Bo sat up, looking over to see Lauren calling to her dogs. She tapped her on the shoulder and whispered, "Lauren."

The blonde smiled, mumbling something about skiing. Bo thought that maybe she was dreaming of being home in Boston. Did they ski in Boston? Wasn't it a city? Honestly, she didn't really know anything about any of the other 49 U.S. states. Why hadn't she ever ventured out of her home state? Probably because she'd never acknowledged herself as anything other than an Alaskan native. Probably because she was comfortable with her uncomfortable life here. Probably because... well, she probably had no idea why she had never left this state.

She leaned in and whispered again, "Lauren?"

"Bo! I'm skiing!" Lauren said enthusiastically, her eyes still closed.

"That's great, Lauren. Do you maybe want to wake up?"

"Wake up? We're skiing! Isn't it great?" Lauren called out, eyes still closed as her arms moved in tandem.

Bo laughed, wondering if the blonde often talked in her sleep, "Sure. It's great. Are you hungry?"

The blonde sat up, her eyes popping open, "I'm starving."

She went to stand, but Bo stopped her, "Where are you going?"

"There's this fabulous steakhouse right down the street. I know the owner."

Bo reached out and grabbed the blonde's wrist before she could get up and try to walk around an unfamiliar place,

"You do?"

"Yup! She was homeless and kept coming to the hospital to get free meals." Lauren turned towards Bo and laid down, pulling the covers over her shoulders, before mumbling, "I kept finding her in the hospital galley, telling the staff how to cook different foods. Turns out, she was a chef! Imagine that! A homeless chef!"

"Wow." Bo smiled, "That's… something."

Lauren nodded, "So I bought her a steakhouse. Now she's doing great! Of course, Nadia wasn't too happy that I gave the woman three hundred thousand dollars to open a restaurant. Bad business decision, she said. But she's been paying back the loan regularly! I set up an autopay system right back into my savings account!"

"Well, what does Nadia know." Bo said, having no idea who Nadia was, but it was the second time she'd heard the name. Could that be the wife that Jon said was divorcing her?

Lauren laid back down, "Tired."

"O-kay." Bo said, confused. She reached down and checked to be sure the blonde didn't have a fever, then checked her pulse. She seemed fine. Did she do this often?

She tapped her on the shoulder again, "Lauren? Lauren?"

The blonde's eyes fluttered open, "Bo?"

Bo nodded, "Yea. It's me. Are you okay?"

Lauren looked around the room. Slowly she sat up, "I just had the strangest dream."

Bo nodded, "I'll bet. How do you feel?"

"Cold." The blonde replied looking at Bo who nodded to her body, "Oh."

She quickly pulled the covers up around her, covering herself up, "I… uh…"

Bo laughed, "We promised we weren't going to be awkward, right?"

Lauren smiled, "Awkward is my middle name. You haven't noticed?"

Smiling, Bo replied, "I've only noticed that you're smart, daring, determined and super sexy."

Lauren blushed, "Wow. No one has ever…"

"Complimented you before?" Bo grinned.

Smiling, Lauren laid down, propping her head up with her hand and patting the bed in front of her. Bo moved closer and mirrored the blonde's position,

"Actually, no. Not like you have in the last little while. I've been complimented for my work as a professional, but… well, honestly, I don't usually put myself in a position to be complimented personally."

Bo frowned, "But, you were married. Didn't your wife every compliment you?"

Lauren cringed, "Honestly, not really. And… there's something I want you to know. Um… well… the divorce… it's not… official just yet. I mean… she filed and the papers should be here any day, but…"

"She was the one who filed?" Bo asked, "You mean, you still love her?" Bo sat up, uncomfortable laying as she was with Lauren, but the blonde shook her head,

"Oh, no. Nothing like that. Actually, I'm not sure I ever loved her, really. I know that must sound horrible, but… well, I was sort of married to my work. I was very honest about it from the very beginning, but we were young, and I guess she thought things would change over time."

"But they didn't." Bo concluded.

Lauren shook her head, "Honestly, if I'd ever taken the time to really think about it… to really look at her so I could see how unhappy she was, I probably would have suggested divorce a long time ago. I think I'm starting to realize that I was just content. I had someone to go home to, someone to go to hospital events with, someone who finished my medical sentences and someone who shared expenses and household duties."

"Wow. Sounds romantic."

Lauren slapped the brunette who feigned pain, "We haven't shared a bed in months and I didn't even notice that she was intentionally picking up shifts to keep us apart until about three weeks ago. I'm sorry if that was deceptive of me… to sleep with you as a married woman, but I just… well, I guess I haven't really considered myself married in any sense other than living arrangement for a long time."

"I see." Bo replied.

Lauren continued, "We were basically roommates. I don't even know when it happened. Maybe we were never anything else. I don't know."

"Lauren, you don't have to explain any of this to me. I'm not exactly the poster child for good relationship decisions."

The blonde smiled, "So you have been in a relationship?"

Bo shrugged, "I uh… well…"

"Hey." Lauren smiled, "No awkwardness, remember?"

Bo smiled, "Last night was the closest I've ever come to a relationship."

"Last night was a relationship?" Lauren laughed.

"I hope last night was the start of a relationship… of some kind." Bo clarified, "Look. I don't want to label this… I don't want to label us. I just want us to… be."

Bo reached up over her head and pulled the small picture off the wall, "Evony asked me to put some pictures up for you. She said you liked scenic pictures."

Lauren smiled, "I do."

Bo flipped the photo around so the blonde could see it, "This is Denali. I took the picture during one of the climbs I did as a guide."

"You're a guide up there?" Lauren asked.

Bo nodded, "Just another way to make money. I haven't gone up for a really long time… over a year actually."

"Why not?" Lauren asked.

"I lost someone up there… a tourist. He insisted on going. His wife didn't want him to go. They had two kids." Lauren could see Bo's mind take her back to the events of the climb, "I told him that he wasn't properly trained for a climb like that. His buddy said that he would take full responsibility for him… that he had climbed Everest and trusted this guy could make it. He'd climbed with him many times."

Bo rolled onto her back, staring at the picture, "His wife clarified that he'd been rock climbing... on dry, sunny rocks. I refused again and walked away, heading into the restaurant to get some breakfast."

"So, you didn't take him up?"

Bo shook her head, "I refused. This guide named Rocket took him up. We've got different… philosophies… about who we take up. He'll take anyone willing to pay. I'll only take people qualified to make it up and down."

"Bo, I don't understand how that makes you the one who lost someone."

She turned onto her side, laying the picture between them, "It was about six hours later that his wife came to find me in my room at the lodge. I was supposed to take another group up the next day, so I had stayed the night hoping to make up the money I lost for not taking the group Rocket took."

"What did she say?"

"She told me they hadn't heard from them – that search and rescue wasn't willing to go up because of the weather." Bo sighed, "You see, Denali has its own weather system because of how big she is. That's why one day, you see what's in this picture and… well, on other days… most days, you wouldn't even know a mountain was there. The weather up there is bad... really bad and it can change in a minute."

"You went up." Lauren concluded.

Bo nodded, "I went up to try to get them all down. Six went up, four came down."

"The husband?" Lauren asked.

Bo shook her head, "His friend made it back, Rocket made it back and two other people from his party. One guy was never found. I found the husband. He'd broken both legs and was losing a lot of blood…"

"Femoral artery tear?"

Bo nodded, "I tied a tourniquet and used Rocket's inflatable sled to drag him down below the storm line where a helicopter picked him up, but… well, by the time they got him to the hospital in Anchorage, he was gone."

Lauren covered Bo's hand with her own, her thumb rubbing over the single finger that was just a big shorter than the others,

"That's my reminder from that day."

"You lost your fingertip up there?"

Bo nodded, "Pulling the rope in combination with the cold… I cut off the circulation and didn't even notice until it started to warm. Then I felt the pain. When I pulled off my glove, it was already black, so I had Selina cut it off. I got real sick from the bacteria that formed and got into my blood, but… well, I'm alive."

"Thankfully." Lauren replied, "I'm sure you did all you could."

Bo nodded, "I did. As Selina says, you can't fix stupid. I just can't wrap my head around why a man would risk not coming home to his wife and kids. It just boggled my mind."

Lauren shrugged, "Well, I'm pretty sure everyone thought that Nadia and I were the perfect couple. One of the Nurses told me we finished each other's professional sentences… whatever that means."

Bo laughed and Lauren replied, "I know. Romantic, right?"

"Very." Bo nodded, unable to compose herself.

"I'm just saying that sometimes people don't see what's right in front of them and they risk it all because they don't realize what they're risking until its gone."

Bo nodded, "That picture… he had me take it so his family would know that he died happy. That he had achieved something he never thought he was capable of."

"So why is it here?"

Bo shook her head, "His wife didn't want it. She didn't care that he was happy. His kids lost their father and no picture of any mountain would ever make that right. She said he was selfish leaving them behind so he could climb some stupid mound of snow that he knew he had no right climbing."

Lauren nodded, "Kind of like me taking a ride on a dog sled."

"I promise I'm not going to lecture you, because I really was sort of impressed, but I have to know…" Bo began, "… why on earth did you take the sled out?"

Lauren shrugged, "You know, I think it had to do with the dream I was having."

Bo nodded, but Lauren said nothing. Bo smiled, "Um… are you going to share? I can't hear or see your dreams."

Lauren laughed, "Right. Of course. Sorry. I think my brain cells are still coming back."

Bo smiled, "Do you ever sleep walk?"

"Oh, all the time when I was a kid. My Mom used to have the Nanny put a string of bells across the staircase at night. If I tried to take the stairs, the Nanny would be alerted and be able to get to me."

"Nanny?" Bo asked.

Lauren nodded, "Elisabeth. She basically raised me. My parents believed that kids should be seen only at appropriate times and never heard. I have no idea why they even had a kid, but since I have no siblings, I think they learned their lesson after having me."

Bo nodded, "I guess my parents learned the same lesson. I'm an only child too, although I was raised by dogs, not a Nanny."

"We're probably both better off. My Nanny taught me to be self-sufficient, confident and resilient. She got me through the terrible teens, undergrad and med school. I've never given up on a patient or a patient problem which is probably why I'm a highly valued surgeon. Of course, my boss just sent this highly valued surgeon into the middle of a barren land where there's no hospital, so maybe I've gotten too big for my britches."

Bo smiled, "I doubt it and there is a hospital in Anchorage, it's just not so easy to get there during the winter… and of course, Evony thinks she can do better."

Lauren smiled, "The nurses call her Evony the ego."

Bo laughed.

Lauren asked, "So what did you learn from your dogs growing up?"

"I'd say the same things your Nanny taught you, plus survival skills. I watched how they stayed warm, how they ate… for them, it's all instinct. My Mom had already taught me a lot of things about surviving. We lived off the grid up north all my life. If you can survive there in Alaska, you can pretty much survive anywhere. Of course, I also got my social skills from them."

They shared a laugh, before Bo asked, "So, are you going to tell me about this dream?"

Lauren nodded, "Why did you ask about sleep walking?"

Bo laughed, "I guess it was part of your dream, but you were talking about skiing. You then told me about a steakhouse that you bought for a homeless chef?"

Lauren rolled her eyes, "I was sleep… talking?"

Bo nodded, "In full sentences… and demonstrations."

"What?" Lauren asked, laughing.

Bo sat up and moved her arms, "You showed me how you ski."

"Oh dear god." Lauren blushed, covering her face.

"It was adorable." Bo smiled, kissing the top of Lauren's head when she face planted on the mattress between them.

Lauren raised her eyes to meet Bo's, "You know, now that I think about it, the entire dream was like a re-enactment of a conversation I had with the nurses on the cardiac intensive care unit before I left."

"Oh really?" Bo asked, twisting a lock of blonde hair around her finger, "Care to share?"

She sat up, staring down at the covers between her legs, "I think my mind was subconsciously telling me that being with you was a good thing. It was reminding me that I was free… free to pursue the life of my dreams… to go on an adventure… to do things I've never done before."

She turned to Bo, "Ohmagod! I think… I think that's why I took the sled out! I was tired of everyone telling me what I could and couldn't do! I felt trapped! So damn trapped! Then, I came here, and it was more of the same… only worse! I had no one telling me I was good at anything! Nothing at all! I've never felt more useless in my life! You… you were the standard for excellence!"

Turning onto her knees, she clapped her hands together, "I took out the sled to prove that I could do something you could do. It was completely and totally insane, but I wanted to be free – at all costs! It was reckless and careless and idiotic, but Bo…"

She turned to the dogs who were laying quietly on the floor in a group by the ceramic heater, "… when we took off running…" she turned back, "…it was… exhilarating! I was terrified… I was freezing… I had no idea what I was doing, but… I trusted them."

She turned to the dogs, "I trusted them with my life, and I think they knew it. I think they wanted to take care of me. I think they knew I needed them, and I think they trusted that they could get me here."

She turned back to Bo, "I know that probably sounds absolutely insane to a world class musher like yourself, but… it's what I felt. Now, they didn't get me here, but I think they could. With training… for all of us… I think we're going to be a great team."

Bo smiled, "It doesn't sound insane, Lauren. It sounds like a musher's instincts."

"Really?" Lauren asked.

Bo nodded, "Really."

Lauren smiled, "I think that what I saw in you when we first met…"

"Rude, anti-social, hot-headed, stubborn, arrogant…"

"Okay, I'll admit a few of those did cross my mind and I'm embarrassed to say that I may have judged you without knowing anything at all about you."

"And I'll have to admit I stereotyped the hell out of you. Big city know-it-all Doctor who came here to mess with our way of life."

Lauren smiled, "I guess we've both been taught well."

Bo shrugged, "I think we've both been taught by our experiences. People have wronged me often, so I don't trust them as a rule. That makes me seem rude, anti-social, arrogant…"

"I get the picture." Lauren smiled, "I've been forced into this role of perfect surgeon who never makes a mistake and has all of the answers all of the time. It makes me a bit… difficult." Lauren paused, "And it also makes me a bit obsessive, impatient and yes, stubborn and maybe a tad over-confident at times."

"So, now that we know we'll never put each other on a pedestal..." Bo laughed,

"…We'll never have to worry about the let-down of seeing each other's weaknesses." Lauren smiled.

"High five." Bo said, putting her hand up.

Lauren swung and missed, "Damn! I can never get that right."

Bo held up Lauren's hand by the wrist and smacked it, "There you go. You got it right that time. You just needed a little extra support from moi."

"Wow. You speak French." Lauren laughed.

"Bon-Jure." Bo replied to which Lauren laughed even harder.

Lauren laid down on the pillow, "So, why did you take this picture off the wall?"

Bo laughed, "I totally forgot about that!"

"We were talking about not labeling us. You said you just wanted us to… be. Be what?"

Bo smiled, "Just be as in just be like this mountain."

"You want us to be a mountain?" Lauren asked.

Bo shook her head, "This mountain is what it is. It doesn't try to be beautiful. It doesn't try to hide. It doesn't decide to show itself. It just does what it does. It just… is. We're the ones that gave it a name. We're the ones that decided we should climb it. We're the ones who may decide it's too dangerous to climb. We're the ones that try to own it, claim it or make it more than it wants to be. It just wants to be."

Lauren smiled, "I get it."

"Do you?"

"Whatever we are… let's just let us be whatever that is and not label it." Lauren replied.

Bo frowned, lowering her eyes.

"Bo?"

She shook her head, "I guess when you put it that way, it sounds… non-committal at best. I don't want you to think I'm…"

"Not interested in anything long term? Looking for an out?" Lauren asked.

"Exactly." Bo replied, "Because that's not the case."

Lauren nodded, "Look. I'm about to get divorced after being in a relationship for a very long time… the only relationship I've ever been in, actually."

"So you don't want a relationship?" Bo asked.

"No. I mean… not no to wanting a relationship. No to that's not it. I just… I don't want you to be a rebound. I mean… I don't want you to feel obligated. I just want to be sure about what I'm feeling before…"

"Before you commit to anything? Lauren, I'm not asking for a commitment. I'm just asking that we just… be."

Bo picked up the picture and gave it to the blonde, "This is what I know. I like being around you. I like the way I feel when I'm around you. I like that I'm becoming a better person for being around you. I like that you're daring and inspired to try new things here – I just want you to calculate the risks as you would in… say… a surgery, before you do anything not because I'm trying to control you, but because I want you safe. I want you safe because I want you around for the reasons I've already stated."

Lauren smiled, "This is what I know. I like being around you too. I didn't think I would, but I do. I'm attracted to you like positive and negatively charged magnets. I like the way I feel around you. You remind me of a part of me that I lost a long time ago. It's like I've been reborn and I want to do… everything. I don't want to be caged anymore and thinking about you out there running with your dogs is just… inspirational. I want to be a part of your world and I want to show you what it's like to live in mine… if you're ever interested."

"Yes." Bo said, quickly.

Lauren laughed, "What?"

Bo smiled, "When you were sleep-talking, I realized I had no idea if skiing was a thing in Boston. Then I realized I didn't really know anything about big cities or little cities or anything in the Lower 48. I really didn't know anything about the rest of the country. I've just always been an Alaskan with the intent of living Alaskan and dying Alaskan. You made me realize that I've remained here, trapped in a past that kept me angry and alone. You make me want to change that about my life."

Lauren nodded, "So we should just… be… in whatever moment we're in, wherever we are… we should just be."

Bo nodded, "Just… be."

Lauren giggled, "Well, what I've got to be right now is a girl on the move to the bathroom. I've gotta pee… badly!"

Bo laughed, "You pee, I'll let the dogs out back to pee, then I've gotta pee too!"

The two hopped out of bed, Lauren stopping, "Bo!"

She turned quickly, "Lauren, what!" She laughed.

"Are you going outside naked?"

Bo laughed, looking up at the clock, "Are you worried that someone's going to see me naked at three in the morning?"

"Oh gawd! It's that early?"

"Your biological clock is a little off, Doctor."

"Actually, I wasn't worried about someone seeing you. I was worried about you freezing those very fine tits off out there! Now that I know it's three in the morning, I'm even more concerned about the temperatures."

"Cold room, Lauren. The dogs are going out into the cold room. There's a double door in the cold room. The second door has a doggie door in it. They can't get in until we open the inside door, but they can get out while I stand behind the inside door, less exposed to the cold. I give them three minutes, then open the door and start counting heads. When they're all back in, I'll be back up to pee. Or… maybe I'll pee downstairs, cause I've really gotta go."

"Go!" Lauren said, turning to go to the bathroom while Bo headed down the stairs,

"Come, girls! Outside!" The dogs all raced past Bo, nearly knocking her down the stairs.

Lauren relieved herself, then stood to wash her hands, looking in the mirror,

"Whoa. Lewis, you look like shit!" She examined the cut on her forehead for a long moment,

"Wow. Nice job with the stiches. Very nice." She ran her fingers over her frost-bitten cheek,

"Ow. Damn, I didn't notice how nasty you were. This is going to be a scar, Lauren. Very attractive. Very attractive."

"My thoughts exactly."

Lauren looked up to see Bo standing in the doorway flanked by Harper and Elsa. She giggled, "Well, I could say the same about you, but having two Alaskan Huskies on either side of you kind of takes away from the sexy just a bit."

Bo looked down, shaking her head, "You two are taking away my game. Go lay down."

Harper whined but did as she was told. Elsa took it as an invitation to lay at Bo's feet. The brunette shook her head,

"You know, Lauren, we really have to work on her listening skills."

Lauren laughed, walking to Elsa and squatting down, "Go lay with Harper, my good girl."

She kissed her head and smiled as she walked away, doing a few circles in front of Harper before laying half on top of the older dog. Harper laid her head on the pup, her eyes on Bo,

"Oh, don't look so pathetic. You are loving the attention of that pup and you know it." Bo laughed, offering Lauren her hand,

"Back to sleep?"

Lauren smirked, "Back to bed, yes. Sleep, after I burn off a little bit of this early morning energy… mind if I use you as my treadmill?"

"Mmmm… if that means what I think it means, I would love for you to use me in any way you'd like."

Bo and Lauren made their way to the bed, crawling under the covers and wrapping their limbs around each other,

"You sure you feel okay? You're probably still recovering, Lauren." Bo reminded, "I just don't want to do anything that might jeopardize your recovery. We've been quite… active. You must be exhausted."

Lauren pushed Bo down onto her back, straddling her torso, "If you don't give me what I want, it might jeopardize my mental health, because right now, looking at this beautiful body is driving me crazy."

She leaned down and captured Bo's lips in a fiery kiss, deepening it almost immediately while she ground her center into Bo's. The brunette let out a low moan, responding immediately to the blonde's pace. When the blonde pulled back, she looked down at the desire-filled eyes of the brunette,

"You want me." Lauren stated.

Bo nodded, "I want you… I want you to want me… I want us… I want us to just be… just like this."

"Well, I think I can take care of all of those wants. Hold on to your sled. I'm driving."

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Lauren rolled over, gripping her head, "What the hell?"

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

She threw down the covers, hearing a whimper. She sat up, pulling the covers back, finding Elsa laying at her feet,

"Well, hello there my good little girl. What are you doing here?"

The young dog crawled up and into Lauren's lap and rolled onto her back, "Belly rubs?" The blonde laughed.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

"Okay, so what is that noise and who's making it?"

She looked next to her to see empty sheets. She smiled, thinking of all the wonderful things she had done to the body that once occupied the space. She looked at Elsa,

"Want to know a secret?"

Elsa licked her cheek, "Yea, I think so too. But keep that between us, okay? We don't want to rush things."

She rubbed her neck, seeing a long silver tube on the collar, "What's this? That wasn't there before."

Lauren examined the 2-inch long silver tube to find a small lid on the end, "What's this?"

She used her nail to pry off the cap, finding a small rolled up piece of paper inside, "It's a secret message, Elsa! How exciting!"

Unrolling the message, she smiled when she saw Bo's name at the bottom, "It's from Bo. She says… there's a bit of sun, taking advantage to work on the insulation, bring coffee."

Lauren smiled, jumping out of bed, only to be hit by a wave of nausea, "Damn concussion. Gotta get up slower." She held herself steady using the wall, "Of course, it could be blood sugar. If the sun's up, it's close to three in the afternoon. Damn, my sleep is all messed up!"

She went to the bathroom, to get ready for the day. Pulling up her hair, she turned, "Clothes. Where are my clothes? Boxes. Where are my boxes?"

She turned again to see a dresser with a note on it, "Open me."

She smiled, "Awww. She put my clothes away."

Pulling open the top drawer, she saw another sign, "Don't wear these."

"What is it with these people and underwear?"

She went to the next drawer down, and found another sign over her jeans, "These are okay for inside work."

"Okay, well I do plan to work inside, unpacking boxes and turning this building into an actual clinic, so jeans it is."

She pulled on the jeans, "Interesting sensation. No undies. Hmmm."

She opened the bottom drawer and pulled out a long sleeve T-shirt, ignoring the sign about them being useless. Pulling back the door, she yanked a sweater from the coat rack on the wall and headed downstairs with Elsa close behind. She smelled the coffee before she hit the last stair,

"Smells good." She went to the cabinets and found a thermos, "What do you think, Elsa? Black? Cream? Sugar? Both? I think black, yes?"

Elsa barked once, her ears perking up as her head cocked to one side, "You are too adorable, but even so, if I'm wrong on the coffee, I'm blaming you."

Elsa barked again, before trailing Lauren to the cold room. The blonde pulled on her goggles, a mask and a parka before donning a pair of gloves and opening the two outer doors. The wind hit her immediately, she was thankful the air was clear of the whiteout conditions that had become her norm. She looked up to see Bo laying on the snow-covered roof, hanging over the eaves,

"Coffee?"

Bo looked up, "You are an angel! I'd love some!"

Lauren watched as the brunette, rolled over onto her back and slid down the roof,

"BO!" She ran over to the side of the building, expecting to have her first patient, but instead, Bo was standing upright in waist-high snow.

"What?" Bo asked, matter-of-factly.

"Don't do that! You had me scared half to death! I thought you fell off the roof!"

Bo grunted, climbing out of the drift that had blown up against the building,

"Well, I sort of did. Do you want to kiss my boo-boo?" she asked, bending over and thrusting her ass at the blonde.

"I think I've done enough ass-kissing for a while." Lauren quipped, planting her hands on her hips.

Bo walked to her, "How long a while?"

Lauren laughed, slapping the brunette, "A little while."

Bo smiled, taking the offered thermos, "Make it a very little while and you're got a deal."

"Miss me already?" Lauren asked, placing her hands on Bo's upper chest, as the brunette wrapped her arms around the blonde's waist,

"I crave you." Bo said, wrapping her arms around the blonde, "And I can't wait until spring when I can throw you on the ground and have my way with you."

Lauren laughed, squealing with delight when the brunette grabbed both of her ass cheeks and gave them a squeeze,

"Bo Dennis, I am not that kind of girl." She slapped the brunette's shoulder, pulling away, "I am not some piece of meat you can just throw around."

Bo lowered her eyes, "I'm sorry. I just… I mean… I was just trying to be playful. I would never disrespect…"

"Hey. I'm kidding." Lauren smiled, walking back up to the brunette, "I'm just kidding… being playful."

She gave a half smile, "I'm sorry. I just… social norms and all… I don't want to screw up with you. I like you, Lauren. I honestly don't understand it, but I like you."

The doctor chuckled, "Well, maybe it's my ballsy sled dog escape."

Bo laughed "That did take balls." She paused, "But I don't recall seeing any balls on you last night and I believe I saw ever itty-bitty inch of you."

Lauren laughed, "As a witness to the events of last night…"

"…except for when the blindfold was on…"

"Yes, except then…" She said, stepping towards Bo again, "You definitely saw all there was to see of me."

"As you did me." Bo said, as Lauren pushed her against the back wall of the building and pressed up against her. She pulled up the neck of Bo's mask, revealing swollen lips, "Hmmm… I was pretty hard on those lips last night, wasn't I?"

She watched as the puffy red skin morphed into a smile, "You were wonderful on these lips last night."

Lauren pulled up the neck of her own mask and grazed her lips over the brunette's, slipping her leg between Bo's thighs. The brunette groaned,

"As much as I would love to do this right here, there are certain dangers to revealing any skin out here." She thumbed Lauren's lips dry before pulling down her mask, then did the same to her own.

Lauren nodded, "Damn Alaskan weather."

She could see Bo's smile light up her eyes through her goggles, "It does have its disadvantages, but then again, we'll have an excuse to stay inside for long stretches of time every day."

She turned to walk around the building with Lauren, "There's no expectations up here, Lauren. There's very little judgement… unless you're around Big Jim. He makes the village elders out to be people who rule with an iron fist, but that's not the case at all. Maybe everyone's experiences are different, but for the most part, they're teachers who are trying to keep their traditions alive despite the rest of the world coming in to have an electronic influence on the young."

Lauren could see her eyes change behind the grayed lens, "But they've treated you so badly."

She nodded, "But we've slowly been making amends. Seline has been a big part of that for me. She's been sort of… I don't know… a mentor, mother and sister all rolled into one. She has stood with me against Big Jim and…"

She looked over at Lauren, "Could we not talk about this anymore?"

The blonde nodded, "Of course, Bo. I don't ever want you to feel uncomfortable around me. Talk, don't talk… it's completely up to you."

They stood in awkward silence for a long moment before Bo laughed, "I guess that conversation went sideways real quick. It seems to be our thing."

Lauren's eyes lit up as she smiled, "Oh, I don't know about that. It seems to me like we've made tremendous progress on that front in the last day or so. I mean, we were getting along fine, then we weren't, I got a little stir crazy…"

"Understatement." Bo quipped.

Lauren nodded, "Okay, I got a lot stir crazy at the thought of being stuck in my apartment above that bar… for a year… so I relied on a mind that has helped me to solve all sorts of problems… I admit, I got a little cocky thinking that I could actually take a three-team sled out into whiteout conditions even for a few miles…"

"Yea, we haven't really talked about that."

Lauren waved her hands, "No lecture needed, it was stupid."

Bo shrugged, "Actually, you made it a little over a mile with a team who has never made a whiteout trip. You stayed alive by using survival techniques that were actually quite brilliant. Laying the rock foundation to protect the fire you built – hell, building a fire in those conditions was impressive. It helped to protect your body from frostbite."

"Tell my cheek that." Lauren said, raising a hand to where the marred skin lay protected by the mask. The pain was starting to kick up a notch. Time for some more ibuprofen and whatever that salve was that Bo gave her, "Hey Bo, what's in that salve you gave me?"

"Devil's club and a few other local plant extracts. Why?" Bo asked.

"Well, I guess I owe you an apology. When I saw you packing my hands in snow and putting snow on my face, I thought I was going to lose my limbs. Now, here I am with just a little damage to my cheek. If I'd have lost my hands… well… I don't know what would have happened."

"Well, we've still got to keep an eye on that little finger of yours, but it all would have been much worse if you hadn't done all you did to help yourself." Bo replied.

"Much worse being I'd be dead now?" Lauren quipped, "I was lucky you cared enough to come and find me. I guess I have Evony and her paycheck to thank for that."

"I guess I should expect that's why you'd think I came. Of course, that is what I was telling myself, too… and Kenzi and Jon. But the truth is, I couldn't let you die. I would never have forgiven myself."

Lauren nodded, "You know, while I was lying there, I couldn't think of anyone who would bother to come for me. I thought maybe Jon would try to get a rescue team together, but all I could picture was him yelling out to a crowd of people in the hotel restaurant who laughed when he even suggested it. I did think that maybe he would come… or try to come. But then it got worse and I worried that he would come. I didn't want anyone to die for me."

"Always the doctor."

Lauren nodded, "Hypocritic oath and all, yes I wouldn't want harm to come to others for me. I've been in situations before – opening other hospitals for Evony where I knew no one, but I also knew I could pick up the phone, dial 9-1-1 and have help within twenty minutes. Thirty at the most if it was more rural. Out here… well, I haven't even tried my phone."

Bo laughed, "You know, you're not in the desert. Cell phones do work here."

"They do?" Lauren asked, "I mean, no one seems to have one."

Bo opened an inner pocket on her parka and pulled out a small wool sack, "Phone."

Lauren shook her head, "I just assumed."

Bo laughed, "Haven't you called home?"

"Who would I call?" Lauren asked.

"I guess I would have thought you would have called that Nadia."

Lauren laughed, "Why, so I could listen to her blame me for our failed marriage?"

"I see what you mean." Bo replied.

Lauren nodded, "She can blame me all she wants. I was always honest with her about it. In hind sight, I never should have married her, but she pushed and pushed, so I caved thinking it was the next logical step."

"Next logical step in what?"

"You know, fulfilling the perceived climbing of the social ladder. Graduate high school, graduate college, graduate medical school…"

"I can assure you that graduating from medical school is not a normal part of your social ladder – even on the east coast." Bo laughed.

"Okay, so bad example. Anyway, you get a job and a partner, a house and then you get married, have kids, buy a mini-van, take care of the kids, grow old, take care of the grand kids, go live in the home and then die."

"Wow. I can't wait to climb my way up your social ladder." Bo said, sarcastically, looking down at Lauren.

"I think at some point, I realized what I had become a part of and when she started talking about who would carry our first baby, it hit me."

"What did?"

"That I didn't want kids… I mean… not yet anyway… maybe not ever. Honestly, as a kid I thought I would, but as an adult, I have a lot of things I want to do… accomplish. I've always been very driven to achieve."

She stood up, looking around them, "Maybe Evony did me a favor sending me here."

"How do you mean?" Bo asked.

"Just look at all of this. I mean, seventy-two hours ago, I was completely out of my element. I had just watched a teenager take down a polar bear."

Bo nodded, "Yea, well they're not usually down here, so that surprised everyone. They're more common on the west coast and much farther north."

"How did he get here?" Lauren asked.

"Found out a few days ago that he escaped from a local preserve where they treat ill or injured animals. They also raise cubs who have been abandoned by their moms."

"Is Jon in trouble?" Lauren asked.

Bo shook her head, "It was a warranted shooting. It was the two of you or the bear. He'd been wandering for weeks. I'm sure he was hungry and just looking for food. Poor guy."

"I'm ashamed to say that 'poor guy' was not what I was thinking at the time."

Bo chuckled, "I'm sure." She looked down, "So, you were saying that Evony did you a favor?"

She shrugged, "I'm starting to realize the opportunity I've been given here. This place is like a gigantic playground for someone who loves learning as much as I do."

"So, you're not angry with Evony for sending you here?" Bo nodded.

Lauren leaned in to Bo, "Yea, I'm angry, but I suppose this place has its perks."

Bo grinned, "And am I one of those perks?"

Slapping her chest with her hand, Lauren laughed, as she slid her hand up to her neck and lay her head on her shoulder,

"I wasn't sure at first, but now… definitely a perk."

"You weren't sure?" Bo asked.

"Well, we were at each other's throats for a minute."

Bo laughed, "But just a minute."

Lauren laughed in reply, "And now that we've had many hot minutes…"

"Very, very hot minutes." Bo replied.

"I'm not as worried about the cold."

Bo laughed, "Well, taking that sled out didn't exactly hint at someone who feared the cold."

"When you live in the northeastern states, you think you know all about snow, ice and cold. I may have underestimated the difference between east coast cold and northwest cold."

"Ya think?" Bo asked.

Lauren nodded, standing up to face Bo, "It's sad to admit, but yes… I was wrong."

"How is that word going down?"

"It's choking me, honestly. I pride myself on being right."

"Strong willed."

"That too." Lauren nodded.

"Stubborn?"

"I guess you could say I tend to… dig in… when I think I'm right."

"Definitely strong willed."

Lauren chuckled, "I got you into my bed, didn't I?"

"Is that the way that happened?" Bo chuckled.

"You could not bed me if I didn't want you to, Bo Dennis."

Bo nodded, "You are definitely a woman who knows what she wants and gets what she wants."

Lauren smiled, "Most of the time, I guess that's true."

"I have to say, this morning when I rolled over and realized where I was, I was a bit surprised. I mean, it wasn't a dream. It really happened. I thought you hated my guts."

"Hate is a strong word… but I guess it's a word I had associated with you in varying minutes over the last week." Lauren admitted.

"Me too." Bo replied, "But now… we're good, right?"

Lauren nodded, "Last night never would have happened if we weren't, Bo. I'm not one to jump into bed with people I don't know… even before I was married. I tend to have difficulty giving up control of… well… a lot of things, I suppose. I'm a little OCD, so when things aren't going the way I expect…"

"You hitch yourself to a dog sled and make it happen?" Bo smiled.

"Yea. I guess I'll never live that down, huh?"

Bo nodded, "Sadly, you will be hearing about that one for years to come… or at least… a year."

Lauren looked up at Bo, "It's funny that yesterday, I was thinking that a year felt like an eternity. Now, it seems like it's never going to be long enough."

Bo nodded, "Well, I guess we just have to remember to just… be."

Lauren leaned in, "Yes and I can't wait to just be with you in my bed again."

Bo grinned, "I give fair warning. I don't think you'll have that entire king-sized bed to yourself any time soon."

Lauren grinned, "I don't think I want that bed to myself any time soon."

"Great minds think alike." Bo smirked, releasing the blonde and pulling up her mask to take a sip of her coffee.

"So, what are you doing out here?" Lauren asked.

"First, let me congratulate you on appropriate dress." Bo grinned.

Lauren laughed, "The signs helped. Nice secret message."

"My Mom used to leave messages for me that way." She lowered her eyes, "So if she was going to be late, I'd know where she was and when she'd be back. I thought I'd bring back a family tradition."

"I'm honored." Lauren replied, "Now what is all of this?"

"I'm a carpenter. I'm nailing it. Haha. Get it?"

Lauren laughed, "You're silly. Now tell me what you're doing to my clinic."

"Evony's clinic and I'm removing the outside boards to put spray insulation inside, then hammering the boards back up. You'll be warmer and I'll feel better about you being here when I can't be." Bo replied.

"Right." Lauren said, quietly.

"Hey, I won't be gone often." Bo replied, "Like I said. I like being here with you. I want to be here with you."

Lauren nodded, "It's not about you being gone. It's… you don't have to take care of me, Bo."

"Right. You can take care of yourself."

Lauren sighed, pulling back from the brunette, "I know I don't know everything I need to know to survive here… hell, to even live here, but I want to learn. I don't need you to be here to take care of me, Bo. I need you to teach me so I can be here without you."

Bo scowled and lowered her head, "You… you don't want me here with you? But I thought…"

"Bo, I want you here. I love having you here… I mean… I like you and…"

"I know what you mean."

"I want more nights like last night… many, many more. I want to get to know you and your lands, but I also want to be self-sufficient. I don't want to be… cheechako."

"Don't call yourself that!" Bo yelled, causing Lauren to take two steps back, "I'm sorry. I… I don't like it when you call yourself that. I don't…"

"You don't like that word."

"Not one bit."

"Why?"

"I have my reasons." Bo replied.

"Okay. I won't press, but I hope you understand. I don't want you to be here to take care of me because you feel like you have to be here to take care of me. I want you here because you want to be here with me. I want you to know me so that I know you're not just with me because I'm the only available bachelorette."

"That's what you think?" Bo asked.

Lauren shook her head, "I don't and I don't want to ever think that."

She moved towards Bo and took her hand, "Please, Bo. Show me your world. Teach me about your world. I want to be a part of this… for as long as I'm here… I want to know what you know so that I can just… be. I don't want to be a burden to you… I need to be my own person, but I want that to be a person who walks… or races a sled… beside you. I don't want you to carry me. Do you understand?"

Bo nodded, "I guess we're more alike than we wanted to admit. I would never want to rely on someone else to live my day to day life."

"And from what I've seen, you don't. Back east, I don't either. I tend to want everything my way which is probably why that marriage thing didn't work out."

"Maybe she couldn't match your level of independence." Bo suggested.

"Oh, she's as stubborn and strong-willed as I am." Lauren replied.

Bo shook her head, "That may be, but maybe she needed you too much. Maybe she wasn't independent… secure enough to be your partner, Lauren."

"I don't know. It's still a lot to process… the divorce. There's been so much said and I just keep playing our conversation over and over in my head. Everything comes back to it being my fault."

Bo nodded, "Because she said so?"

Lauren shrugged, "That's what I hear in my head. She sure said it enough times."

"Her saying it doesn't make it true. You believing it is what makes it true… well, makes you think it's true… but neither of those makes it so. The way I've always seen it, marriage… any relationship… takes two people. Both have to be willing to give as they take. Both have to be willing to make sacrifices for the other, but one should never ask a person to sacrifice themselves or the very things that make them who they are to be with the other. It sounds to me like she may have been trying to force you to do something that would ask you to be someone you weren't."

Lauren looked up at the brunette, having nothing to offer but a shrug.

"You're a doctor, you're an explorer… an adventurer. You're not a mother, you're not someone to prop up next to for some social ladder."

Lauren looked out at the vast wilderness, "I've never thought of exploring or venturing beyond my lab. Finding new treatments for conditions of the heart has always been… well… the journey into the unknown that I sought. Now, I have this strange feeling. I know I almost died and, well… I guess I should be terrified… but as I look out at this sea of white… I feel a strange sense of peace."

She looked back to Bo, "And a desire to know more about what's out there. Ever since last night, I don't want to be anywhere else."

"I do tend to have that effect on women."

"I thought…"

"I'm kidding, Lauren. I really don't have a love life to speak of."

She nodded, "I know you don't really know me, but… well, with this new clinic and hospital to prep, I should be obsessing over ever single cabinet, drawer, shelf, and table. I should be complaining about the angle of the lights so that I can see what I'm doing when I'm treating a patient. I should be through the inventory of a hundred supply boxes by now, but honestly, I don't really care if any of it gets done."

She knelt down, and her dogs came running instantly, "All I care about is being behind these little girls and feeling the wind on my face. Well… maybe not on my face, because my face really hurts, but… I don't know. I just… I want to be out there."

She pointed to the woods, but Bo leaned down and whispered, "Baby steps, Doctor. What do you say we set up a schedule for training runs."

"Really?" Lauren stood, clapping her hands together.

Bo nodded, "Really. I have to make sure my team gets appropriate rest, but we can do small runs here in the street for now."

"How long do you take your dogs out when you train?" Lauren asked.

"It's race season, so we usually run about five or six hours a day, five or six days a week. Today is an off day since they ran every other day this week. Of course, I'm counting last night as a run, but it was pretty short."

"So should my girls run today?" Lauren asked.

Bo nodded, "Do you want to help me with their training routine?"

"Can I?" Lauren asked.

"They're your dogs. The more time you spend with them, the more they'll listen to you."

"Great. Do we have to fix my sled? Lauren asked.

Bo nodded, "We do, but Lauren… these girls haven't been pulling a sled. That's what's so amazing about what you did with them. Until you took them out, they've only been pulling logs to learn turns and control."

"Logs?"

"Yes, logs. It's how my Mom trained our dogs." Bo pointed to a pile of wood behind the kennel, "See those?"

"Telephone poles?" Lauren asked.

Bo nodded, "Shortened telephone poles that have mounts screwed in so I can attach leads to them or attached two or more dogs to one pole so they learn to work together."

"That sounds very interesting."

"I'm glad you think so." Bo replied, "I have five more boards to do, then we're supposed to go to Jon's Uncles place for dinner. His wife is cooking Moose Stew and the new Doctor is the guest of honor."

"Uh…"

"You can't say no, Lauren. These are your people now. You've got to meet them and start doing a little P.R. for your clinic. Otherwise, they'll take the train to the village to see Seline. She's overworked caring for her own. That's one of the reasons Evony's building the hospital."

"Fine, but for the record, I'd rather be curled up in front of the fire with naked Bo." Lauren said, walking inside.

"For the record, me too, but we have time after dinner before I need to sleep."

"Sleep is overrated." Lauren quipped.

Bo sighed, "Not when you have to drive a sled for maybe six hours."

"True." Lauren replied, "Hurry up with those boards. I need a proper good morning."

Bo climbed the ladder back up to the roof, "It's almost evening, rookie."

Lauren looked around, trying to figure out what time it was, "But your note said…"

"I wrote that note early this morning. I've already let the dogs out here on the run, fed them, brushed them, put their new booties on and let them into the kennel. Then I got your mail and put that on your desk, made the coffee, went over to the store for a sandwich and picked up these nails. Then I started taking the slats off before prepping the insulation. And now, as you can see, the insulation has been sprayed and I'm putting the wood back on before the next squall moves in. Full day's work while you slept."

"I'm so sorry. I should have helped."

Bo shook her head, "You should have been unpacking your clinic. You'll have to do that while I run the dogs tomorrow. After that, I'll settle the dogs in while you give Harper her massage in front of a nice warm fire."

"And then I'll give you a massage in front of a nice warm fire?" Lauren asked.

"Most definitely." Bo replied.

"I'll even warm up the oil… strawberry flavored okay?" Lauren asked, causing Bo to stop her climb to the roof. She looked back at Lauren who was walking around the building. She quickly crawled up to the roof and leaned down over the edge,

"Are you saying…"

Lauren looked up giving Bo a wave, "I'm saying that I have flavored oils that will make getting rid of all of that tension from running the dogs leave your body so much faster."

Bo watched as she disappeared into the cold room door. She looked up at the dogs in the kennel where Harper and Elsa sat side-by-side watching her.

"I'm in trouble, aren't I girls?"

Elsa barked, causing Bo to laugh and shake her head as she slid back to the other side of the roof to finish her roof. Maybe if she got finished more quickly, Lauren would let her sample those oils as an appetizer before dinner.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

Lauren walked inside and looked around the clinic. There were boxes everywhere, not to mention the dishes they'd left from the night before. She put her hands on her hips and sighed,

"Guess I should tackle some of this now. I can do the rest tomorrow over the course of the six hours that Bo will be gone." She smiled, "Wow, I sound so whipped. Damn this woman."

She started at the sink, cleaning up the dishes. Her finger hurt like hell when she put it in the water, so she grabbed a glove to finish the job. She then took out a spray bottle of disinfectant and a rag to begin the process of sterilizing the shelves, cabinets, counters, drawers, beds and other large equipment items.

A little over an hour later, the place smelled much more like a hospital and less like a dog kennel. Tossing the rag into the trash, she opened a box labeled sterile linens and tossed a set on each of the fifteen beds in the clinic. She opened another box labeled curtains and tossed one of those in each cubicle holding a bed. Finally, she found the bags labeled pillows and tossed one over by the row of ten beds, then tossed the other over by the other five.

Finally, she started the process of ripping open the plastic bags for the bed linen and making each one with precision. Each bed received a pillow in a fresh case, a set of sheets and a clean blanket. She then slid the metal balls into the ceiling track to divide each bed with a curtain before stepping back into the middle of the room to admire her work.

"Wow. It looks like a hospital emergency room in here."

The blonde turned to see Bo pulling off her hood,

"No, no, no! Take that stuff off in the cold room! I just disinfected and sterilized everything in here!"

Bo laughed as Lauren scooted her out of the treatment area and into the cold room, "Lauren, your patients are going to come through that front door covered in ice. You'd better get used to it."

"No, you better get your carpenter on and figure out how to build me a foyer where they can stow their clothes before they get to the treatment area."

"Lauren, if people are bleeding, they're not going to care about hanging up clothes."

The blonde nodded, placing her hands on her hips and looking around the treatment area, "There. Can you bust through that wall and create a sort of emergency room for me? An area that would allow me to treat trauma victims but not risk bringing contaminants into the central treatment area?"

Bo ran her hand back and forth over her neck, "I'm not gonna lie. That's a big ask this time of year, Lauren. If it were spring, it would be no problem at all to do that."

Lauren nodded, understanding that the weather would make things difficult at best, not to mention very cold in the entire building. She looked around again, but stopped when Bo asked,

"What about using the cold room as the emergency entrance? Your office could hold two beds and we could do that right now."

"Where will I do work?" Lauren asked.

Bo smiled, "Well, putting up some dry wall and creating a new office space is a piece of cake. It's indoor work and I can bring the supplies over from the hospital site. It's all the same bill for Evony and we won't need everything we have over there right now."

Lauren nodded, "That would work."

Bo watched as the blonde moved over to one of the beds and bent over, unlocking the wheels. She began sliding it over to her office,

"What are you doing?" Bo asked.

"Creating the emergency room."

"Now?"

"Of course. I'm almost finished with everything. I want to get this done so I can start seeing patients next week."

"But… now?"

"Is there somewhere else we have to be?" She lifted her watch, "We have an hour until we have to leave for dinner, right?"

Bo sighed, walking back to the cold room, "Yea. I'll help. Give me a second to get out of these clothes."

Lauren went into her office and got behind her desk, pushing it through the doorway. She lowered her shoulders to get a running start and ran it across the room like an NFL football player pushing a practice sled. Bo walked out, turning her head to get a better look at Lauren's bottom as she worked to move the sled,

"I guess this is the 'little bit OCD' she mentioned." She shook her head, "Damn do I miss that ass." She scratched her head, "And I've only been without it for about six hours. I am totally whipped."

Lauren turned around, "Come on, then. Help me move the filing cabinet out of my office. Then all of the boxes I haven't unpacked. At least there's that. I'm so glad I didn't get it all set up only to have to move it. Do you think this is a good place for my office? Or should I put it over there? Maybe over there is better? Although there's better light over here. No, over there is definitely more spacious. It will be easier for you to frame and mount drywall. Of course…"

"Lauren. Here is fine. Really."

"Are you sure?"

"Better light is better for your eyes. This will be a nice, quaint, quiet little corner for your office. Over there is really close to all of the traffic. We can put a small desk over there as a sort of mobile checkout area. The hospital has these rolling computer carts that are supposed to be used as portable desks for the nursing staff. Maybe one of those for over there with one of those bar-height rolling chairs that are adjustable?"

Lauren nodded, "That actually sounds like a fabulous idea."

Bo smiled, "Great. Okay then, let's get your office moved over here. I'll work around it to put up the walls and door."

Lauren smiled as she watched Bo walk across the treatment area, dragging a dolly with her to move the stacked boxes. The blonde watched as she bent down to unlock the wheels, her strong lower body peeking out from behind the door,

"Einstein! That woman is so damn sexy. I cannot wait until dinner is over and she is back in my bed."

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 **Talkeetna General Store, Upper Level Residence …**

"Hey, Doc! Good to see you up and around. You gave us quite the scare." Jon said, taking Lauren's offered bottle of wine.

"Yea, well you and Bo did a great job of getting me through those forty-eight hours. Thank you, Jon… for coming to find me. It means a lot that the two of you did that for a total stranger."

Jon laughed, "Well, I'd hope you'd call me friend by now, Doc. We did stare down a polar bear together."

Lauren smiled, shoving her hands into her pockets, "That we did."

Bo entered the living area from the General Store, "Hi Jon. I changed over your petro. The gauge read empty."

"Oh, crap. Thanks, Bo. I was supposed to do that earlier and totally forgot. My Uncle would have been plenty pissed at me, so thanks for saving me."

"No problem, Jon. You've always had my back. Call it even." Bo smiled.

"So, you want to come in and have a seat? My Aunt and Uncle are just getting changed. The faucet sprung a leak while they were making dinner and soaked them both to the bone."

"Do they need me to take a look at it?" Bo asked.

Little Jon grinned, "I fixed it already. Installed a new one, so all good."

"Wow. Good job, my young apprentice." Bo smiled.

He nodded, "Thanks, Bo."

They all turned to the sound of a deep voice, "So, this must be the new Doctor Lewis."

Jon introduced the doctor, "Uncle Mark, this is Doctor Lauren Lewis and, well you know Bo."

"Bo."

"Mark."

"Doctor Lewis, it is very nice to meet you. Evony speaks very highly of you. I can't wait to see if you hold up to the hype."

"Really, Uncle Mark?" Little Jon asked, cocking his head to the side until his Aunt came into the room,

"Mark. Go back to your game and leave Lauren to me and Bo." She slapped her husband as he obeyed, leaving the women in the room with Little Jon.

"Doctor Lewis, you ignore my husband. He just hates that he has to work early morning shifts to feed the men going to the construction site there. I assure you that our expectations are quite low after the previous doctor. Anything you do is better than what he did."

"I'm sorry to hear you had a bad experience with the previous doctor."

"A horrid experience, dear, but that isn't your fault. Just know that we're here if you need us."

"Thank you, Ma'am."

"Oh, I'm so sorry." Little Jon replied, "Lauren, this is my Aunt Molly."

Lauren extended a hand, "Aunt Molly, it's very nice to meet you."

"Dinner will be ready in about fifteen minutes. I understand you want to eat and run. Good idea considering what you've been through. We'll warm you up from the inside with the best Moose Stew in the state and a little native company, then send you on your way to sleep another day or two away. You'll be right as rain after that. Bo will see to it... make sure you're okay. Seline has taught this one well."

"I'm still here, so I guess you're right about that and the stew sounds perfect." Lauren replied.

"So, you girls need anything else?" Molly asked, "I need to get back into that kitchen and finish up supper."

"We were handling the dogs before we left. Can we wash up before we eat?" Lauren asked, while Bo wondered, what she was talking about. Sure, they'd fed the dogs before they had left, but they'd certainly washed their hands.

"Sure thing. Bathroom is upstairs. Go on, Bo. You know where everything is. Give her a tour if you'd like. She'll be spending time here to get supplies. Lauren, you're always welcome if you run out of petro over there, need a place to sleep or just need a hot meal. General store means this whole house is generally for sale to those in need."

Molly gave a general wave around the house before she walked away with Little Jon just behind her. Lauren looked around the room and, seeing that they were alone, leaned in and kissed Bo firmly on the lips, her hand traveling down to pinch a nipple through Bo's top,

"I love knowing that you have absolutely no underwear on you right now." Lauren smiled, "And that thought just won't leave my mind. Now show me where that bathroom is."

Bo stood staring at Lauren for a moment, confused, but when the blonde headed towards the base of the staircase, pulling Bo behind her, the brunette finally moved with her. When they got to the bathroom, Lauren shoved Bo inside and closed the door. She turned on the faucet before pushing Bo up against the wall,

"You look shocked, Trapper."

"Uh… yea. I guess… I wasn't expecting…"

Lauren grinned, slipping a hand beneath Bo's thick sweater and into the hem of her pants,

"Knowing that I could reach in here right now and have you coming in just seconds, is making me so wet."

Bo swallowed hard, frozen to the spot at Lauren's words. The blonde turned Bo around and reached over the hem of her pants and shoved her hand down between Bo's legs,

"Think you can come in less than thirty seconds? I do." She whispered in her ear,

She heard Bo's breath hitch and pulled back to see the expression on her face. She watched as the rush of blood moved up her neck to her cheeks, her lips forming a perfectly round 'O' before she finally let out the breath she'd been holding and fell forward, limp, onto Lauren's shoulder. The blonde removed her hand and licked her fingers clean as Bo watched,

"You are going to be the death of me, woman." Bo breathed out, straightening her clothes.

Lauren scowled, "Don't you dare die on me now, Bo Dennis. I have plans for us… I'm not fully sure what they are yet, but I have plans… and I also have plans for that fine body of yours. Now, come on, we don't want to be rude guests. We need to eat and run so that you can get me home and return the favor."

Lauren smirked as she walked away, leaving Bo standing there, stunned.

"Yup. That woman is definitely going to be the death of me." She smiled as she took a step forward, "But what a fine death it will be."

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 **A/N: Notes to readers with "concerns"...**

 _As for the person who DM'd me to tell me that I've been "phoning in" what I'll refer to as the "intimate scenes". It's not that I "lost my sexy times mojo" (at least I hope not) or that I want to "disappoint my readers", but that I'm focused on the important points of a story. Sure, BoLo sexy times are important, but Finding Our Way was just a different animal because Bo was a Succubus, so lots more sexy times were required to survive. Still, I hope this chapter satisfied your comments to have something more "ala Finding Our Way"._

 _For the reader "concerned" about my portrayal of Lauren, I thought about what you said and respectfully disagree. I write Lauren as I envision her based on the character she is portraying in the story. This is not LG – it's an AU story set in a completely different world. I see Lauren as a woman believes her only strength/contribution is through her science and her smarts. By the end of each story, Lauren has found that she is stronger than she thought. Weak? Not in my opinion. In FOW, she overcame what scientists did to her to overcome the various Fae who were trying to snuff her out. Not only did she win out over them all to maintain her sense of self, but she also became a Queen in her own right, equal to Bo. In Turbulent Seas, she overcame an abusive, drug lord spouse. In The Hunted, she stood by her childhood friend and found the strength in her own blood when she became Fae, helping Bo to defeat her Father. Personally, I don't see that as weak. Your call if you continue to read or not. If you'd like to discuss further, feel free to DM me._


	4. Chapter 4: Running the Distance

_**A/N:**_ _The_ _Iditarod ran last month! You can find a lot of information, pics and videos on the main website. Check it out if you're interested. Apparently, once again, they had to change the route. Lots and lots of races are being shortened, altered or cancelled due to the warmer climate. Likewise, the Iditarod apparently featured some man-made features this year since some of the frozen rivers they'd usually run on weren't quite as frozen as they used to be. Check it out if you're interested!_

 _Sorry for the incredibly long delay! Didn't realize it had been two months until a message told me so! It wasn't my intention to post this late, but we all know how the work world can get sometimes. Hoping for some clean writing time in the coming month to finish this up. Again, please pardon errors of any kind! Tossed the extra proofread again. Thanks for the continued support, reviews and encouragement! Happy to have you all along for this ride!_

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **Chapter 4: Running the Distance**_

"Bo, it's been two weeks since my daring sled run. I am 100% healthy. There is no reason we can't start my lessons!" Lauren argued, running after Bo down the steps.

"Lauren, you may feel fine, but with the temperatures outside and your low body fat percentage, you do not have the natural body type to survive if anything should go wrong!" Bo volleyed back.

The doctor threw her hands up in the air, "What could possibly go wrong while driving a sled back and forth behind the clinic across a what – two-hundred-yard stretch? You do remember I drove the sled almost a mile, right?"

"And you do remember you almost died, right?" Bo replied before realizing she was, again, raising her voice, to the doctor. She stopped, turning back towards the blonde, "I'm sorry."

Lauren turned away from Bo, shaking her head as she placed their coffee cups in the sink, "You know, you sure do apologize a lot about raising your voice to me. How about you stop saying sorry and start controlling that temper of yours?"

"How about you stop pushing me when I don't want to do something?" Bo snapped.

The two stood, each with their hands on their hips glaring at one another. Finally, Lauren sighed,

"Stalemate?"

Bo sighed, giving the blonde a nod.

"Bo, I appreciate that you want me to be safe, I really do, but you promised. You do remember what a promise is, right?"

"Of course I do. I just… well, it's just that…"

"There are no excuses, Bo. I'm a doctor. I'm 100% healthy and you know it. We promised we weren't going to let this thing between us stop us from being who we are."

"And I'm keeping that promise. I don't train people on sleds anymore… not since Jon. It's not who I am."

"Now that's a lie. You are still training Jon." Lauren replied.

"His Dad is paying me to train him. That's different."

Lauren turned and opened the jar on the counter, pulling out a dollar. She turned and placed it on the counter,

"Okay. Here's my first installment on my lessons. You're hired."

"A dollar?" Bo asked with a laugh.

"Well, I figured you wouldn't accept my money, so we'll call it a symbolic payment." Lauren replied.

Bo shook her head, "You're right. I won't accept your money because I'm not training you."

Lauren frowned, "Fine. I'll find someone else. Alaska is a big state. I've heard there's plenty of people down in Skagway willing to train people who want to learn."

"Who told you that?" Bo asked.

"Uncle Mark."

"That traitor." Bo mumbled.

Lauren walked over to pull a folded piece of paper off of the bulletin board near the entrance, and then walked back to the phone and dialed the number written on the note. A woman's voice on the other end spoke,

" _Kyle's Sleds and Things, this is Kyle. How may I help you?"_

"Hi. I'm in the market for some sled dog lessons? I don't want to race in the Iditarod or anything. I just want to be able to drive my dogs from my apartment to my clinic and to my hospital. I guess it's about 10-12miles or so round trip, although I haven't actually been to the hospital yet.

" _Do you have any experience?"_

"Well, I did drive the sled once already, but it didn't go so well after the one-mile mark. I ended up stranded with a frostbitten finger and hypothermia. The finger is still healing, but otherwise, I've recovered. I've got great dogs, but I've lost my teacher."

" _Oh? Who was teaching you?"_

Lauren looked up to see the brunette turned profile, staring at the floor, her hands jammed into her jacket pockets,

"Bo Dennis."

" _THE Bo Dennis was training you?"_

"Well, she sort of rescued me and promised to train me. Now, she doesn't have time to follow through on that promise, so I'm on my own again."

 _The woman laughed, "No time, huh? That's a new one."_

"New one?" Lauren asked as Bo's head cocked slightly towards her – enough that Lauren knew she was listening.

" _Bo always has an excuse not to train people. She thinks she's saving people by not helping them learn to sled. Truth is, she's becoming part of the problem. People are going to go out with or without proper training if they need to get somewhere and if anyone is going to save people from themselves, it's Bo. If she would stop blaming herself for the past and do her job as a teacher, there'd be less idiots getting themselves killed out there. No offense."_

"None taken. I guess I do sort of fit the bill." Lauren replied, knowing she was being an idiot the night she went out. She didn't have to go out, she chose to… probably just to spite the brunette at the time. Now she wanted to do it the right way. She was determined to learn… she was excited to learn.

" _Well, I'll certainly train you."_

"That would be great. When can we start?" Lauren asked, finally about to learn how to handle her own sled.

" _Aren't you an enthusiastic one." The woman laughed, "Where are you located?"_

"My clinic is in Talkeetna and I have an apartment here…" Lauren cringed after she said the words, wondering if the ever-growing depth of the snow here would put her off, "…but I also have an apartment just north of Anchorage in Point Siku if that's easier for you. I could take the train there on my days off."

" _No need. No need at all. I'm a regular visitor to Talkeetna. That will work just fine."_

"Wow. You come here regularly? What a coincidence." Lauren replied.

 _Kyle laughed, "Actually, I'm delivering kit supplies to a customer who is racing in the Iditarod."_

"Kit supplies?" Lauren asked, her eyes on Bo who turned her back to the blonde at her question.

" _Yes. My customer likes to get in the habit of using kits while training before the race."_

"Okay… whatever a kit is." Lauren said, looking at Bo who ignored her.

" _Anyway, your name?"_

"Doctor Lauren Lewis."

" _Oh, of course! You're the new doctor everyone's been talking about. That was quite the first outing you had on a sled. You had Bo fired up something fierce." She laughed._

"I did? I mean… you know about that?" Lauren asked as Bo walked to the sign-in book near the entrance and began writing something.

" _Half the town was on alert when she brought you in… so Jet tells it." Kyle explained._

Lauren nodded, "I see."

She watched as Bo pulled up her hood and pulled on her gloves. She looked over her shoulder at Lauren, a pained expression on her face before she pulled on her mask and turned to leave.

Lauren covered the receiver of the phone, "Bo…"

But the brunette only shook her head as she interrupted the blonde, "See you tomorrow."

With that, she pulled down her goggles and headed outside. Lauren sighed, returning at least some of her attention to the phone conversation,

"So you'll come?" She felt guilty even though she knew she shouldn't. This was something she had to learn or she would become reliant on people for practically everything. That was just not Lauren's style. She was fiercely independent in every way before coming here and she'd be damned if she was going to become a new and more pathetic version of Evony while she was here.

" _See you in the morning, Doctor Lewis. Bo's dog kennels and supply house are just behind your clinic. My delivery is there, so how about we meet there?"_

"Your delivery is for Bo? You know her?"

"Everyone knows Bo. I just happen to know her… well."

Lauren swallowed hard at the way the woman said the word. Of course, she could mean she knows her like a sister… sure, that's it… they're like sisters in sledding.

" _Dr. Lewis? Are you there?"_

"Uh yes… sorry. Did you want to meet at the clinic or the kennels?"

" _The clinic is fine so we can do some paperwork first. Okay with you?"_

Lauren nodded, nudging open a single blade of the blinds on the windows to look outside. Bo was pushing her sled out of the storage barn and readying the lines for the dogs. The blonde sighed, knowing she had maybe thirty minutes until Bo would be gone… maybe less with how angry she was.

" _Doctor Lewis?"_

"Uh… right. Sorry, Kyle. I was distracted for a moment. That would be fine. Just so you are aware, the bill will be going to E.F.M. Enterprises. If you could bring an invoice for however many lessons you think I'll need, that would be great."

" _Evony's paying the bill, huh?" Kyle laughed._

Lauren's face twisted with confusion, "You know Evony?"

 _The woman's laughter never waned as she replied, "Oh, everyone in these parts knows Evony, Doctor Lewis."_

"Oh. I wasn't aware." Lauren replied.

" _I'd swear that woman was buying the entire state so she could rename it Marquis." Kyle giggled._

Lauren laughed. Evony's ego was big enough for her to do just that, "Well, you have to admit, she'd make a beautiful postage stamp."

" _Oh, no. Please don't tell me you've fallen for her too." Kyle groaned._

"Oh, definitely not. I like my women much more…" She looked up again to see if Bo was still outside and sighed when she saw her carrying blankets to her sled, "… curvy and muscular, though I apparently have a habit of falling for stubborn as well." She shook her head being drawn to Bo despite her bullheaded nature, though she supposed she could be the same at times, "Wait… what did you mean by too? You make it sound like everyone has fallen for Evony."

 _Kyle laughed, "Just the police chief, my ex, the head of construction at the hospital, and a large number of the guys who frequent the bar at the hotel… maybe ten people or so."_

Lauren shook her head, "Yea, well that's Evony's style. One is never enough. She doesn't believe we're built for monogamy."

" _Yea, I sort of already figured that one out. Too bad for my ex. I think she's in deeper than she'd care to admit."_

Lauren shrugged, dropping the single blind she'd been peeking through as Bo looked up at the window. She hoped the brunette didn't see her,

"Well, hopefully Evony will let her down easy."

" _Are we talking about the same Evony?"_

"Right. I guess my brain had a meltdown for a moment there." Lauren chuckled.

" _Remind me not to let you cut me open, Doc."_

"Don't worry. I watch YouTube videos of how to do all my surgeries." Lauren deadpanned.

" _Funny." Kyle quipped._

"Well, I've got to get going…"

She wasn't entirely sure what else Kyle said before she hung up. Her eyes were peering through the frosted windows as Bo gathered her team. She was doing an overnight training run with stops in Anchorage and two other places Lauren couldn't remember. Jon had hung a map of Alaska in her office and explained the entire Iditarod trail – well, both of them, actually since they alternated trails most years. He then helped her to mark the spots on the map so she could try to follow Bo's journey of just about a hundred miles.

A hundred miles. This was insane. The only thing more insane was the Iditarod itself. Over a thousand miles? Jon had explained that everyone in the race was required to qualify, assuring that only the most elite mushers and dogs were permitted. Still… elite athletes or not… to Lauren, it sounded like all of these mushers had a death wish.

She noticed Bo stirring the special nutrient mix she fed the dogs before they ran, and it clicked that if she was going to try to make amends before the brunette left, it was now or never. She also wanted to try to convince Bo to leave Harper here… just for this run so that the dog could get some rest if she was going to race her. She doubted she would listen, but she had to try… for Harper's sake.

Lauren quickly ran around the clinic, gathering her gear to go outside. All of her cotton clothing was now gone except for her favorite T-shirts for spring and summer. Synthetic layers followed by fleece and a fur parka were now the norm as her experience grew. Knowing when to strip off layers outside was still something she was learning, but she was getting used to being aware of when her clothes were getting wet with sweat.

She took a quick peek outside to see that Bo was finishing up with giving the dogs their water mixture. It was nearing whiteout conditions and it reminded her of the discussions she'd had with Bo in the last two weeks while they had readied the clinic to open for patients. Lauren was like a sponge, soaking up every bit of advice she could get from anyone who offered it. She'd read four books on Alaskan climate and common conditions, which led her to build three large emergency backpacks for calls where she might have to do 'house calls' or more likely, 'wilderness calls'.

When she'd learned that all emergency services in the region were basically average citizens who volunteered because they happened to have a plane, helicopter or snow machine, the Doctor had also arranged with Evony to have an emergency transport at the ready twenty-four seven. Sure, Evony had argued about the budget, but Lauren had assured her that she could eliminate costs elsewhere over time to make financial allowances to cover the new costs.

Pulling on her mukluks, Lauren ran through the mental checklist of what Bo would be doing right now. The musher had invited the doctor to do the morning checks of the dogs in the kennel with her. The first morning, Lauren was shocked when the barn door opened and she got her first glimpse of the dogs' home. Bo had thirty dogs, which apparently, was not that many. Apparently, some owners had upwards of one hundred dogs, choosing the best ones for each race. While Bo was partial to her current team, if any of them were sick, injured or just not as cooperative or as fast as one of the others, she would consider taking a different dog.

The room was lined with hay, each dog having their own open-front home, a water dish and a food dish. They were free to roam, something not all mushers permitted in their kennels. Bo had explained that her Mom had taught her that all creatures required socialization and that setting up the kennel in this way allowed them to have that opportunity or not. No dog would venture into the home of another – that was a social norm in a dog's community. If a dog wanted to be alone, they could simply stay in their home.

As they raked out the dirty hay and spread new, Bo taught Lauren about the Iditarod. This year, some rules had changed and Bo had a choice to make. She could only start with up to fourteen dogs instead of previous years where they could start with sixteen. If dogs got sick or injured, she would carry them on the sled, something called 'in the basket', until the next checkpoint, but she had to have five running dogs at the finish line, or she would be disqualified. Harper had never missed a finish… never. That seemed important to Bo and Lauren understood. The pair had crossed the finish line together each and every race. Lauren could only imagine the sense of accomplishment and the bond Bo would feel from that shared victory for finishing the grueling race.

Lauren had also been introduced to the three sleds Bo would be taking to the race, including the one she usually used. Apparently, the sled Bo had given Lauren to use was the one the brunette had won the Iditarod with for the past two years. When Lauren told Bo she should take the sled back, the musher only laughed and shook her head. Still, Lauren felt it belonged in a museum if Bo won again this year. If she did, she would join a select group of mushers who had won the race three consecutive years. Jon and his family – except Big Jim, of course – were the ones who would be towing Bo's extra sleds and dogs. In truth, Lauren was hoping she would – at some point – be invited to go. If not, she had already decided she would take the train down to Anchorage and see at least the start of the race.

Lauren double-checked her gear to make sure no skin was exposed and rushed outside to where Bo was just about to step on the sled,

"BO! BO!" Lauren called, waving wildly.

She stopped for a second, thinking about how desperate and pathetic she might look, but knowing how far Bo was going in these conditions, she wasn't taking any chances. She didn't want them to part ways angry at each other even though they weren't necessarily a couple.

"BO!" She ran, grabbing the brunette by the arm, only to find herself tossed onto her back, a hand wrapped around her throat. She slapped at the forearm, panicked when air was growing short until she was finally released. Bo pulled the mask down from her mouth,

"Lauren! What were you thinking!?"

Lauren sat up in the snow, her hand rubbing her neck as she swallowed hard, making sure everything still worked,

"I was…" she rolled over, smacking Bo's hand away when she tried to help her up, "I was coming out to make things right between us before you left! What were YOU thinking?!"

Bo shook her head, "I thought… when you grabbed me… I… I didn't know it was you, Lauren. I didn't think you'd come out here."

"Well, who else would I be?" Lauren asked, again rubbing her throat.

Bo sighed, looking at her team, "Whoa, girls."

Lauren watched as the dogs all relaxed while Bo turned and walked back towards the barn. Lauren looked down, stomping on the snow pick to make sure it was firmly in the ground before following Bo. She didn't want the dogs to take off with the sled while she and Bo were… well… were wherever they were going.

She looked up to see Bo entering the barn. She groaned but walked the distance to follow the brunette inside. She found Bo pulling back the fur hood of her parka and removing her heavy mittens before pulling off her goggles and mask. She turned to face Lauren who was removing her gear as well.

"I didn't want to tell you." Bo began.

"Tell me what?"

"I won't tell you if you're going to get upset, Lauren. I mean it. I'll walk back out there, get on that sled and leave."

"Okay. I'm calm. What?" Lauren asked, sitting down on a gear crate.

"Rumor has it that Big Jim has a plan to make sure I don't win this race. He's planning something and I don't know what. I thought you were… someone else. I'm sorry. I'd never hurt you."

Lauren stood, rubbing at her throat, for a moment, Bo's words replaying in her head until they settled in. When they did, her eyes went wide, "You mean he's trying to kill you?"

Bo shook her head, "I said stay calm."

"This is as calm as I can be when I hear that man's name anymore. Tell me." She replied, sitting back down on the crate.

I'm not sure if he's trying to kill me or just take me out of the race by killing my dogs, smashing my sleds or smashing me. Like I said, it's just rumor, but it sounds like something he would do. He hates that I've won the race once let alone twice. Three times would be too much for him to stomach. When you grabbed me…"

Lauren waved Bo off, nodding, "You thought you were being attacked."

Bo nodded, standing silently, her eyes set on the mittens in her hands.

"So what are you doing about it?" Lauren asked, breaking the silence.

"Not much I can do about it." Bo replied, slapping her gloves together and sitting beside Lauren on the crate, "I'm sorry I snapped at you earlier. It was rude and immature."

They sat in silence, Lauren not knowing what to say. Honestly, she was sick of apologies. She wanted Bo to get her temper under control, but she knew the brunette needed to learn to do that in her own way and in her own time.

"So… Kyle's going to give you lessons?"

Lauren nodded.

"She's good. She'll give you all the basics."

Again, Lauren nodded.

"You're mad at me."

Lauren shrugged, "I'm disappointed. I wanted to learn from you. You're the best… Kyle agrees."

"The dogs are trained, Lauren. They're listening to you because you've taken the time to learn how to care for them and bond with them. You've really connected. Kyle's job will be easy from here."

"So you're saying you've given me all you can give me?"

Bo nodded, "For now, yes." She turned to face the blonde, "Lauren, I've got this race… it's a huge undertaking and it requires all of my focus if the dogs are going to survive… and me… I mean, I plan to survive too. It's a thousand miles of some really harsh conditions. It requires all of my concentration and every single bit of my energy."

Lauren nodded, "I don't want to do anything to interfere with your training and preparedness for this race, Bo. I've told you that. I'm not mad at you for that. I just want you to stop snapping at me. You have to want to do that for me. It's all I need from you if we are going to be friends or otherwise."

Bo gave her a tight smile, "I know. I'm still trying to learn how to be around someone... anyone… on a regular basis. I know that probably sounds horrible, but please try to remember that you're the first person that I've let in, Lauren. I haven't talked or spent this much time with any one person since my Mom was alive. I don't even spend this much time with Seline."

"I assumed that was the case, Bo. I'm trying to be patient, but when you snap at me, I just want to tell you to leave… not permanently, but definitely for a day or so. Still, even after our blow up, I didn't want us to part ways angry with each other."

Bo nodded, "I appreciate that. Me either. And I promise to work on my temper. Honestly, when we part ways after an argument, I spend hours kicking myself for raising my voice to you. If it's any consolation, I'm always sorry. You don't deserve that. It's just… I've always had a short fuse and since I was never in anyone's presence for long, I could usually control it."

"But I push your buttons."

Bo shrugged, "You push truths I'm not ready to face about myself, my life… hell, even my past."

"I need to keep my opinions to myself." Lauren frowned.

"Actually, you need to keep telling me. I need someone to call me out when I'm not seeing both sides of an issue. I can be stubborn."

"Ya think?"

Bo chuckled, "So can you."

Lauren smiled, "Fair enough. Let's just not part ways angry, okay?"

"Deal. I hate fighting with you."

"Good." Lauren replied, "I'm glad we cleared that up."

Bo nodded, "Lauren… I just… I have to take some time… I need some space."

"Oh."

"No, please. It's not like that." Bo took the blonde's hand, "You see… it appears as though you've gotten under my skin. Lately, I don't sleep well if I'm not wrapped up in you. I don't think of much else than the dogs and you... well, sometimes more you than the dogs and that's not good… not right now. I'm off schedule at work and with my training."

"I'm a distraction."

Bo chuckled, "A beautiful, wonderful, welcome distraction, but yes, a distraction. Apparently, I'm not as disciplined as I'd thought."

Lauren smiled, "Well, you've come to the right place."

"Tell me about it. I called your name three times the other day when you were looking through that telescope thingy and you didn't even hear me walk in the clinic let alone hear me call your name."

Lauren laughed, "It's a microscope and I was studying that mystery virus the outer villages are experiencing. I tend to geek out over stuff like that. When I'm involved in my science projects, they sort of absorb all time and space."

Bo nodded, "I wish I had that kind of focus."

"You do when you're with your dogs… especially Harper." Lauren said with a sigh.

Bo was quiet for a long moment before she said, "You think I'm making a mistake."

Lauren nodded, "Do you want an honest response to that or were you just stating what you think is a fact?"

"I always want you to be honest."

"Okay then. Yes, I think you're making a mistake, but you already know that so why make me say it again?"

Bo sighed, "I'll think about it on this trip. Tell you my decision when I get back."

"Okay." Lauren replied, "Can I just say that cancer… it needs oxygen and blood to grow just like any other cells in the body. While being in the cold so much has likely slowed its growth, running increases oxygen and blood flow. I'm afraid the tumor will double in size by the time this race is over, making it inoperable and too big to shrink with chemotherapy or radiation. I was also thinking that maybe Harper would benefit from more days off than the other dogs… maybe not run her in the worst conditions?"

"Understood." Bo replied, her shoulders visibly slumping.

"I mean like… conditions like right now." Lauren replied.

Bo nodded, "I'll put her in the basket once we get out there on the flats. She won't like it, but I'll do it for her own good."

Lauren nodded, "Fair enough. So how have you prepared for Big Jim's rumored plan?"

Bo shrugged, "I've got my shotgun, my sidearm and… well… a little something extra that Uncle Mark added to my sled should anyone try to mess with the dogs when I'm taking a pee or sleeping."

"Oh? And what's that?" Lauren asked.

"I'm afraid you wouldn't approve."

"Okay, now I really want to know." Lauren insisted.

Bo shrugged, "Have you ever heard of something called an electric fence they use to…"

"Yes, I know what an electric fence for pets is. Why?"

"Well, with a flick of a switch, I can lay a fence around my dogs anywhere we are. We've been training them to obey the perimeter I lay so that they stay inside the powered area. Anyone that comes inside that perimeter while me and the dogs are there will get the shock of their life."

Lauren laughed, "And why would I not approve of my girlfr… uh… of you and the dogs being protected from an intruder?"

"Mark says it's powered by that AED thing you use… well, parts from a portable one that used to hang on the wall in the school gym. They got a new one, so he 'borrowed' the old one."

"So, you're saying it could stop the intruders' heart?" Lauren asked.

Bo nodded, "Yes, but then it could also restart it too, right?"

"Theoretically, but layman AED's are only used once before the batteries – or possibly the whole machine must be replaced." Lauren replied.

Bo nodded, "Well, Mark has worked his magic with it, so it can be used the whole trip just like a car battery. And I have warning signs and will tell all of the other mushers that aren't part of Big Jim's team."

"Okay then."

"You don't approve." Bo stated, her eyes lowered.

Lauren shook her head, "Honestly, I'm okay with it. I want you safe out there and if someone is going to try to do their worst to you, I suppose your worst – or Mark's worst as it turns out – is only fair."

They were silent for a moment, Lauren's eyes set firmly on Bo, trying to figure out what was going through the brunette's mind. Something was bothering her, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

"Bo? You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but I know something is bothering you. Something has been bothering you for a while now."

She waited as Bo slowly nodded her head,

"He'll come for my dogs, Lauren. I know he will. He did it before, he'll do it again. But this time, he'll start with Harper. He'll start with Harper because he allowed her to live last time. He won't leave any of them alive. I know it. I'm sure of it. I won't lose my dogs again, Lauren. Not to him. Not again. I'll die first."

The blonde nodded, "I don't know him like you do, but from all I've heard, I have to agree. I'm just worried that this time he'll try to finish you too… maybe by killing your dogs because he knows you'll die to protect them."

Bo nodded, "Agreed. So… all I can do is make sure the way I protect the dogs will protect me in the process."

"Okay then, electric fence it is. Stay safe. Stay warm. Stay alert and don't take any chances. This is just training."

Bo smiled, "I will." She stood, pulling on her gloves, "So you're okay with seeing less of me… for now?"

Lauren nodded, "I am. I want you to win, Bo. I don't ever want to be a hinderance to you."

"Thank you." Bo replied, her voice and eyes carrying all the sincerity Lauren needed to know that this was just a temporary parting of the ways, "After this, you and I… we'll see about this thing between us."

Lauren smiled, "No pressure, Bo. I've actually fallen behind at the clinic, so this will be good for me too."

Bo nodded, "You gonna watch me race?"

"Is that an invitation?" Lauren asked with a smile.

"Do you need one?" Bo asked.

Lauren shrugged, "I'm an outsider, Bo. I'm never sure what I am and am not welcome to attend."

Bo nodded, "Understood. I'll be sure to remember to give you invites then. But just in case, you're always welcome as long as you're in Alaska, Lauren. Of course, part of me is hoping that you might stay a bit longer than a year."

Lauren laughed, "Just a bit?"

Bo chuckled, grinning as she offered Lauren a shrug. She grabbed a large barrel of food, carrying it to the exit, where she put it down and began pulling on her protective equipment. Lauren's eyes were set on Bo, but she remained seated on the crate, allowing her mind to race back to the argument they'd had about Harper a few days ago…

 _ **Flashback…**_

Lauren entered the kennel to find Bo sitting up against the wall with Harper on her lap. The brunette had been dodging the discussion about her eldest dog all week,

"So, have you made a decision?" Lauren asked.

Bo shrugged, "If I do the surgery and chemotherapy before the Iditarod, she won't be able to race."

Lauren came to sit beside her. Harper's head popped up and she extended her paw, placing it in Lauren's hand. The blonde smiled,

"Hello, little lady." She smiled, giving her head a rub, "But letting the tumor grow for another month could make the surgery impossible, Bo."

The brunette shrugged, "The vet said they could do the chemo first to shrink it, then do the surgery followed by radiation."

Lauren nodded, "Yes, but that is not the process that will give you the best ."

"Well, we'll take our chances. Harper loves the Iditarod. I can't keep her out of this race." Bo replied.

"You said it yourself, Bo. The vets at the pre-check may not pass her because of her health record now showing cancer."

Bo shrugged, "I'll fight it. It's her dying wish to run in this race."

Lauren laughed, "Oh. I didn't know Harper told you that."

Bo scowled, "We've been together a very long time. I don't expect you to understand, but I had certainly hoped that you wouldn't mock me after all you and I have been through... and come to mean to each other."

"What we've been through has nothing to do with my medical assessment of what's best for your dog and you know it. Believe me, if I could give you good news, I would. I know how much she means to you…"

"You don't." Bo snapped.

Lauren sighed, "Okay, maybe I don't know exactly how much…"

"You don't."

"Fine. I don't," She shook her head, "But I know cancer and I know how horrible treatment can be if delayed and that is something I trust you don't know since – from what you've told me – you've never known anyone who died of cancer and you aren't any kind of doctor. So, I am telling you as a doctor who does know, Bo… I am promising you… that if Harper runs this race, it just may be the last thing she ever does. On the other hand, if she starts treatment now, she may have years of races in her future. I'm not saying any of this out of disrespect for you. I am saying this because my medical decision disagrees with your very personal decision.

"Very personal decision? What's that supposed to mean?" Bo turned, angry.

Lauren spoke quietly, "It means that – in my professional, objective opinion – you're making your decision out of fear of losing the most cherished being in your life. You're in denial, Bo."

"Oh, so now you're a Psychiatrist, too?" Bo laughed.

"As a matter of fact, all physicians do several psychiatry rotations as it is part of…"

"ENOUGH!" Bo said, slamming her eyes shut and raising her fists over her head, "You're… you're relentless!"

"No, Bo. I just care about you and I care about Harper. I'm terrified of what will happen to you if Harper…"

"Don't say it! Don't you dare say it!" Bo said, not wanting to even think about losing her beloved companion.

Lauren shook her head, "Don't you see? You're in denial that anything bad is happening here! Bo, I care about you and I'm worried that you'll live to regret this decision. More importantly, I care about you and Harper…"

Bo shook her head, now digging in even deeper to her point of view, "If we meant anything to you, you would respect my decision."

Lauren sighed, "And if I meant anything to you, you would respect my medical opinion."

"You. Are not. A veterinarian." Bo grumbled.

"Did you forget I'm the one that found the tumor and did the biopsy that determined it was cancer? None of the vets at hundreds of regular checkpoints in your many races over the last year didn't find it. With the size of that lump, it's been there for at least a year. If they're all so good, how was it not found? Or was it? Have you known it's been there all along?"

Bo turned away from Lauren who urged her one last time,

"Bo, early treatment is crucial with cancer."

"All I know is, if you'd never laid a hand on her, we wouldn't be having this conversation." Bo snapped, "I wish I'd never met you."

Lauren stilled her movements, taking a step back, "Well, that certainly stung… after all we've been through… and all we've come to mean to each other."

"Cute. Throwing my own words back at me. Funny." Bo snarked.

Lauren shook her head, "Bo, you're being ridiculous. You let me perform the biopsy on the tumor – which you decided I was more than qualified to do. Then you had me by your side at the vet to determine next steps. I can't believe you would dismiss my opinion now regardless of whether my patients are human or canine."

"Whatever."

"Oh, that's real mature, Bo." Lauren replied.

Bo stood, throwing down a handful of line, her hands slicing through the air as she exclaimed,

"This conversation is over! No surgery! No treatment! She's fine! We're fine! We're always fine! We're waiting! The decision is made!"

The brunette stormed out of the triage area into the cold room leaving Lauren to stand for a long moment. Finally, she heard the outer door to the clinic slam. She slammed her hands against her hips with a huff, walking towards the door, then turning back and walking towards the dogs who were huddled together near the wood stove, ears perked up towards her as if awaiting her reply to Bo's departure.

The blonde ran her hands through her hair, flipping it over to the other side, her hands trailing down to rub her neck. After a long pause, she finally looked up at the dogs again,

"I guess she's going back outside. Anyone care for… what round is this? I've lost count." The dogs offered a collective groan before dropping their heads to the floor as the blonde plopped onto the easy chair near the cast iron heater. She sighed, smiling as Belle hopped up next to her and lay her head on the blonde's lap.

Lauren smiled, rubbing her head between her ears, "I know. I promise I'll try to just go along with her decision. It's her choice after all. She is Harper's owner, right?" She considered her words, "Owner. That sounds so… inappropriate for her, doesn't it? How about teammate? Better?"

Belle lifted her head, looked up at Lauren and barked once. The blonde laughed, "Well, I guess one blow out argument like this was bound to happen sooner or later, right? What's one little argument? Nadia and I fought all the time. Well… she fought, I just listened and then pretty much ignored her. Wow. I guess I was a bit of an ass, huh?"

Lauren looked up at the window. She could see the top of Bo's head pacing back and forth beneath the window. Should she go out and see her? Patch things up? Really, she'd done nothing wrong, but still…

"You know, I think that's the first time I actually invested the energy to argue back with anyone… ever. This place really does change a person, huh?"

Belle snuggled in, adjusting her position to get more comfortable against Lauren. The blonde laughed, "Okay, so maybe a person can change another person."

That statement earned a soft whine from her furry buddy, "You are wise. And you're such a cuddler… not that I mind. You know, I never considered myself a dog person until I came here. Now, I can't imagine…" she sighed, looking into the warm, puppy dog eyes staring back at her, "…not having you in my life."

Lauren heaved another great big sigh, "She's terrified of losing her, you know. So much so that she's terrified of making a choice… any choice." She looked up at the frosted windows, "I just think… well… I think I'm going to have to go out there. I just can't leave this alone."

She stood, staring out the window, "What the hell is wrong with me? It's her choice, Harper is her dog. Why am I being… well, unprofessional is what I'm being."

 **FLASHBACK END…**

"Lauren!"

The blonde's head snapped up to see Bo standing in front of her. She looked around for a moment, fully expecting to be in the clinic, but suddenly remembering Bo standing by the kennel door while she replayed their last argument over in her head.

"Are you okay?"

"Fine. I just… I guess I sort of dozed off." Lauren replied, thinking of the last thing she'd said before she'd been startled awake… one little argument had become three big ones now. She looked up at Bo standing above her looking very much like the woman she'd met in the general store in Point Siku months ago. Not just her physical appearance, but her demeanor as well. This was not the woman she'd grown to care for over these past months. This woman was in race mode. She may be standing here, but her Bo was already gone.

"You should head inside. I finished putting the rest of my gear on the sled and am ready to head out as soon as Mark and Little Jon get here with my hot pack."

"Hot pack?" Lauren asked.

Bo nodded, "Warm liquids. Mark has these new Yeti brand insulated packs that can supposedly keep soups and stews warm for up to twenty-four hours, even in these temperatures, supposedly. We thought it would be fun to test another product in the good old state of Alaska just to prove their claims wrong. Anyway, he wants me to try them on this run… see if they work. If they do, he'll probably sell a ton of them."

Before she'd had a chance to reply, Lauren's head snapped up at the sound of voices in the doorway. In walked Mark and Little Jon, the dogs responding with wagging tails and barks of approval. Mark pulled off his mask and said hello to a few of the dogs before he asked,

"So, who are the lucky fourteen?"

Bo didn't give Lauren another look, still upset about their argument. Instead, she simply stood up and walked to Mark and Little Jon,

"I'm sticking with Gaea and Athena as the wheels, Hera, Demeter, Nemesis, Artemis, Hestia and Iris as the middle team, Harper and Aphrodite as the swing dogs and Nike and Diana at the lead. I'm carrying Dorothy and Toto in the basket for this trip just to give the champs something a little heavier to pull since I'm not carrying the full trip load."

Little Jon nodded, "Good choices."

Bo shrugged, "The only choices."

"Are these the sleds we're taking down?" Jon asked.

Nodding, the musher walked to the front of the kennel, "Yea. Hopefully I don't have to use that new one. I don't really like it."

"You could take old faithful." Little Jon smiled, nodding towards Lauren, "I'm sure Doc wouldn't mind if you borrowed it back."

Lauren stood, "Of course."

Bo didn't look up, just shook her head, "I gave that sled to her. It's hers."

"And I can't loan it to you?" Lauren asked.

Bo shook her head, "No."

She looked up at Jon, "We take these two and the one I'm using out there for my run tonight. Anything happens to the one out there, I'll go for one of the four sleds on the back wall."

Mark ran his hand over his head, "Those all need a tune up, Bo."

"I'll be back tomorrow. If I come back with a busted sled, you'll have time to tune one or I'll do it myself."

Mark nodded, "Okay then. We'll load these two in the shed now. After dark, we'll come back for the other four and the rest of the supplies. Shamus is going to shelter the rest of your dogs with his. They'll blend in nice since he has almost three hundred dogs. No one will know they're yours unless they get close enough to see the collars. I want every dog and all of the supplies that we're using for the race out of here tonight. Too easy to set this place to flames."

Bo looked up, staring into Mark's worried eyes, "You know something."

He nodded, "Yea, I know a thing or two. I know my brother has something to say over the phone that he can't say because our gramps is camped out at his usual table where he can hear everything. Fortunately, my brother can hear everything gramps says just as well. Difference is, Big Jim's grandsons have learned how to speak to each other when he's around."

"And?"

"He's got a team of ten men, Bo. Maybe more. They've got some sort of hybrid wolves mixed with Alaskan sled dog that they plan to get past the veterinary inspection."

"How? The vets aren't idiots." Bo replied, her face now covered in worry as well. Hybrids were unpredictable and that made them dangerous in the wild.

"No worries. We're on it. I've already got a guy on his way to Seline to get the word out to look for these mutts. They'll be a danger to any dog on the course."

Little Jon shook his head, "OF course, that will work as long as Big Jim doesn't have the vet team in his pocket."

Bo's eyes went wide, "That's possible?"

The two men looked at each other, than back to Bo, only nodding.

Bo shook her head, "Geezus. Those dogs won't be a danger just to the dogs. They'll be a danger to humans as well. What the hell, Mark. He's really lost his mind."

He shrugged, "He won't rest until you pay, Bo. I don't know why he can't let it go, but he can't."

"I'm the one that went into the water that day and even I don't understand what she has to pay for. I mean, I'm standing right here. Alive and well."

Bo shook her head, "I have to pay for being me, Jon… for being a filthy half-breed."

"Bo…"

"No, it's true. No one wants to say it, but everyone knows it's true. My blood isn't pure and he can't stand that. He can't stand that anyone in this state would give me the time of day knowing I'm not one of you."

"You are as far as we're concerned." Little Jon replied.

Bo laughed, "Case in point."

She turned to Mark, "And the Elders?"

Mark shrugged, "They don't believe he's doing any of it. But mind you, anything happens, Seline intends to see them to the truth or have them removed from their positions of leadership."

Bo chuckled, "Nice of her to do something after I'm already dead."

Mark shrugged, "That's not all. You should know that some of the younger villagers that you've helped over the years are none too happy to hear the rumors that are circulating. They're planning something, Bo… a counter measure of their own against Jim's plan."

She shook her head furiously, "No one dies for me. They can't. Jim will have told the men he hired that anyone else is some sort of acceptable loss. He won't hold back this time. He knows this may be his last chance to get me alone without anyone around to stop him… no witnesses."

Little Jon cleared his throat, "Oh, there will be witnesses."

Bo turned on the young boy, "You stay out of this, Little Jon or I swear to you…"

"You swear what, Bo? I'm not the little boy you pulled from that water anymore! I've got a mind of my own and I'm going to make sure that my great grandfather is kept in line. He's my blood and that makes this my fight. I won't stand for him harming you or anyone else. Don't try and stop me. I have to do this or I'm no better than him. I have to do what's right because he never has…" He lowered his head, "Honestly, my Dad and my Grandfather never had the guts to stand up to him to do what's right either, so I'm going to be the one. I have to step up and do what's right. This has gone on for too long. It's wrong and it has to stop. I'll be damned if my kids are going to live this way."

Bo looked to Mark, "Surely you're not going to let your son and nephew…"

"This is Alaska, Bo. You and I both know that in the eyes of the village, they are old enough to make decisions for themselves. Besides, Big Jon had lunch with Dyson, Hale and your buddy Kenzi two days ago. They have Tamsin coming to town tomorrow."

Bo slammed her gloves to the ground, "Fuck! That's all I need right now."

Mark shrugged, "You'd best get on your way if you want to be at the checkpoint on time."

Bo shrugged, "Dark and cold is dark and cold no matter what time it is."

Little Jon laughed, "Forecast doesn't look good west of here. I'd say time matters."

Bo nodded, picking up her gloves and walking to a bin along the wall. Lauren watched as she counted out six plastic bags,

"Another twelve pairs of booties, just in case. Tomorrow morning, can you make sure you…"

"Already talked to her, Bo. We're backing our trucks up to each other. The boxes will go directly from her truck to mine. They won't be touched by anyone else. You're sure the order is complete?"

Bo nodded, pulling on her gear, "She said it was. You think she switched teams?"

"Nah. Just heard that she shorted Tommy's order." Mark laughed and Jon joined in.

A grin slowly spread across Bo's face, "She didn't."

Mark laughed harder, "Can't say for sure, but if his order is short and yours isn't… well, I guess it pays to have friends with benefits…"

Bo cut Mark off before he could say more, "Ready to go."

She slapped her hands together before rubbing her neck and giving Mark a shake of her head, throwing it towards the doctor. It took Mark a moment to get what Bo was saying, but after an elbow from Jon, he finally caught on,

"Shit. I had no idea."

Bo shook her head, as she walked closer to Mark and Jon, she whispered, "And that's how I wanted it. You know people around here aren't too friendly about… my kind."

Little Jon shook his head, "Damn conservatives. People need to leave their personal beliefs out of other people's personal beliefs."

Mark rubbed his neck, "So much drama. I miss the old days before all the drama."

Bo sighed, "I miss being alone in the open tundra."

Lauren's eyes filled with tears at the brunette's remark, catching her by surprise. She stood, turned away and shoved her hands into her pockets to compose herself. When she turned back to the group, she found herself left to watch as the other three handled the two sleds and a few boxes. No one looked her way. No one asked for her help. About twenty minutes later, the kennel was quiet and only Lauren and the dogs remained.

She sighed, walking over to where Elsa, Anna and Belle had made themselves comfortable against the tall stacks of hay bales. Her girls had followed her outside when she'd come to find Bo and had been laying wrapped around each other ever since. As she walked towards them, they grew excited. Tails wagged in anticipation of a sled run, making Lauren feel guilty that it was now too late for that since she had some clinic hours to do soon. One thing was true, they loved to run, that was certain. She supposed that Harper felt that way too. Maybe she was wrong to criticize Bo's choice.

The dogs came to lay beside her on the adjacent hay bales, Belle draping her head across Lauren's leg as usual. The doctor rubbed their soft, thick fur, leaning back against the bales stacked behind them before closing her tired eyes.

"I guess it's just us now, girls. Apparently, we're more of a distraction than I'd thought. She's heading out to her quiet, open tundra… happy to be alone. I guess she's had enough of humanity for a while." Lauren looked down at the girls, "I guess I have too. I need to focus on my science. Yes, that's it. I need to focus on my girls and my science. Perfect."

Lauren sat still, her hands running over and through the thick coats of her sled team. Her eyes, however, betrayed her. They lifted and found themselves watching the methodic checks and balance of the musher as she prepared for her one-hundred-mile run. Earlier, she'd come out here to make sure they didn't part ways mad. Apparently, she'd failed. For out there, was a woman determined to find her comfort zone – alone with her dogs and the vast, white empty tundra. In here was a woman who sat huddled together with her dogs, already feeling the distance growing between her and the mysterious Bo Dennis. Of course, the woman had warned her that she needed to get focused on her race.

Lauren sighed. She had work to do in the clinic and in the morning, Kyle would be here for her first real sled dog lesson. She supposed she should end the pity party and get up to go be the brilliant scientist she'd always been, but somehow as she watched Bo prepare, she wished she was going out there with her. Was it that she wanted to be with Bo or was it her growing desire to be a part of this land… to live as a part of this land.

"Rome wasn't built in a day and you won't find the answers to the many wonders of your complicated life in a day. Get up and go do what you do best. Find a cure or treatment for this sickness. Answers will come to all of the other stuff in due time."

She stood and turned to tie her dogs back to their kennels before pulling on her gloves and hood. As she walked to the entrance, she found Bo standing in the doorway. The brunette lifted her goggles and pulled down her mask,

"You didn't want us to part ways mad."

"So you came back?" Lauren asked.

Bo shook her head, "I'm sorry for being such a bitch. This thing with Harper, Big Jim, the race…"

"You've got a lot going on, Bo."

"And none of it is easy."

Lauren took a step closer, "Anything I can do?"

"Here my confession?"

Lauren looked confused, but responded, "Okay. I'm listening."

She watched as Bo looked out the window, then down at the dogs, "I am afraid. For the first time in my life, I'm truly afraid. I've never feared dying before. I'd never had anything I felt particularly intent on living for other than Harper… no offense to my other dogs, but she's all I have left of my Mom. My other dogs, well, they're champions so someone would want them and care for them. Actually, I know Little Jon would take good care of them. But still… I'm afraid."

She looked up at Lauren, her eyes holding a swirl of emotions the blonde had not yet seen in their time together. She offered the brunette a soft smile,

"Bo, you have every right to be afraid."

Bo laughed, "Wow. You do know you're supposed to say something that reassures me not to be afraid, right?"

Lauren shrugged, "I only know how to be me. I'm not going to tell you not to be afraid. Your best friend has cancer, your arch enemy is sending people to kill you and you're feeling something for another human for the first time in – well, at least a very long time. Fear is an appropriate emotion, but you can't let fear use you, Bo. You can't let fear control you. You have to let that fear fuel you just like you have allowed anger and love to fuel you in the past."

"Love?" Bo asked.

Lauren smiled, "Why do you think you didn't think twice about jumping into a frozen lake to save Little Jon and the dogs? You knew the chances of coming out of that water alive were slim to none, but you went in anyway."

"Out of guilt."

Lauren shrugged, "I don't think so. You said it yourself – he was the closest thing you've ever had to a little brother. I think you love that boy just like I love my little brother, and you did what any big sister who loves her little brother would do. You dove in to save him. You didn't think about it. You just reacted. That's love, Bo. The purest, most selfless form of love there is."

Lauren watched as Bo turned to look out the windows, pulling on her gloves. The brunette turned back towards her,

"I've got to get going or I'll miss my window to avoid the worst of the storm. I just… I just wanted to come back in and say thank you for everything you said. I know it didn't seem like I was listening, but I was and… well, I needed to hear a lot of what you said. I just had to take the time to think it all through."

Lauren nodded, taking a few steps towards Bo who held up a hand, "No long goodbyes, okay? It's already hard enough…"

"Bo, you don't have to say anymore. Get back to your training routine. I understand. Besides, I have a clinic to open and I've been neglecting my work too."

"Thanks for being so understanding." Bo replied.

"Of course. You just be safe out there. Take care of yourself and let the dogs take care of you. Don't let the fear consume you, Bo. Use it to keep yourself aware, sharp and ready for anything."

Bo smiled, "Will do."

They stood, looking at each other for a long moment before Bo walked quickly to the blonde and wrapped her arms tightly around her. When she pulled away, she handed Lauren an envelope,

"Take care of this while I'm gone, please. I trust you. Thanks."

Lauren stared down at the envelope in her hand, trying to understand what was being asked of her. When she looked up to ask Bo what she was talking about, she was alone once again.

She quickly pulled on her gear and ran outside, only to see Bo and her team pulling out. She ran back into the barn and opened the envelope,

 _Talkeetna Veterinary Hospital – Surgical Consent Form…_

"Shit." Lauren said, reading quickly through the medical legal jargon until she saw Bo's signature giving permission for surgery and granting Dr. Lauren Lewis medical power of attorney.

Lauren put the forms up on a hay bale and once again covered her face and head before running out into the kennel. She quickly moved through the sea of barking canines until she came to the largest house,

"Harper?"

The dog stood, wagging her tail at Lauren, "Oh, God. Harper."

In that moment, Lauren understood why Bo had been dead set against the surgery. The older dog looked no more than a year old with her wagging tail as she stared up expectantly at the blonde. Little did she know that for the next several days, she was not only staying home from a training run, but was going to feel like she was knocking on death's door.

"I'm so sorry." She said, her eyes brimming with tears.

Harper's head cocked to one side as she gave a soft whine. She sat, staring at Lauren as if asking her if she was okay. All the blonde knew in that moment is that she was anything but okay. She would do this so that Bo didn't have to, but it was going to be hell.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **Two Weeks Later…**_

"Rearranging the furniture, Doc?" Little Jon asked, entering the clinic through the cold room entrance, "Whoa. You really did do… everything. But if you don't mind my sayin', it looks like you're moving that bed out of place rather than into its place."

Lauren said nothing, but instead continued to push the bed across the clinic floor. Little Jon pulled off his hat and scratched his head, rubbing his hand over his smashed down hair. Just before they'd parted ways, Bo had given him strict instructions to help Lauren while she was away – some big surgical thing that she'd have no nurses for while she was gone.

"It's good that Bo got all of the walls hung this week, eh?"

Lauren gave a nod as she pulled back the curtain to the room closest to her office, then pushed the bed inside next to the other one,

"Yea, well it helped that she had you and Mark helping her out. She told me you guys did most of the work."

Little Jon nodded, stepping further inside to see what the doctor was doing in the room. His feet stopped suddenly, followed by a sinking feeling in his chest,

"Harper. What the…"

Lauren walked around the bed where Harper lay on her side, two I.V.'s leading from two bags, one clear and one sort of yellow into her front leg and her neck,

"Bo didn't want anyone to know just yet. She wanted everyone on her team focused on the race prep." Lauren chuckled, "She said that I was Team Harper… that she was all I needed."

Little Jon moved quickly to the blonde's side as he watched her fall apart. He draped an arm over her shoulder, squeezing her hand when she gripped his,

"Doc, I know I'm playing catch up here, but I've been watching you in action around here these last few weeks and… well, I agree with Bo. You're the best there is when it comes to your patients and I'm pretty sure that will apply to the canine variety as well."

"Thanks. Sorry about that." Lauren said, standing upright and wiping her cheeks, "I just hate seeing her like this… knowing it's my fault she's in this situation."

"Your fault? What happened?"

Lauren chuckled, shaking her head, "Bo really didn't tell you anything?"

He shook his head, "Nope. I'm completely in the dark on this one."

"The first time I met Harper… well, touched her… I was rubbing her coat and ventured along her neck. I felt an abnormality, but didn't say anything at first. At some point – I don't really remember when right now – I brought it to Bo's attention. She was in denial at first, but I convinced her to have a biopsy of the mass done a few weeks ago. She insisted Harper was going to remain on her training schedule to do the Iditarod. We argued… boy did we argue… but when she went on the overnight trip two weeks ago and left Harper behind, she also left me signed surgical consent forms."

"So that's why she replaced Harper. She told us there was something wrong with her foot, but I noticed the small spot that was shaved under her chin. I figured she would tell me if it was important."

Lauren nodded, "I doubt she'll talk to anyone about it. She hasn't said a word to me."

Little Jon shrugged, "How could she? It's like she's a woman possessed. She hasn't stuck around more than eight hours since she started training. I told her today she needed to take some down time before the race next week."

"What did she say?"

"She said she wants to run all of the dogs on a rotating schedule." Little Jon sighed.

"That's what she told me. Unfortunately, she's got twenty-nine dogs and only one Bo. I'm worried about her, Little Jon. She's got to rest. She can't keep going like this and then do a thousand-mile race."

"I was out at the kennels with Kyle. She gave all the dogs a clean bill of health… except Harper, of course." Little Jon said, his face clearly holding a sense of betrayal that he was left out of the loop on this one.

"Kyle was sworn to secrecy, Jon. Don't be mad at her." Lauren replied.

He nodded, "I know. Doctor-patient privilege and all."

"Well, she's a vet tech, not the doctor but she does have to keep patient confidentiality." Lauren informed.

He watched as Lauren leaned down and stroked Harper's head between her ears. The champion dog replied by closing her eyes and heaving a sigh,

"So you and Kyle are getting close."

Lauren smiled, "We've bonded over my mushing success." Lauren looked up at Little Jon, "I made it two miles last night and didn't hit any trees!"

Little Jon laughed, "Wow. That's some accomplishment considering the super thin tree you hit about five-hundred feet from the kennels two nights ago."

"I'll never live that down. Your Uncle Mark called it the crash heard round the world."

"You did sort of destroy the sled."

"Kyle fixed it." Lauren argued.

"She wouldn't have had to if you hadn't hit the only tree around for a mile."

"I didn't see it."

"Gotta know your trails."

"It's in the middle of the road!" Lauren argued.

"Still gotta know your trails."

"Whatever." Lauren replied.

Little Jon waited for a long moment, standing silently by the doctor as she consoled Harper. Finally, Lauren stood up,

"What, Little Jon? Just ask already."

"What?"

"Exactly. What? What do you want to know about me and Kyle."

Little Jon shrugged, "Bo thinks you're sleeping with her."

"Bo doesn't want a commitment, so what's it to her?"

Shrugging again, Little Jon replied, "It hurts her."

It was Lauren's turn to shrug, "Well, if she wants to know what's going on with me and Kyle, she should ask me or Kyle. If she is hurt by me sleeping with someone else – and I'm not saying I am – she should talk to me about that – not you and not anyone else. My personal life – particularly my level of intimacy with another human being – is not up for discussion by anyone except those involved in said intimacy."

Little Jon took a step back as Lauren's voice rose, "Right. Got it. Sorry. Didn't mean to overstep."

"Look, Jon. I know you love Bo and have a very special relationship with her, but her experience in relationships is about as extensive as yours. Both of you need to learn that gossiping about someone else's personal life is not cool. If you have to report back to her, let her know that if she's up for an adult conversation about our relationship – not mine and Kyle's – she should make some time to spend some time with me. Otherwise, she should keep focusing on her race prep."

Lauren stormed past Little Jon and into her office, leaving the young man standing there, startled by the altercation. He'd never argued with Lauren… not ever. The question was very innocent. He hadn't actually talked to Bo about it. He had drawn conclusions from his own observations and from Bo's comment about Lauren being too busy with Kyle to spend any time with her between runs.

Lauren walked back into the room carrying a stethoscope. She inserted the tips into her ears and placed the diaphragm against Harper's chest. Little Jon remained silent, knowing that the doctor was probably listening to the dog's heart. She stood,

"I need you to get Kyle for me, Jon."

He hesitated, leading Lauren to shake her head, "Geezus, I am not sleeping with her, Jon! I won't deny we're getting closer, but I don't sleep around and I resent either you or Bo thinking I do. The bottom line is that I'm alone here other than my friendship with you. When someone offers me conversation, meals or access to things that interest me, I'm going to accept the invitation. I'm not one to sit around on my ass by myself. If she wasn't here, I'd be seeking out people who were willing to do for me what she's doing for me. I'm not going to spend a year in Alaska and not have any fun or make any friends."

"Doc, please believe me when I say that Bo and I didn't have an actual discussion about you and Kyle, so please don't be mad at her. We were talking about plans for the evening when she was last home and she just mentioned she had hoped to spend a night with you but didn't know if you were already had plans with Kyle. She didn't actually say anything – I was just putting all of the pieces together and assumed she was hurt… I mean…she looks hurt… she looks lost."

Lauren sighed. She wasn't trying to avoid Bo and she definitely didn't want to hurt her. She had been very focused on the fun she was having with Kyle. It was a stark contrast to the time she'd been spending caring for Harper – it was actually a very good form of stress management. The truth was, she felt guilty about the state that Harper was in and Kyle had been very good at reminding Lauren that cancer wasn't anyone's fault. That if anything was true about Lauren's role in this, it was that Harpers' cancer was caught early enough that she would likely make a full recovery if the chemo didn't kill her first.

"I'm sorry, Jon. I guess I've been a little caught up in my own world. I'll try to talk to her the next time she's home. For now, I really need you to get Kyle. I'm not liking what I'm hearing."

"How can her heart be affected by a tumor in her neck?" Jon asked.

Lauren shook her head, pointing at the bags hanging on the I.V. stand, "One of those bags is nutrients, the other is chemotherapy. Right now, we're essentially wiping out all of the cells in Harper's body – good and bad cells alike. Unfortunately, I'm concerned that she has a bacterial infection that is causing pneumonia and she doesn't have the immunities to fight it off. I know how we would treat it in a human but have to be sure the same protocol is used for canines. Kyle will know and if she doesn't, she'll call her boss to find out."

"So, you listened to her lungs?"

Lauren nodded, "Yes and I'm hearing fluid when she breathes. Please, Jon. Go get Kyle at the hotel."

Little Jon replied, "Will do, Doc. Be back in a flash."

Lauren returned to Harper's side and leaned down over her ear, "It's okay, girl. You're going to be fine. We're going to help you breathe, give you something to help you fight off whatever this is and get you better. You just relax and let me take the lead. You've done enough running for now."

Laying her head on the soft fur of her canine friend, Lauren once again allowed the tears to fall, "Dammit, Bo. Where are you? She needs you."

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **Two Days Later, The Kennels**_

"Well, look who's home!" Mark shouted to Bo over the barking of the dogs.

The brunette didn't respond, but instead continued to wipe down each of the dogs on the team she had just brought back.

"They still on your trail?" He asked.

Bo gave a nod, "One less. They made a bad decision to follow me across the ice."

"What did you do, Bo?"

"I went across the ice. They followed. Nothing more to say."

Mark rubbed the back of his neck as he approached the brunette, "Bo?"

She turned quickly, he eyes filled with rage, "They got to Hercules."

She waved him off before he could say another word, "He's alive and with Seline. I was afraid to bring him back here. He was losing too much blood. I didn't think he would make it on the patch job I did to the wound. They're from the same litter, so he looks just like Harper... just a little bigger. I'm hoping they'll report back to Big Jim that they took her out. Maybe they'll ease up for now thinking I might drop out if I don't have her."

Mark's eyes ran up and down over the blood-soiled fur of her parka, "Bo, you've got to report this…"

"Don't say it, Mark. You know there's no evidence yet. I have to stay on the move. As long as they think my dogs are out and running, they're all safe. I'll just keep going until after the race. I never take the other dogs. Everyone knows it. As long as no one lets slip that I'm rotating my teams, they'll just think I'm being my typical crazy Bo Dennis self."

"Won't say people aren't thinking that already. Truth is, I agree with them, Bo. You're running yourself into the ground. You'll never win the big one if you don't get some rest, much less be strong enough to protect yourself if they come after you."

"I can recover in a few days' time, but I'll be doing that with my best team in an undisclosed location in a few days. Nine days, Mark. I just need to make it nine more days. I'll run three and rest three with the team I'm using. You just make sure you and the rest of the guys are ready to bring my kits and sleds to the start. I'll meet you there."

Mark looked out the window towards the clinic to where Lauren was peering out the window. She held up a piece of paper with one word written in black bold marker… HARPER. He rubbed his neck again as he slowly approached Bo,

"Bo, you gonna stop in and see Harper?"

Bo was silent for a long moment as she busied herself with the task of switching lines and harnesses among the dogs who she'd brought back and the ones she was about to take out after a quick nap and kit replenishing. Once all of the dogs were secured and the new team had harnesses in place, she turned to Mark,

"She's safe as long as no one sees me go into that clinic. They'll assume she's with the dogs out here unless I make a point of going in there."

Mark shook his head, "What about the Doc? You just gonna leave her to deal with all of that on her own? There are things she wants to talk about, Bo. Things you should know."

Bo shuddered, "Harper's alive, right?"

"Yes, but…"

"Lauren's still overseeing her care with the vet and… Kyle?" She gritted her teeth.

"Bo, you gotta let that go…"

"Consider it gone. Lauren's life is her business. She wants to bed Kyle, that's on her. I sure don't need it rubbed in my face."

"Geezus, Bo. She's not bedding Kyle."

Bo paused for a moment, her heart fluttering in her chest at the news, but still she remained stoic, "I stay away from the clinic, everyone inside is safe. I go in there, I put a target on their backs. It's already unusual that Kyle is here for almost a month. Jim and his boys will be getting suspicious."

Mark shook his head, "Kyle's a member of your team. She's always been here pre-race."

"Not for this long she hasn't."

Mark smiled, "Sure she has. Besides, this year she's also doing checkups on Brad's dogs and old man Crenshaw's dogs."

"Good thinking, picking up those jobs." Bo nodded.

Mark grinned, "Kyle's a smart one. You know that. Oh, and Tamsin's back so naturally she's spending a little time hanging with her too."

Bo mumbled, "Of course. Kyle never could keep her legs together. Lauren, Tamsin… I'm sure the list goes on."

Mark laughed, "Damn, woman. You sure do have a yellow streak running down your back for just about every woman in the state."

Bo looked up at the man, "No, I have a red streak running down my front from the bastard who stabbed my dog and the longer I stand here talking to you, the better chance those idiots have of finding me."

"Where'd you lose them?"

"Somewhere between Nikolai and McGrath. I took the long way back."

Mark looked confused, "The long way?"

"I left the groomed trail and headed into one of my old haunts."

"Your old haunts?" Mark asked.

Bo laughed, "Now Mark, you do know which rumors about me are true and which ones are false, don't you?"

He shrugged, "I'm not sure what to believe when it comes to the stories about you, Bo. If I did, I would swear your eyes were blue and you came across that frozen lake as a White Walker out of Game of Thrones."

"Well, I do have a somewhat symbiotic relationship with the land I grew up on."

Mark chuckled, "And that's why you just took out a team of dogs named after the characters in the movie Balto."

Bo smiled, "Are you going to sit there and criticize me or are you going to help me rub their tired legs down?"

Mark took a seat on a nearby hay bale and grabbed a dog's leg, "Hi Jenna. Do you know that you star in an animated feature film? Yes you do. One of Bo's favorites, matter of fact."

The two laughed when Jenna let out an excited bark.

"Okay, so let's play a game of true or false. You don't have to give me any details, so you're not giving up any of your privacy." Mark proposed.

Bo shrugged, "I reserve the right to say no to any question."

"Okay then. Question number one, if the Iditarod was run from start to finish on an ungroomed, unmapped course, you would win every year, hands down."

"Seriously? That's your first question?"

"What? It's not a good one? You do know people have placed bets on that very question every year since you came onto the race scene, don't you?"

Bo shook her head, "I didn't. How exactly to people bet on a race that never has and never will happen?"

Mark smiled, moving on to a red Siberian named Muk, "Well, apparently it just did. Well, half of it, anyway."

"What do you mean?"

"You just ran from somewhere near McGrath off trail to here. I'd say that qualifies as an off-trail race considering you were running from a pack of Jim's men sent to do who-knows-what to you and your team."

Bo shrugged, "Off-trail is how I lived for years when I came here and before that I lived fully exposed in the tundra out west and up north. Nothing special about it in my book."

"Yea and that what makes you so unique. We may get tons of snow around here, but we're nowhere near as exposed to the elements. Landscape and mountains make for great protection."

Bo laughed, "Yea and it also traps freezing temperatures and blizzards close to the ground."

The musher stood, "Okay. That takes care of the legs. I'm gonna catch a nap and then head back out."

Mark nodded, "I'll drop the water and food for the dogs. What time are you thinking of pulling out?"

"Eight hours. Can I get a wake up call?"

"You sure you want to run at night? It's getting mighty cold out there."

Bo shrugged, "We've all run in colder than this and there's enough stars out this time of year to use them as my map."

"Running at night, using the stars as a map. Who the hell are you?"

"I'm a half-breed whose parents taught her how to do things without fancy GPS and paper. I've lived off the land all my life and I have no intention of changing that any time soon."

"Okay. I'll pass that message on to Lauren as well."

"What?" Bo asked, spinning to face Mark.

"She was staring out the clinic window at us for the better part of this conversation. She knows you're here and she knows you're not coming in. I'll explain to her that you don't want her and Harper to be targets. I'll also explain to her that you have no intention of changing your lifestyle, so she might as well have at it with Kyle if she's offering."

"I didn't mean… I mean… I don't…"

Mark laughed, tears coming to his eyes, "Geezus, Bo. That woman has you twisted into knots. It's not like she's asking you to marry her. She's just asking for a little conversation about the situation with your dog. You've been avoiding her since you dumped the full burden of Harper's cancer on her."

"She told you?" Bo asked.

"Little Jon walked into the clinic while she was giving Harper a treatment. He told me. Not cool to leave us out of the loop, you ask me."

"I didn't ask you."

"I know and you didn't ask Little Jon either. Gotta tell you we both feel a little bit bad about that. We've known Harper a lot longer than the Doc. We're not saying she doesn't know better than us about how to care for her in this situation, but we are saying we had a right to know. Harper's family just like you. Family sticks together in tough times."

Bo was silent, as she stood to the side of the window and snuck a peek out to see if Lauren was still standing by the window. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't disappointed that the blonde wasn't visible, but she really was trying to avoid her in order to protect her from getting pulled into the violence that had befallen her world.

"It's too much. It's all too much. Running is just easier than talking."

Mark nodded, "Running is what you know. A life of solitude is what you were given by your parents. We all get that, Bo. But you're here now. You've got friends and friends who consider you family now. Those relationships come with responsibilities that you've never had to live up to before."

"I'm trying." Bo replied.

"No, you're not. You're avoiding."

The two turned towards the entrance to see a Lauren standing in the doorway.

Mark cleared his throat, "I'm gonna… you know… go get the stuff to feed the dogs."

He looked at Lauren as he spoke, "Get some sleep, Bo. I'll have Little Jon wake you in ten hours."

"Mark, I said…"

"Don't argue, Bo. I'll get your gear together so you can get the extra two hours. Fire up the heater back there so you're body has a chance to get back to a normal temperature while you sleep. No sense getting hypothermia sleeping out here."

He placed a hand on Lauren's forearm, giving her a nod before he stepped out into the cold Alaskan air. Lauren crossed her arms over her chest, waiting for Bo to speak. Instead, the brunette got to work raking hay. Too exhausted from the all-nighter she did with Harper, Lauren took a seat on a nearby haybale and watched Bo work.

"I thought you were supposed to sleep." Lauren remarked.

"Well, since the dogs can't rake their own poop and I don't want to sleep in it, I'm going to do this first."

Lauren shook her head knowing there wasn't much poop around if any, "Little Jon raked about three hours ago. I can't imagine there's much excrement to worry about. But if you'd like to appear busy to avoid talking to me, that's fine."

Bo tossed the rake into the corner, planting her hands on her hips, "You don't understand."

"Then explain it to me, Bo. We haven't spoken since you left me here with Harper and you haven't seen her since her surgery. She needs you, Bo."

"This wasn't my idea."

"Oh really? That wasn't your signature on the consent forms?" Lauren shot back.

"I would not have chosen to do this right now while I'm on the run from… I mean, while I'm on my training runs."

"These aren't training runs, Bo. I may be a rookie, but even I know that you don't train this much without more than 8-12 hours rest between runs… very, very long runs." She crossed her arms over her chest again, the cold getting to her, "Are you going to tell me what's going on so I can understand why I was left as the sole care-giver and decision-maker for your most prized dog?"

Bo sighed, taking a seat on a hay bale across the room from Lauren, "Well, I guess Mark will tell you anyway."

"Tell me what?" Lauren's tone softened, but Bo could hear the shiver in her voice.

The brunette walked over to the corner of the room where the heater was mounted overhead. Firing up the pilot, she turned up the heat and turned back to the blonde,

"Sorry. I didn't think to turn it on earlier."

"You're stalling."

Bo smiled, "No, you had it right the first time. I'm avoiding."

Lauren only nodded, returning Bo's smile.

"I'm a little overwhelmed. Actually, I'm more than a little overwhelmed." She walked over to the empty dog house, "Big Jim's guys came after me and my team a few days ago. I'd managed to stay ahead of them since we last talked and… well, I guess I relaxed a bit. No, truth is, I let my guard down. I got sloppy and it cost me."

Lauren watched as Bo's hand came to rest atop the dog house, "Hercules?"

Bo nodded, "He's alive. I was able to staunch the bleeding until I could get him to Seline. I left him there."

She turned to Lauren, "He's from the same litter as Harper… Ares, too. I bought Hercules and Ares a few years ago from a woman I tracked down while trying to learn more about my Mother. Thing is that Hercules and Harper are identical except for the obvious gender differences. It was dark, so I don't think they were looking between the dogs' legs. They stabbed him in the side – got his lung good. I fired off three shots and they took off running long enough for me to get the sled moving."

Bo walked to the window, her back to Lauren as she looked up at the sky, "I took off into the woods, deciding I had a better chance of losing them there than if I stuck to the groomed trails. They made the mistake of trying to follow me when I circled around back across the lake."

"Mistake?"

Bo nodded as the volume of her voice drifted off, "Too many of them on too many sleds too close together. They're clearly inexperienced mushers or they would have known."

"What happened?" Lauren asked.

"Ice is funny. It's solid as can be if you maintain speed and a consistent weight. Fluctuate either and it does starts to crack. The problem is, if you keep moving, the crack just gets longer and longer until it hits a weak spot. Then it just swallows up anything above it."

"Oh God."

Bo lowered her head, "I only saw one sled go in before they all stopped. I… I didn't stay… I didn't help. Hercules was bleeding so much… I needed to get away so I could get enough space between us to stop and treat his wound."

She looked up at Lauren,

"Gods forgive me, I didn't help. I don't know if the man lived or not."

Lauren stood and marched across the room, gripping Bo by the shoulders, "Bo Dennis, you listen to me. This is not your fault. Those men were pursuing you. They're grown adults who made a choice to follow you on to that ice. That man lives if his friends saved him. If he dies, it was because of a choice he and his friends made… and a choice that Big Jim made. This is not your fault, Bo."

The brunette slid down to sit on the hay bale below the window, "I can't make it right in my head. It feels like it's my fault."

"Oh, so you should have let them catch you so that they could kill all of your dogs and maybe even you?"

Bo shook her head, "Why is he doing this, Lauren?"

The blonde shook her head, "I don't know, but we've come up with an idea."

"We?"

"Well, actually Dyson, Hale, Kenzi and Tamsin came up with the idea and passed it on to Kyle who brought it to me."

"Wow. All of my favorite people coming up with an idea to save me? You'll forgive me if I have a hard time believing that."

"Kyle is a member of your team and Kenzi is your best friend. Why would you say that?"

"Let's just say when Tamsin and Kyle are involved, there's history. So what's this brilliant idea?"

Lauren went back to her jacket and pulled a small device out of the pocket, "Have you heard of GoPro cameras?"

Bo shook her head, "I'm not much into technology. I spent most of my adult life living off the grid."

The blonde nodded, "We all figured that, but this is very easy to use. While you nap, we'll attach this to your coat. If anything happens, all you have to do is remember to turn it on."

"Okay, so if I'm attacked again, rather than think survive, I should think turn on a frickin' camera?"

Lauren twisted her mouth into a disappointed frown at Bo's remark, "This will gather the evidence they need if you remember to turn it on, Bo. Of course we want your safety to be the first priority, but let's hope your second thought is to turn this on so that we can put these men away. Tamsin and Dyson seem pretty certain that this particular group will turn on Big Jim if they're threatened with any significant jail time."

"They know who these men are?"

Lauren nodded, "They've been missing from work for weeks without warning. I'd say they have the group nailed down."

"So why can't they just have their bosses threaten their jobs to get them home?"

Lauren shook her head, "They work at Big Jim's mill… well, his former mill."

Bo sighed, "Of course they do and it doesn't matter who owns the deed to the business. Big Jim will always have his grubby paws in everything around here. Bastard."

"So you'll wear the camera?" Lauren asked.

Bo nodded, "If you think it will help, yea, I'll wear it."

"Great. Little Jon will show you how to work it in the morning before you leave."

"I'm leaving tonight."

"Bo, you can't keep…"

"I have to, Lauren. Right now, they just might think Harper is dead because Hercules looks so much like her. I don't want them to know anymore than the town may have already given them about your connection to me."

"The town? What?" Lauren asked, confused.

"I'm sure there's gossip out there about the two of us. People around here don't like our kind, Lauren. Well… they'd never say it to our faces, but it's pretty conservative here."

"You mean Mark and Little Jon…"

"No, no. Of course not. Everyone you've met who is a friend of mine is very accepting of two-spirit people and members of the LGBTQ community. Of course, Big Jim is another story as are his people. It's why I go out armed and ready to fight. They wouldn't just kill me and get it over with. They'd want to make a point first. I need to keep you away from this, Lauren. I didn't expect it to start so soon. It's why I've been avoiding you… and Harper. They don't have a reason to go into the clinic, they don't see you or Harper."

Lauren nodded, "Okay. So you're just going to stay out here and sleep?"

Bo nodded, "It's just the way it has to be right now, Lauren. I'm sorry. I want to keep my distance to keep you and Harper safe. Besides, it will give you time to figure out what's going on with Kyle."

Lauren grew angry at the remark, "Was there a question there or are you just making assumptions?"

Bo shrugged, "Kyle is attractive, fun, caring and unburdened by a lack of social skills from living on her own most of her life. I'm just saying I could understand if you were interested in her. I'm pretty high-maintenance by comparison. It would be much easier to do an uncomplicated relationship with her."

"Maybe I'm interested in high-maintenance complications. It's not your decision to make, is it?" Lauren snapped.

"Lauren, I'm not trying to offend you here. I'm just saying that you're free to do whatever you want with Kyle. That you shouldn't feel obligated…"

"To you? Of course I'm not obligated to you! You made it very clear you don't do relationships!" Lauren snapped

Bo shot right back, "And you made it very clear you're just coming off of a bad marriage and didn't want to be committed!"

"And to think I missed having you in my bed at night!" Lauren shouted, waving her arms in the air.

Bo pointed a finger at the blonde, "And to think that I thought about just dropping out of the race because I wanted to be here with you and Harper!"

Lauren froze, "You what?"

"Nothing!"

"No, you said you thought about dropping out of the race."

"So what if I did?" Bo asked.

"Bo, you can't. This is your dream… your goal."

Bo sat down, defeated, "Dreams and goals change."

"Not this one." Lauren challenged.

Bo looked up at Lauren, her eyes now brimming with tears, "I can't put you in harm's way. Big Jim will stop coming if I drop out of the race… let his guy win."

Lauren cupped the brunette's face, "Bo, you can't quit. We have to stop Big Jim. This has gone on long enough. You have to stop him for Little Jon, for Harper, for Mark and for all of the people he has every done harm to in this life. You're not fighting him alone this time, Bo. We're all in your corner. You have family and friends this time, Bo. Let us in. Let us help you and this time you will win."

"I'm so tired, Lauren. I'm so tired of fighting him. I'm tired and he knows it."

Lauren smiled, "You're a champion, Bo. One more long run for the finish, okay? Then we have the rest of the year to have fun, explore Alaska in the springtime and make love in a warm bed."

"Make love?" Bo asked.

Lauren shrugged, "Mindless fucking isn't working for me anymore. I like the morning cuddles and late-night hot chocolate with mini-marshmallows."

"So what are you saying?" Bo asked.

Lauren grinned, "I'm saying I'm not sleeping with Kyle, Bo. I'm saying I have no intention of doing so. We're bonding over common interests, but at the end of the day, I miss you terribly. I'm saying that when all of this is over, it's you I want to share my time in Alaska with, not anyone else."

Bo smiled, "I like that. I like all of that."

"Good." Lauren said, standing, "Now go make a hay bed and get some sleep. I've got to go switch over Harper's I.V."

Bo watched as Lauren pulled on her coat, hat and gloves, her words stuck in her throat as she slowly stood and tossed some hay into a pile near the dogs. She tossed a blanket down and grabbed her fur jacket off the hook to use as a top cover. But instead of laying down, she turned back to Lauren,

"Doc?"

Lauren turned to Bo, "Bo?"

"How is Harper?"

"She's fighting, just like her owner. She's a champion and champions always find a way to win."

Bo nodded, "So she's not doing so well?"

Lauren sighed, "She just finished her final chemo treatment. Unfortunately, she developed pneumonia. We're treating it and she's fighting like hell to win this race."

"Do you think she'll live?" Bo asked.

"She better. The alternative is unacceptable to any of us."

Bo nodded, "Thanks for being honest."

Lauren nodded, "Of course. I've gotta get back."

"Thanks for taking care of her. I'm sure it's been a challenge in many ways."

Lauren raised her eyebrows as she gave a nod, "It's emotional and we've had quite a few all-nighters. Nothing you're not doing as well."

"I guess we're all in the race of our lives." Bo replied, realizing that they were all fighting a battle to survive.

Lauren smiled, "Let's win."

"Failure is not an option. I've got hot-chocolate with mini-marshmallows in my future."

Lauren chuckled, "Take care, Bo."

"You too, Doc."

The blonde laughed, "I still hate it when you call me that."

Bo laughed, "I know."

She watched as the blonde left the kennel before turning back to the spot on the ground amongst the dogs. She sighed, fighting the urge to go inside and share Lauren's bed for the evening. Knowing that she would probably be with Harper gave her the strength to resist. Harper needed the doctor more than she did right now. She needed to fight this battle on her own and let her dearest canine friend have the support she so desperately craved, "Okay, Ladies. Make room. We leave in ten hours."

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **52 Hours to Iditarod Start**_

Bo was on her way back to the start where it had been decided that Kyle would be hauling her Iditarod race team with Tamsin and Dyson in the back of the large truck with the dogs. The benefit of using Kyle's truck was, first and foremost, that it had a cab on the back, so the dogs and the two law enforcement officers would be concealed. The other benefit was that Kyle's presence was expected – for three teams that were not Bo's. There were only five people who knew that she was working with Bo and the brunette trusted every single one of them… as much as Bo could trust people.

The one thing that Bo did feel badly about was Lauren. Weeks ago, she had invited her to the race. The doctor had been so excited about attending her first Iditarod and Bo was actually excited to have her there for the start and several of their planned checkpoints. But three days ago, when Bo was heading out from the kennel for her final training race with her back up team, she received a report of three strangers in town who had been inquiring about the new doctor, the new clinic and the new hospital.

Bo had urged calm and had immediately headed out, but Lauren had insisted that Evony be notified immediately since the three projects were hers and she had a right to know. Bo had pleaded with the doctor to wait it out and see if the men left, but she didn't. Word had traveled quickly that Evony was coming in to investigate which only drew more attention to the situation. On top of that, the owner had called in Dyson, Tamsin and Hale as extra security on the property. When the three showed up in Talkeetna a long way from their normal beat, things became even more tense between the three State officials and the local police.

Still, Bo had finalized their plans and left, hoping that if the men were new hires of Big Jim's, they would be more interested in following her. But now, as she made her way back to drop off this team, take a long nap and then take a snow machine to hideout near the start line, she had this sinking feeling in her stomach that she just couldn't shake.

No one had followed her. She had examined the GoPro footage on zoom over and over to be sure, but there was no one within her viewing area. No tracks, no sounds, nothing at all. The quiet was eerie. It was never this quiet on these lands. Never.

The dogs became restless, picking up their pace which drew Bo's attention back to them. She was on a cut back away from the Talkeetna to draw any unwanted company away. She'd been using switchbacks like this over and over along the way. It made the journey longer, but she wanted to be sure that no one was following her back to the village… back to Lauren.

The dogs began to argue over their direction, Ares and Bacchus not following the leaders, Julius and Apollo.

"Whoa, boys." Bo said, pulling the center lead hard to bring the team to a stop, "Whoa!"

She dropped the ice pick and stomped it into the deep snow before dismounting from the sled and walking to the front. She checked the leads along the way, making sure nothing had gotten tangled or loose. When she reached the four dogs at the front, she put her hands on her hips and glared at them,

"You see, boys? This is why I use the girls for the big races. Now, what seems to be the problem here? Ares, Bacchus? You two are the swing dogs. You're supposed to follow the leaders." She looked at the leads, "Julius, Apollo? Are you leading us all to our deaths? That would be the only reason I would think the four of you would be arguing."

The four started barking, Julius and Apollo looking back as they bucked and tried to turn. All of the other dogs followed suit, leading Bo to yell,

"Whoa! Whoa! Okay, what am I not understanding here. In all my years, I've never had a team…" As she looked up behind the sled, her heart sunk, "What the…"

In the distance, she could see the faint orange glow on the horizon. She took a quick peak up at the sky to get her bearings and then ran quickly back to the sled. Pulling the pick from the snow and slinging it around her shoulders, she pushed the sled as she called for a 180-degree turn from her team,

"Hike! Hike, boys! Come Haw! Come Haw!"

It didn't take long for the team to pull out and make their turn, Bo continuing to demand more speed from her exhausted team,

"Mush! Mush! Come on boys! Gee! Gee!" She watched as Julius and Apollo took the right turn. She need to get back to the groomed path for at least or part of the run to save a few minutes and make the work easier for the dogs. The deep snow was going to slow them down and she didn't want to take a chance on hitting a rock or tree at this speed.

Her mind was consumed with fear as they closed the distance to Talkeetna. For the sky to glow orange from this distance, it was huge. This was a multiple-structure fire, there was no doubt. The dogs began barking again, giving Bo reason to survey her surroundings. Sure enough, a sled came out of nowhere to her right.

"Shit." She spat, deciding it was best to head back into the woods where she would be faster, but another sled was gaining on her to the left. A shot rang out, the bullet hitting a tree up ahead,

"Fuck! Guns? Really! That's cheating!"

Slapping at the lead, begging as much strength as she could get from the dogs, they responded and kicked it into another gear,

"Good boys! Julius! Apollo! Gee Haw! Gee Haw!"

The unusual command was Bo's patented speciality. Her lead dogs would now pick a zig-zagging line through the woods, making it harder for the men to follow. Bo had counted heads. They each had 16-dog teams compared to her current 12-dog team. She may have less leg power, but she was much more mobile and much more experienced than Big Jim's men.

Another shot rang out, causing her to duck. She heard the bullet before it hit another nearby tree.

"Okay, so now we know you're definitely after me and not just the dogs. This just got even more personal boys."

She grabbed a rope she had rigged for just this occasion and hung one end with a hook attached out to her right. She had a moment where she wished Nike and Diana were in the lead, but she pushed that aside, putting all of her trust in the two young boys at the front of her team. She waited for them to cut right and when they did, she paused long enough for the entire team to follow and then pulled the lead hard, leaned left and yelled,

"HAW! HAW!" They narrowly missed a large tree, two of her dogs skinning their sides on the bark. They whimpered but never stopped, "Good boys!" She leaned left as she came to the tree, tossing the hook out to her right and letting the rope go as it ran out with the distance.

She watched the white rope stretch out behind her before calling, "Gee! Gee!"

As the team turned back to the right, she took the other end of the rope, grasping the second hook and tossed it out, hoping for it to catch the tree to the far left. She held her breath, looking back over her shoulder and cheered when it caught, effectively hanging a semi-loose clothesline across the path.

"Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four…"

"Aargghh!"

"Vince!"

The name caught Bo's attention, causing her to look over her shoulder at the man caught at the throat by the barbed-wire rope. Guilt rushed through her like a raging river as the other man's sled came to a stop just short of his clotheslined friend.

"Dammit, Bo! How could you do this!" The other man shouted, trying to lift the man's legs so he wasn't hanging.

"Julius! Apollo! Come Haw! Come Haw!"

The sled turned, Bo pulling out her rifle as they ran back. She threw a leg over the sled, holding up her weapon, setting the site on a man she knew as Jeffrey,

"Whoa! Whoa!" She commanded. The dogs came to a stop, all twelve of them growling at the two men.

"Help me! Help me, Bo! You can't just let him hang here! Geezus, Bo! You strung him out by his neck!"

"Seriously! You're going to come at me with all that when you just took three shots at me? The last one nearly hit me in the back of the head, thank you very much! I could be dead right now and you're saying I'm the monster? I helped you two when you were lost in the woods and dying of hypothermia and starvation six years back and now you go to work for Big Jim trying to kill me?"

Jeffrey shook his head, "Not kill you – just scare you out of the race!"

"Those shots say different." Bo said, raising her rifle, "You shot at me, now I shoot back."

He waved his hands in desperation, "Please, Bo! Big Jim hired us to kill you, but we both agreed that was not going to happen. No way we'd kill anything but game for our families. I promise we agreed. But you hung this at his neck, dammit! He's gonna die I don't get him down."

Bo slowly moved her hand from the front of her rifle, holding the trigger steady as she pulled her hunting knife from it sheath on her hip. She tossed it over, gripping the blade between her finger tips and raised it to throw,

"Bo! Please!"

Letting it fly, it hit the rope where it was anchored in the tree, sticking tightly and successfully freeing the man,

"There. He's free. Now slowly, bring my knife back to me… your gloves off before you pull it from the tree, please."

When his back was turned, Bo reached down and adjusted the zoom on the GoPro to make sure the faces of the two men were visible. Finally, the man returned with the knife,

"Drop it on the sled and walk back to Vince. Cut the rope on either end. Don't take those spikes out of his neck until you get the hospital, or he'll bleed out. You'll have to carry him on your sled to the clinic. It's the closest place to get him treated."

Vince turned visibly white, while Jeffrey began to panic, "I… I can't take him there!"

"He'll never make it back to Anchorage. You have to take him there, Jeffrey. That's also where I'll be turning you two over to the authorities."

Vince hung his head, nearly unconscious now as Jeffrey relented and explained, "I can't take him there, Bo. The clinic was the bait."

"WH-what?" Bo asked, looking back at the now growing orange glow on the horizon.

"Big Jim sent three of his men to burn it down... along with the Talkeetna General Store, the Hospital and the Kennels. He knew you'd run back. We tried to convince him not to touch the Hospital, but he went on about not needing white man's medicine… that the hospital would just bring more… Cheechakos."

He cringed saying the word. Everyone knew Bo hated that word, though not many knew why. They did know she had thrown her hunting knife through a man's hand for speaking it in reference to her friend Kenzi, though.

"Anyway, he knew you'd come back if they were in danger and a fire was the bait. He had Vince and I waiting back at Harp's Hook Bridge when you made the turn so we could come up behind you and take you down. We had just planned to scare you enough so that you would see he's serious. That's why we figured we could get away with not killing you like he wanted. We thought if the clinic, hospital and General Store all burned and your friends were shook up enough, you'd see winning another trophy wasn't worth the risk. If the kennels burned, you'd definitely be out of the race. Honest, we knew the dogs could make it out before the fire burned. We helped build the place, so we know about the escape hatch. Honestly, Vince here was worried that they wouldn't be able to break free of their leads staked to the ground. I thought your dogs are smart enough to get out if they have to."

Tears streamed down Bo's face as she lifted the rifle to her cheek, aiming it at the man. Jeffrey raised his hands over his head, pleading for his life.

"My dogs? You went after my dogs! All of them!"

He shook his head, "Only the best ones. We all agreed you were doing too many training runs to be using your best for all of them. We knew you would rest your best before the race… that they'd be in the kennel. At the very least, you wouldn't win the race without the best dogs."

She shook her head, "You're monsters. You're all monsters."

She shook her head, "Kneel!"

"Bo…"

"I said kneel! Now! Pray to any God you worship because you're about to meet your maker. God knows I hope it's the devil because after what you've been party to here tonight, you've proven yourself pure evil and worth of eternity in hell!"

He watched as she flipped off the safety on her rifle and moved her finger to the trigger once more,

"Bo, please! You don't have to do this."

She could see the panic in his eyes as he waved his open palms at her,

"You help me get Vince back. We both live and we both testify in court."

"Trust me when I say I don't need you to go back with me. I've got a full confession and enough to put Big Jim away along with anyone they find guilty of setting those fires. According to village law, I've got every right to put a bullet in you and Vince."

"But you don't abide by village laws. Why would you start now?"

"Because the white man's court will take too long and they also won't allow me to kill you where you kneel."

"Bo… please. I swear we were just trying to do damage control by joining Big Jim. If he sent his men, you'd be dead by now and your dogs would be cut up in little pieces."

Seeing Bo squeeze her rifle tighter, he added, "I swear, those were Big Jim's words… not ours! We would never hurt your dogs!"

"And that's why I just can't believe you'd have any parts in this. What the hell is wrong with you, Jeffrey? You could have given Mark a heads up they were about to burn his store to the ground. Geezus, his own fucking Grandfather burned his livelihood to the ground. Can you not see how sick that is?"

She looked up at Jeffrey again, "Mark and his wife helped you when your Daddy ran off and left you, your Momma and your sister alone. You're like a big brother to Little Jim and Little Jon. You were the moral compass for those two. What happened to you?"

"I didn't have a choice, Bo. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"Really? That's your lame excuse?" Bo asked, "I swear to God if any of them are hurt, you will not live to apologize again for your part in all of this. So, give me just one reason I shouldn't kill you right now and get it over with? I could save the taxpayers a lot of money holding you in jail, feeding you and putting you through a trial."

"Bo, please! My wife… my sons…"

"Really? And were you thinking of them when you bought into Big Jim's psycho plan? What will they think when you're in a courtroom on trial for attempted murder?"

"Bo, I promise! Vince and I had a pact! We were not going to kill you! We haven't killed anyone! I swear!"

"So wait… what you're telling me is that you two idiots were not aware that bullets bounce? You're lucky you missed me to begin with! You're even luckier that I wasn't taken out by a ricochet and even luckier you didn't hit one of my dogs! If you had, you'd be dead where you stand, and I would have tightened the rope around Vince's neck instead of cutting him free."

"We'd never hurt your dogs. They're the most innocent in all of this – especially Harper. She didn't deserve her fate."

"Oh? And what fate is that?" Bo asked, wanting to get everything on tape.

"The knife wound. I heard her lungs are in bad shape… that she's dying."

Bo lowered her eyes. Hearing it was difficult even though she knew that was the lie that Lauren and Mark had been circulating since the stranger came to town and learned that Harper was in the clinic.

"But we also know that's not what's killing Harper."

That got Bo's attention. She adjusted her finger on the trigger, holding the rifle tight to her cheek as the dogs nudged the sled just a big at the sound of Harper's name,

"Educate me."

"Cancer."

"Horrible disease. What about it?" Bo challenged.

"The dog house sent up from Point Siku General Store after the Iditarod two years ago… it's lined with asbestos, not insulation. Big Jim put it in the liner personally. Bragged about the slow, excruciating death the dog would have breathing that in for even a year… that it would rip your heart out just the same."

Bo could feel the anger build. It took all of her strength to keep her hand steady and not pull the trigger,

"You knew and you did nothing? You said Harper was the most innocent in all of this and yet you allowed him to sentence her to death by cancer? You could have snuck into the kennel and fixed it. You could have taken the house and dumped it in the woods and replaced it yourself. What in this fucking world is wrong with you! I swear you're going to pay for this. You're going to pay for your part in this Jeffrey."

"What was I supposed to do, Bo? You know Big Jim. He rules the land. You get a call from Big Jim and you do what he says."

"No, Jeffrey. You don't. You do what's right… you and all of the other gutless men and village elders in this land and you stand up to the bastard. That's how you take away the psycho's power. You want to know why I stick to my own? Because none of you are worthy of my time, help or trust. Since the day I set foot on these lands, you have allowed that man to ruin my life. That ends now. You're either with me or against me, but I promise you, Big Jim is going down one way or another. Hope you're on the right side of history. Of course, right now, Vince is laying there dying and you made the choice to burn down the only place that could have saved him. Good luck getting him back to Anchorage alive. I'd bandage that wound if I were you."

Bo lowered her rifle, "I trust you won't shoot me in the back as I leave?"

He hung his head as he continued to kneel in the snow next to his friend, "I won't hurt you, Bo. I promise."

"Yea. Promises don't tend to mean much to me in these parts." Bo replied, getting onto the sled and calling out to her team.

"WAIT! Bo!"

She turned back to Jeffrey, "That new doctor? Will she help him? I can't just let him die."

Bo sighed. It was her fault, after all, that he was in this condition. She looked up at the sky, hearing a plane… no, several planes.

"Fire planes."

"What?" Bo asked.

"We got word that Evony was back… she called for fire planes to be on standby. Apparently, she's onto Big Jim and received intel on what he was planning. The woman is always prepared."

Bo nodded, "Let's hope she's not too late."

"Bo? About the Doc. Will she help me? Will she save Vince?"

Bo lowered her eyes, looking down as she turned her head slightly to reply, "If she's still alive, she will try her best... Hippocratic Oath and all."

With that she set her team in motion and hurried back to Talkeetna and whatever awaited her.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

When Bo pulled into town, the air was filled with ash and the smell of wet smoke. She moved past the hotel which was packed with villagers. She didn't stop, but instead moved on, knowing that her only goal right now was checking on the three buildings that held her dearest friends and companions.

As she rounded the corner she gasped at the sight of the General Store. It was completely gutted with only two of the four walls still standing. Mark and his wife sat on the concrete steps, half of the old sign at their feet,

"Whoa." She spoke quietly to the dogs who came to a ragged halt, panting hard. One by one they laid down in the snow, but Bo put the snow pick into the ground regardless.

She walked slowly to the couple, "Mark… Molly."

The pair looked up, Molly jumping to her feet, "Oh, Bo! Thank God you're okay! They said you were dead!"

She threw her arms around the brunette, taking her by surprise. It took a moment, but Bo returned the embrace, looking over the woman's shoulder to Mark who was also standing and moving towards her,

"Good to see you, Bo. I have to admit, you had me worried."

She released Molly and was immediately pulled into a hug by her friend, "Come on, Mark. You know I'm hard to kill."

She stepped back, eyeing the pair, "I'm so sorry you got pulled into this mess. Your store and your home are gone."

"Please, Bo. This has nothing to do with you. This is something that my brother and I should have put an end to long ago. Our Dad actually should have done something. He could have had Big Jim committed years ago. We begged… even went before the council ourselves."

"You didn't." Bo said in disbelief.

"We did. That's why our store was burned down, not because of you. You were just an excuse to do what he's wanted to do for years. We betrayed him… in his eyes, anyway. The council backed him. We warned them he would come unhinged and people would die. Now, here we are."

Bo swallowed hard, "Someone… died?"

Mark looked up, "Jared and Bert died fighting the fire at the hospital. Roof collapsed on them while they were trying to get young Sam Hobbs out. Sam's in the make-shift hospital we set up down at the visitor's center. Tamsin's in the hospital, too… smoke inhalation from getting the Doc out of the clinic when Kyle got trapped trying to get her out."

"Lauren's out?"

Mark nodded, "She's got a few small burns, but she's down there patching everyone else up. We're waiting here for Kyle's brother. They're coming in on the train."

Bo froze, "Um… Kyle… is she…"

"She's in bad shape. Doc said to call next of kin. Her upper body is burned real bad. Doc's doing what she can, but a lot of her supplies were burned in the fire. She and Little Jon tried to put the fire out, but when it kept spreading, they grabbed the emergency bags she had for the emergency services group she made Evony wrangle a couple months back and tried to make their way out. They got separated by that main support beam falling. Little Jon got out through the cold room, but collapsed in the snow. He's got some frostbite since it took us a while to find him back there."

"How did Lauren get out?"

"Kyle went in and found her unconscious. Picked her up and went towards the exit, but the floor gave out. She literally threw Lauren to the other side of the gap, then ran and tried to make the jump, but the floor gave out again, dropping her into a total firepit. Tamsin came in just as she was trying to make the jump and saw her go down. She dragged Lauren out and then crawled beneath the clinic and dragged Kyle out, rolling her over to put out the flames that caught onto her clothes. Tamsin got burned up in there pretty bad too, but she's expected to make it. She'll need a few surgeries to fix her skin, but being as she was face down in the snow for a while, the burns on her face look more like frostbite than burns."

Molly chimed in, "Doc expects that a new layer of skin will just grow in its place. She said she's never seen burns that look like the ones on her face, neck and hands."

"Lucky Tamsin. She somehow always manages to make it out of bad situations in pretty good shape."

Mark and Molly nodded as Bo looked up the road, "So, what am I going to find up there?"

"The Clinic is a total loss and so is the Kennel. Sorry, Bo. We tried to save everything and ended up saving nothing. The only reason the rest of the town is standing is because of Evony's fire planes. Hate to say it, but we owe her one. Tom and Mary's house will need some repairs, but it's not a total loss. Barney's truck is a total loss. It still had some of your race kits in it because he took a break to help move the dogs into Kyle's truck to take them down to the… designated location."

Bo sighed, "The dogs made it out?"

Mark smiled, "They all stuck together in the woods. They dragged Elsa out with them."

"Elsa?"

Molly placed a hand on Bo's shoulder, "Lauren's team was in there because she had just finished a training run with Kyle and was out there being fed with the rest of the dogs… her whole team was. That's when the propane tanks went up at the clinic. Whoever did this had laid a gas-soaked wick from the propane tank to the Kennel. Lucky you reinforced that wall in the clinic. It saved Lauren and Little Jon."

"So… Elsa…"

"She's burned, but the Vet says she should make it."

"The Vet was up here?"

Mark nodded, "Those strangers came around again last night, so Lauren had Harper moved to the Vet's room in the hotel. She has Elsa and Hercules there with her now… and Athena's feet are burned, Bo. She's questionable for the race."

Bo shook her head, "The last thing on my mind right now is the race, Mark."

"No."

"No?" Bo asked.

"No. You cannot let him win, Bo." He held out his hands, surveying the damage around him, "All of this was to keep you from racing and to destroy the worlds of all you hold dear. You don't race, he wins. You don't win, he wins. We don't help you win that race, we all lose. We show up… all of us. Hell, Kyle said she's going to the race even if it's in a box."

Bo chuckled, "That sounds like Kyle."

"You should go see her, Bo. She may not have much time."

Bo nodded, "You sure you two are alright?"

Molly nodded, wrapping her arm around Mark's, "We're going to wait here for Kurt. We'll see you at the visitor's center once we have him with us."

Heading back to the sled, Bo gave a wave and headed off around the corner to the clinic. It was a very short trip and Bo's heart dropped when she saw the two buildings were devastated. Even the dog houses were burned to the floors. She gritted her teeth as she thought about the house where Harper had been staying. She wasn't sure if Lauren could prove the asbestos admission, but if she could, that would surely be the final nail in Big Jim's coffin.

She went to move on when she caught movement out of the corner of her eye. She brought the sled to a stop again and drove the pick into the icy ground that she guessed must have formed from dropping water on the fire. She walked carefully around the rubble to the back wall that was still half standing and stopped suddenly,

"Lauren?"

The blonde looked up, but kept digging, "Bo, help me! Help me! I'm looking for an oxygen tank. It was in this wall. I didn't hear a second explosion, so it's got to be here. I need it for Kyle. I can't keep her lungs going without another oxygen tank. I sent Little Jon to try to find one at the hospital, but I can't wait. I only had the small emergency ones and they're almost gone. She'll die without another tank."

"Lauren… Lauren, calm down. Come here."

"No, Bo. We need it now!"

Bo moved to the blonde, gripping both of her hands. Lauren struggled, starting to speak, but when she caught the sight of Bo's eyes she stopped,

"We lost Jared and Bert. Sam Hobbs was fine, but he took a turn. Tamsin's burns are fine, but she had smoke inhalation and I burned through an oxygen tank treating her. Kyle is… God, Bo I just want to try to keep her alive until she can see her brother. I don't know if I can do any better than that, but at least I can do that much, right?"

"And you will. I'm just asking you to take a minute to take a breath for yourself."

It was in that moment, that Lauren seemed to realize, "You're alive. They told me you were dead. You're alive."

Bo smiled, "I'm alive and, thanks to this GoPro you insisted I wear, I have all of the evidence we need to bring down Big Jim and at least two of his men. Of course, I'm pretty sure those two men will be ready to roll over on any other ones they're aware of after the little chat we had. You should be getting another customer soon, by the way. Save him, don't save him… it doesn't matter to me. They shot at me and the dogs, so they should be your last priority, even though I know you won't treat them that way."

"I took an oath, Bo and…"

Bo waved her off, "I told them that which is why I told them to make their way here. I sort of had to resort to that clothesline trick that Little Jon and his friends came up with."

"The one with the barbed wire?" Lauren asked.

Bo nodded, "Yea, but I sort of set the wire too high. In my defense, there were a lot of trees and we were going really fast."

"Where did you get them?"

Bo shrugged, "I only got one of them… at the neck."

"Geezus, Bo."

"I know, I know. The guy's name is Vince. His friend is Jeffrey. I did tell the healthy one not to pull out the wire, but just to bandage over it. Vince is still bleeding pretty bad."

"Great. I have very little blood. That's hopefully on its way from the hospital too."

Bo nodded.

"Look, I've got to find this tank and get back. You with me?"

"I'm looking for that big long tank?"

Lauren nodded, "It should last for a long time. The problem is how heavy it is."

"I remember. My dogs can handle it." Bo said.

Lauren looked up at the team, "You sure? They look a little…"

"Strong? Because they are. They were amazing. If they didn't need a lot of rest, I might have used them for the race."

"No, you wouldn't have." Lauren laughed, beginning her search again.

"Okay, you're right, I wouldn't have. Still, they were amazing." Bo stood and tried to get an image of where they were digging. She should be able to zero right in on the tank that she had installed. It was inside a steel box, so would have fallen down sideways if it wasn't melted by the heat of the fire. Given the temperature outside, she didn't think that would be the case. The problem was, the steel wasn't a bright color to begin with and if the tank inside hadn't exploded, the steel casing would likely be black and blending in with the rest of the charred mess.

"Mark and Molly told me about Elsa. How's she doing?"

Lauren shrugged, "I think she's okay. I haven't seen her since the Vet took her and the others. You heard about Athena then?"

Bo nodded, "I'll come up with a plan depending on how she is. I'm just glad they're all alive."

Lauren nodded, "I'm glad we decided to move them all early. Tamsin thought we were being a little paranoid, but Kyle insisted she wasn't being paranoid enough. That chick's a real piece of work."

"Who, Tamsin?"

Lauren nodded, "Yea. She hinted that you had history with her and Kyle?"

Bo nodded, "Sorry, but yes. It was a long time ago. The two of them are the ones with history now."

"So I gathered. I'm trying to keep Tamsin calm so she can heal, but she just wants to see Kyle."

"You should let her." Bo said, quietly.

"Well, it will upset her which will increase her heart rate and…"

Bo gripped Lauren's wrist, "Lauren… if I only had hours to live, I would think someone would get you to my bedside and if you were the one dying, I would move heaven and earth to be by your side until your last dying breath."

The blonde watched as Bo's eyes filled with tears, raising her hand to thumb away the few that escaped. It moved her to tears as well,

"Wow. Aren't we a pair."

Bo smiled, "It's been an emotional time."

Lauren nodded, "It certainly has been."

The two shared a moment before they set back to digging. It must have been another twenty minutes until Bo finally struck pay dirt.

"Lauren! I found it!"

She ran to the sled and grabbed some clean rope. She quickly wrapped it around the tank and started back to the sled, calling the dogs to attention. Once the line was secured, she pulled as hard as she could while Lauren stood on the sled and gave commands to the dogs. It took several attempts, but they finally pulled the tank free of the steel sheath onto the icy road.

"Well, if the dogs stay in the snow and I can keep the tank on the ice, it should be an easy trip for them to the Visitor's Center. How did you get here?"

Lauren shrugged, "I ran."

"You ran?"

"Adrenaline."

Bo nodded, "Okay, well… I guess you're in the basket, rookie."

"I'll take it. It will give me a chance to take a ten-minute power nap."

"My dogs are tired. We'll be trotting at best. It will be more like fifteen minutes."

"Even better." Lauren replied, turning on her side and pulling the sled cover over herself.

"Can I ask how you were planning to get this tank back to the center on your own?" Bo asked.

"I hadn't thought that far." Lauren replied.

Bo chuckled, "Take that nap. I'll wake you in a bit."

She looked down at the blonde, grateful she was alive and safe. As she headed into the wind, she could only wonder what she would find when they got to the center. At some point, she needed to get some sleep herself. It was now about forty hours to race time and she had a lot to figure out.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **A/N:**_ _Next up, we'll check in on the patients and run the Iditarod!_


	5. Chapter 5: Into The Storm

_**A/N:**_ _Thanks for the reviews and messages. I'm so sorry I've had so little time to write, but that should change for the month at least! Thank you so much for your patience and encouragement. You're the best! I'm not totally happy with this chapter, but there is a lot of necessary Iditarod backstory in it. Despite that content, this is a m_ _assive chapter to make up for my absence and to satisfy those who are asking why my chapters have been so "short"?! Apparently they aren't long enough to get some people through their work day! Ya'll are too funny! Okay then - let's check in on the make-shift hospital and then get Bo to that race. What will they do about Big Jim now? Will Bo put her life and the life of her friends at risk to run the race?_

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **Chapter 5: Into The Storm**_

Bo stood over Kyle's bed watching Lauren gather tubing she planned to use to perform a makeshift tracheotomy. Their friend's breathing had become more labored, her chest unable to expand because of the burns on her chest. Lauren had explained the procedure to Bo so she could help her find a way to create a machine that would do the same job. Bo wasn't sure about all of the details, but they had found a compressor, some tubing and sharp pocket knives that were now sterilized. They had some gauze left from the emergency kits and alcohol.

Now they were waiting while Kyle's brother Kurt, who was a mechanic at Barney's garage down in Anchorage, worked to hook up a car battery to a machine that was melted and burned. Lauren was skeptical, but Bo assured her that if Kurt said he could make the machine run, he would make it run. His sister's life was on the line, after all.

Lauren prepped the area on Kyle's throat, assuring that it was clean and picked up the sterilized pocket knife. She felt for the correct spot for the incision, having to find it by feel rather than appearance due to the burns.

"Okay, Doctor Lewis. You're in business." Kurt said, wiping his hands on his shirt.

"I'm… I'm what?"

Kurt laughed, "Your machine. It's ready to run. Will it help her?"

"Really?" Lauren asked, her eyes wide as she froze at his reply.

"Yup." He said proudly.

"Perfect. Here we go then." Lauren replied, beginning her incision.

"Really. Uh… you're really going to stick that in my sister's…"

The two women could only watch from the opposite side of the bed as Kurt hit the floor with a thud.

"Evony! Can you get the smelling salts again?" Lauren yelled to Evony.

The brunette moaned, "What is wrong with these people? I thought Alaskans were tough. They're all passing out at the sight of a little blood."

Lauren laughed as Evony approached Kurt, "Actually, he passed out from watching me perform a tracheotomy. We have to give him credit for getting the respirator running first."

"Daahh! Wh-what the… what… what happened?" He looked at Evony, "Are you an Angel? Am I in heaven?"

Evony shrugged, "Oh brother. Is that the best pickup line you've got? And… you passed out."

"You're beautiful."

Evony stood, wiping off her pants, "Right." She looked at Lauren, "Anything else I can do?"

"Same as the last time you asked, Evony. I need a staff. Doctors, nurses. I know the hospital isn't built yet, but it would be great if I had even one more doctor and two nurses. At least then we could rotate shifts."

"That's not the priority right now, Lauren. You'll have staff in due time." Evony replied.

Lauren shook her head, nodding towards the other patients around her as she continued to work on Kyle,

"Not the priority right now? I'm trying to save this woman's life and that firefighter's arm and Tamsin's hand and treat I don't know how many other burns ranging from relatively mild to critical by myself! I need help!"

She shook her head, taking a deep breath. It wasn't like her to lose her temper in medical situations, but she knew Evony didn't have staff here because of her financial bottom line. It had always been Lauren's experience that money and medicine did not work well together. She didn't treat people for cash. She treated people because it was the right thing to do and people who worried about their bottom line rarely did things because it was the right thing to do… at least that's what her experience with Evony had taught her.

She turned to Bo, "I'm so grateful he didn't target the hotel. I don't know how I could possibly deal with more than what I'm handling right now. Do you think we could get help from Seline and the villagers?"

Bo shrugged, "I'm not sure. I can ride out and talk to her about it. She'll definitely be at the race. She comes to check on me every year… and to double check what the race Vets do with our dogs."

"I guess I'll talk to her at the race then about setting something up for future emergencies until the hospital is built and fully staffed." Lauren replied, her eyes staying focused on Bo's before she glanced quickly at Evony and then turned away to refocus her attention on her patient.

Bo turned to Evony, gripping her arm and pulling her a short distance from Lauren, "I don't care what it takes. You get her staff and you do it now. She's been going nonstop with no sleep. If someone gets dead because she makes a mistake, I will make sure that every single person who could possibly even consider using your clinic or hospital in the future lose all trust in you."

Evony forcefully pulled her arm free, "Oh really? And how would you do that?"

"I'd start by telling my friends and co-workers that you refused to bring in help that could have saved lives because you were concerned about your bottom line. If you haven't noticed, people talk without discretion around these parts, Evony. Business as usual on the East Coast will not work here."

"I have appropriate staff on call."

"On call isn't present and you know it. With all of your private planes and helicopters, you could have a team of doctors and nurses here in a matter of hours. If you had listened before you came, you would have brought them with you knowing what she was going to be dealing with."

"Nothing was for certain when I was leaving."

"Bullshit." Bo said, gripping Evony's arm and pulling her further from Lauren's ear, "I don't need your paycheck and neither does anyone else who works for me. We have plenty of other work we can do to make a living and keep in mind, we don't need much of what the east coast needs to survive. We can do for ourselves."

She pulled Evony closer, "So here's my bottom line. You get Lauren staff and you get them here today. You don't do that, it will take years… years… for me to rebuild your clinic and hospital. My guys will suddenly be too busy to help with the electric, the plumbing, the drywalling… it could take a decade for me to build a hospital all by myself. That land will sit there, useless, generating zero income while you pay the taxes and the costs for maintaining the land."

Evony pulled her arm free again and laughed, "Oh, please. I'll just hire a new contracter."

It was Bo's turn to laugh, "You're forgetting how 'iron clad' you insisted my contract be. I also made sure you couldn't fire me if I had other jobs or race responsibilities that came up. Besides, one word from me and my guys will set up a picket line around the property. I dare you to find builders from another town to cross the picket line of local workers."

Evony maintained, "Everyone's got a price."

"You don't know Alaska, Evony, so stop pretending you do. No one will cross a picket line, particularly on a property being constructed by some east coast hot shot who is already starting to rub the locals the wrong way. You talk down to everyone, you strut around here in your city girl clothing expecting everyone to wait on you hand and foot. You're getting under everyone's skin."

"Well, isn't that the pot calling the kettle black. I'm not the one who has half of Anchorage trying to kill me. Talk about getting under someone's skin."

Bo gripped Evony's arm, squeezing hard, "Get. Her. Help. Get her help or I swear I will throw you over my shoulder, strap you to my sled and drop you in the middle of the woods for a bear snack."

Evony rolled her eyes, "Oh, relax. Help is on the way. I'm just pushing Lauren to be her best."

"She's always gives this job her best. The last thing she needs is any fake motivation or added stress from you to be her best. If she needed it, you wouldn't keep her tied to a contract. You would have fired her long ago. I'm in her life now, Evony. Treat her well. Treat her with respect or you will deal with me… not that Lauren needs me to. She's not the Lauren you knew back east. She's a different woman now. She's not someone you want to mess with. She's not your obedient little toy anymore."

Bo felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see Lauren standing in front of her. She inwardly cringed, "I'm… sorry. I was…"

"Defending my honor? It's a nice gesture even though I don't need you to do it. Can we talk?" Lauren asked, nodding towards Kyle's bed.

Evony interrupted, "So…"

Bo turned, "We're done here. Get it done and Lauren will continue to get her job done."

"And you?"

"And I'll be happy to start rebuilding as soon as the Iditarod is over." She followed Lauren, whispering under her breath, "If I'm still alive."

Bo looked down at Kyle, then to Lauren, "How's she doing?"

Lauren focused on opening the airway, then stripped the plastic off the tubing and inserted it into the opening until she felt the resistance of the tube entering the lungs. Removing the tools and her gloves, she took a deep breath and flipped the switch on the machine. She stood waiting, watching the make-shift monitor for any sign that it was working.

"Is it working?" Kurt spoke almost incoherently.

"Lauren smiled, "It will. Close your eyes and rest, Kurt. It's up to your sister now."

She watched as the young gentleman relaxed back into a chair and closed his eyes. But Bo was still concerned. She spoke quietly to Lauren,

"I don't see her chest moving." Bo said, her eyes fixed on a response from the doctor.

"Give it a second." Lauren said, breathing a sigh of relief as the machine hummed to life. The monitor was old, so the resolution wasn't great, but at least she could see the oxygen saturation to adjust the flow from the tank.

"Is that a tire gauge?" Bo asked.

Kurt's eyes popped open, "Doc said she needed to measure psi's and that was the only thing I had that I could rig to fit with the machine." He looked up at Lauren, "Remember, I don't know if it's accurate. That port is pretty much melted. I'm sure it's open which is why you're getting a reading, but just keep an eye out. It could be off by a pound or two. I'm dizzy."

Lauren laughed, "You hit your head when you passed out."

She looked back at the monitor, "Considering oxygen saturation is usually measured in much smaller increments, it won't make much difference. I'll have to watch her color and the inflation rate." Lauren looked over at Kyle's younger brother, "It's a good thing he got here when he did. Kyle would surely be gone by now if he hadn't been able to put this together when he did. She was struggling to breathe."

Bo chuckled, "You'll be in debt to him for life. He loves to barter."

"So I've learned. He was bartering to save his sister's life which is why he built this machine. Of course, since he did my job, I owe him five free yearly physicals or accidents – whichever comes first." Lauren smiled.

"If it's for him, it will be accidents. Chances are, he's going to bring his kids here for their school physicals."

"Sounds perfect." Lauren smiled, "I'll have the lollipops ready. Of course, I'm not sure where I'll be seeing patients since we have no clinic and no hospital. Maybe I'll rent out a car on the train and become a mobile doctor."

Lauren laughed hysterically at her own joke, "The train doctor. Yes, I'll be having T-shirts made."

Evony shook her head, "Your attempt at humor is… well, I'll be heading out to check on… things."

Bo smiled politely while Lauren rolled her eyes and headed for another patient, mumbling, "Only I find me funny."

Bo laughed as Kurt opened one eye and looked at her, "You like her."

The brunette looked down at his friend, "She's a good person, so yes, I like her."

"I didn't mean like that. I mean you like her like her."

"What is it with everyone and their concern over my love life lately."

Kurt sat up, "Oh, so it's love, is it? That's so uncharacteristic of you, Bo Dennis."

"Bite me, Kurt."

"Hmmm… now that's an invitation I can get behind. Turn around and bend over."

"Perve."

"Icicle."

He looked over at Kyle, suddenly serious, "She's dying, Bo. What am I gonna do without her?"

She placed a hand on the young man's shoulder, "She's not dead yet, Kurt. She was supposed to be dead twenty-four hours ago, but here she is… still fighting."

He nodded, picking up his phone and reading a text. He stood, steadying himself before leaning over and kissing his sister's cheek,

"Keep fighting Sis." He stood, cupping her chin, "I need you. You're the only one that knows how to do the books at the store." He chuckled, "You know I'm a math idiot."

Bo grinned, "You know, she's always regretted that you didn't want to be her partner in the family business."

He nodded, "I know. Maybe if she beats this, I'll change my mind."

Bo laughed, "Nothing is free with you, huh?"

Kurt shrugged, "Well, I'm certainly not going to partner with a ghost."

"True." Bo nodded, "But if she lives, I hope you realize she's never going to be the same."

Kurt nodded, "Doc said she'll probably never walk normal again."

"If she walks at all. Her burns are bad, Kurt. They're deep – especially the ones on her legs and torso."

He nodded, "The Doc said…"

"The Doc said what she had to say to keep you calm. I'm giving it to you straight, Kurt. If she lives, she's gonna need help. If you're not going to commit to playing nurse, you'll have to hire someone."

Kurt stood staring at Bo, his eyes brimming with tears, "I'm handling the business for now. No promises for the future. That's all I can say right now."

"Fair enough." Bo replied.

Kurt sighed, "I'm gonna go back to the hotel, Bo. Kenzi's got a full house and some breaker keeps blowing."

Bo nodded, knowing that Kurt's brain just went into overdrive and he needed to do something. In that way, they were very much alike… runners, "There's too many hairdryers running at once. She really needs to shut that place down for renovation. I told her to do it this winter. Not much business until spring anyway."

"Or until there's a fire, apparently. Of course, I'm sure no one would mind if she shut down for renovation as long as she keeps that bar open." Kurt grinned.

"Ha. Ha. Get going. Tell her I'll come by as soon as I can." Bo replied before calling out, "And tell her Hale is fine."

He gave her a wave and left. Bo turned and looked for Lauren. She finally spotted her, a pair of tweezers in hand as she carefully worked on Big Gus' arm. Evony was running around with a clipboard, probably keeping track of who would owe her money for services rendered. Of course, the woman would probably make out fine on all of this since she probably had a ridiculous insurance policy on the clinic, not to mention she would sue everyone from Big Jim to the State of Alaska for allowing a criminal to run rampant.

Bo sighed, turning back to Kyle, "Hey there. You want to wake up sometime soon? Your brother is moving into his cocoon and Tamsin's worried as shit. I know that for a fact because she didn't have any insults for me when I was talking to her. She's taking a nap now, but it would be really great if you would pull through this. If you don't, she's going to be unbearable. Hell, she's unbearable now. Lauren had her put in a private room because she wouldn't stop barking orders at everyone. I think Dyson's glad she's out of commission, so he doesn't have to deal with her going rogue on him. She sure is Miss Independence."

Bo sat in the chair next to the bed, "I guess I was pretty independent too. I'm sorry I could never be what you wanted me to be. Maybe if we'd met later, it would be different, but I wasn't willing to trust anyone back then. I know now that I should have trusted you… you tried to give me everything and I… well, I sucked."

She looked over her shoulder at Lauren before turning back to Kyle, "I want you to know that I'm trying to do right by Lauren. I'm trying to do things differently. We're going slow and I'm trying not to run. When I do, she calls me out on my shit. She's tougher than her polite doctorly mannerisms would suggest, but I guess after working with her on her sled, you've learned that much about her. I guess I should thank you. You told me there would come a time when I would be tired of going through life on the run… that I would want to slow down and take a stand… that life was better when you stood for something instead of running from everything."

Bo stared down at her hands, her eyes welling with tears, "You were right. Every time I leave with the dogs, I can't wait to come back to her. Honestly, I can't put my finger on any one thing." She looked back to Lauren again, watching her work for a long moment, most of her face shielded by the long curtain of blonde hair, "I just… I'm drawn to her. It's like you said… just standing next to her is enough to calm me… comfort me."

She looked back up to see Kyle's eyes open and set on her own, "Kyle?"

Unable to talk and probably in pain, Kyle began to panic, causing Bo to yell for Lauren. The doctor came running, looking at the screen then down at her patient. She placed a gentle hand on her cheek, lowering herself until they were face to face.

"Kyle, I need you to focus on my voice. Look at me. Kyle, look at me."

Bo watched the two, eyes locked. She felt a streak of jealousy creep in, but pushed that back into the horrible whole it had crawled out from. She wasn't that woman anymore. She refused to be. Lauren was not her possession. She had a mind of her own – a strong and brilliant mind, at that – and she had the free will to make her own choices.

She watched as Lauren waited patiently, giving the woman a chance to gather her bearings and recognize her before she continued, "I've placed a tube in your airway, so you can't speak. The tube is helping you breathe. I'm giving you morphine for the pain because it's all we could salvage, but we don't have a lot of it. I'm sorry if you're in pain, but I can't give you as much as I'd like and I have nothing to keep you in a medically induced coma which is the usual protocol with someone in your condition. It would allow you to be comfortable and give your body a chance to heal."

Bo could hear Lauren's voice crack as she spoke. She was upset that her friend had to endure the pain of the burns, particularly because of how she'd acquired them,

"You saved my life." Her eyes roamed her patient's body, "I'm so sorry this happened to you because of me. I'm so sorry all of the things I need to help you were burned in the fire. I should have grabbed more."

Lauren's eyes moved down to Kyle's hand gripping her thigh as she tried to shake her head. Bo spoke for her,

"I think what she wants to say is that you would have done the same for her, as would any of us. She has no regrets, Lauren. Kyle will always take the high road and do the right thing. It's who she is."

Bo could see Kyle's eyes soften and close at the words she spoke.

Feeling Kyle's grip on her leg relax, Lauren continued, "I'm sorry for the delay, but Evony has assured us that she has supplies and more staff on the way, but right now we've got what we've got. You'll have to hang in there."

Kyle nodded and blinked once.

"Good. You can move your head. That answers my question about your neck. Can you wiggle your fingers and toes?"

Lauren and Bo looked down, both sighing with relief when she moved them, "Good. That's real good."

Kyle let out a moan, causing Lauren to cringe, "I know it hurts… everything hurts. I'm so sorry."

Lauren looked up at Bo, "Is there something Seline uses for pain like this?"

Bo nodded, "She has all sorts of things she uses for pain depending on what it is. Most of it puts you out."

"Honestly, that wouldn't be the worst thing right now. How could we get those medicines here?"

"I could go get them with a snow machine, but it will take a while."

"No. You're not going into the village with Big Jim after you. Can't someone else go?"

Evony approached, "I couldn't help but overhear you, darlings. My friend General Baron over at the Air Force Base has his boys flying in the emergency supplies by helicopter. They should be here within the hour."

Bo nodded, "It would take me that long to go one way."

"Okay. We wait. At least now I know how long I have until I get a good-sized supply of equipment that actually works efficiently."

She looked up at Kyle, "The supplies are almost here, so I'm going to up your dosage now, okay?"

Kyle's eyes welled with tears as she gave a single nod of her head.

"I'm so sorry." Lauren said again, "If I'd just been faster."

Kyle tried to speak, but Bo placed a hand carefully on an unburned patch of skin, "I've got this."

Kyle relaxed as Bo spoke on her behalf once again, "Kyle has a belief that everything that happens in life – good or bad – happens for a reason. She believes that everything plays out exactly as its meant to. What happened in that fire… it happened just as it was supposed to, Lauren. If you had done something differently, Kyle would still be laying here in the Visitor's Center."

"Yea, well I beg to differ. If someone had gone after Big Jim decades ago, none of us would be in this situation tonight." Lauren said, her temper surprising even her, "Sorry. I'm just… so… angry!"

Bo nodded, "We all are, Lauren."

"Then why don't you do something other than run all over the place with your dogs?!" Lauren yelled, causing everyone in the room to look her way. She hung her head, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean that."

Bo shrugged, "Yes, you did and with good reason. If you're looking for someone to blame here, blame me. If I'd stood up to Big Jim years ago…"

"You'd be dead." Came a voice from the corner, "He always made sure that during your encounters you were outnumbered. He always brought muscle with him and he always planned ahead to make sure he had the council's blessing."

Bo turned, watching five men enter the room. She was shocked to see Pops, Big Jon, Mark, Little Jon and Little Jim walking stride-for-stride towards her. It was Pops who spoke first,

"This is on us, Bo… not you. This is on the Morton Family and the village elders." The man looked at Little Jon, "My grandsons had quite a bit to say to me and my sons tonight… and they were right to do so. Not for the first time, my Dad went way off the rails tonight. He targeted his blood and burned a store to the ground that I opened when I was just nineteen years old. I should have acted long ago. What was done to you the night that you and your dogs pulled Little Jon from the lake… it was wrong. Everyone in this room knew it and none of us had the guts to stand up to Big Jim. We all owe you a debt of gratitude for saving my grandson, but we also owe you an apology for not doing right by you when he was wronging you so badly in every way he possibly could."

He pulled off his hat and stepped closer, "And despite it all… despite the way you were treated for so long you still work your ass off for this community. So, it's long past time this community does something for you."

The room erupted in applause, Bo's eyes traveling around the room until they landed on Kyle's once more. Her friend had tears in her eyes, causing the brunette to lean down and whisper,

"Don't you go getting all mushy on me here. Lauren will have my hide if your breathing tube gets clogged with snot and stuff that blocks your ability to get air."

Bo could see the corners of Kyle's mouth turn up, "Glad my sense of humor still makes you smile. Now rest."

Kyle glanced moved sideways towards the Morton Family again as Little Jon stepped up next to his grandfather and spoke,

"Bo, this flash drive holds all the evidence they need to take down Big Jim. This is your copy and believe me, there are a whole lot of copies…" he glanced around the room, "…should anyone get any ideas about hurting Bo to get to this drive."

Bo looked down at the long stick in her hand, "Okay. So… what is this?"

Lauren smiled and took the drive from Bo, plugging it into her laptop. She opened the first file on the drive which happened to be the confession from Jeffrey. Bo's friends gathered around the screen to watch while Lauren walked around Kyle's bed and administered another dose of morphine.

Before she closed her eyes, Lauren smiled down at her, "Do you hear that? You got your wish. The Morton men grew a collective pair and stepped up. They've almost got him. It's just like you said… the wolves are coming for him."

Kyle nodded, closing her eyes, the morphine doing its best. Lauren sighed, worried for her newfound friend, but happy that she would be rid of the pain long enough to get more sleep. That was the difficulty with third degree chest burns. The patient's lungs would fill with fluid and their fried skin would become stiff and brittle, losing the elasticity that allowed them to take a breath. Back East, she would have been flown by medical helicopter to a burn center where she could get the best possible care. Here, the best Lauren could offer was the make-shift ventilator until the weather cleared. Her respirations had been shallow and inefficient, so if Lauren hadn't taken this drastic step with the makeshift ventilator, Kyle wouldn't have survived the night.

If fighting to breathe wasn't enough, there was also the constant, extreme pain Kyle had to battle. Any burn that allowed the pain receptors to survive would continue to feel the heat as if the skin was still on fire. The constant, prickling, burning sensation on the surface with the unrelenting deep nerve pain would be with her non-stop until the damaged tissue and, eventually, new skin started to grow.

Unfortunately, that would not be possible in all areas where Kyle was burned. It would be unlikely that new skin would grow where she had third-degree burns, which meant that she would require multiple skin grafts on the right side of her neck, her chest, right arm, hip and thigh. Of course, the surgeries were just the beginning. Weeks of lying in bed would lead to the need for physical therapy and considering the burns on her legs, that would be painful as well. Lauren was very concerned about the considerable pain she was having in her right hip. Without an MRI, she couldn't tell the extent of the damage, but she was worried about the woman's hip. If the bone was dead, she would require hip replacement surgery at the least… she didn't want to think about the possibility of the damage being too severe to save her hip at all, but she knew it was possible. It was possible walking normally would not be in Kyle's future… if she had a future at all.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see Bo's concerned gaze bearing down on her. She reached back and placed her hand on Bo's,

"She's sleeping again."

Bo nodded, "Good. That's good."

"I've got to get her to a burn center, Bo. It's her only chance."

"Let me guess, Evony doesn't see a need for such an expense."

Lauren shook her head, "Actually, she would be happy to put her there since she wouldn't have to pay for the treatment. The problem is, the nearest burn center is University of Washington in Seattle. Airlift Northwest will fly out here to get her as soon as they have clear air."

Bo nodded, "I've seen them… out in the bush. People around here are so mistrusting of the Lower Forty Eight, but Kyle will fly with them… especially if she knew the alternative."

Lauren nodded, "I've got a call into their director. She's going to call Dyson to coordinate the pick up of the most severe patients as soon as they can get a chopper out here."

"How will she survive the flight off the respirator?" Bo asked, now concerned about the idea of her friend being so far away.

Lauren replied, "Airlift Northwest is a very special operation, Bo. They're basically an Intensive Care Unit inside of a helicopter. They save thousands of people in the Pacific Northwest every year. I'm surprised this town doesn't know more about them."

"Like I said… mistrust…"

Lauren nodded, "I get it."

"A side effect of living such an isolated life for so many years. Between the years of the gold rush and then the newer cruise line and tourism industries coming in… not to mention the crazy thrill-seeking adventurers and extreme climbers that arrived just before them, native Alaskans are a bit weary of the true intentions of outsiders. It's why people aren't too keen on your boss."

"Hell, I'm not too keen on my boss." Lauren laughed, leading Bo to join in for a short moment of humor amidst the horror that surrounded them for the last twenty-four hours.

When the laughter quieted and they had both refocused on listening to each shallow breath the ventilator provided to Kyle, Bo placed a hand on the patient's shoulder as she spoke to the doctor, "Well, the weather should break in the next hour or two."

"Good." Lauren replied, "That's good. I'll check in with Dyson. He's been here taking statements and running down leads. Actually to be more precise, he and Hale are going back and forth between here and the hotel gathering statements from witnesses."

"Anyone see anything that you know of?" Bo asked, not having considered potential witnesses until now.

Lauren shrugged, "Last I saw him, people had mostly just described the big fire ball and the resulting explosions. I knew about the people in the store and the clinic, but they moved me here to treat the wounded before I was aware the fire had spread back into the woods behind the store and clinic."

Bo nodded, towards a man lying on a sofa across the room, "That's Moe Baggs over there. He's lived back in those woods all his life."

Lauren nodded, "Yea, well he tried to save his home by fighting back the fire with two buckets."

"I suppose he lost the fight." Bo sighed.

Nodding, the doctor replied, "The left side of his face is going to be permanently scarred and I'm not too sure what will happen with his left leg. He's going to the burn unit as well. There's nothing more I can do for him here."

"You're saying he may lose his leg?"

"Bo, from what Dyson told me, Mr. Baggs is lucky he didn't lose his life. The only reason he's here is because Dyson commandeered an armored truck from the bank to get up here. It was the only vehicle around for miles that could make it through those flames. Dyson got there just in time."

Bo smiled, shaking her head, "That's Dyson for you. Always the hero."

"What is it with the two of you? Some sort of love, hate, angst kind of relationship you've got going."

Bo heaved a great sigh, "My problem with Dyson is that he thought he had to be my hero. He finally got the message, so things are a bit… awkward between us."

"Awkward as in sexual tension awkward or awkward as in stressful tension."

Bo shrugged, "He has a thing for me and I don't have a thing for him, so I guess a little of both."

Lauren smiled, "Good to know."

They remained silent, the awkward tension from the topic filling the silence until Lauren found a change of topic,

"So, it sounds like Big Jim's finally going to get his due. If the elders don't give him village justice, the town certainly will. Plus, there's the testimony of the two men who tried to kill you. When they catch him, he's going to prison, Bo. I just wish they had done something before he'd done all of this damage."

Lauren looked around the lobby of the center at all of the patients scattered around on cots, sofas, chairs and even the floors. It looked like the aftermath she'd experienced in some of the villages she'd worked in during her time in Afghanistan.

Bo only nodded, as her eyes, too, scanned the room. It only compounded the guilt she was feeling. This all happened because of her relationship with the town. He did all of this to make Bo pay for her very existence. How was she supposed to bear the weight of the guilt from this?

She looked up at Lauren, "I'm so sorry this happened. I'm sorry I didn't get here sooner, Lauren. I should have been here. It should be me on that table… not Kyle."

"Bo, this is not your fault. This was Big Jim's distorted sense of the twisted form of justice he believes you deserve. No one is blaming you."

"Just because they don't blame me doesn't mean I don't feel the guilt of them… and you… becoming the victims of his attack on me. I should have known. I should have been thinking it through. I should have been here… gotten back here faster."

"Well, you were sort of busy being shot at." Lauren cringed seeing the look on Bo's face, "Too soon to joke about it?"

The brunette shrugged, "The whole thing is a joke. It's a joke that anyone ever sided with his bigoted point of view, it's a joke that anyone ever thought I would actually intentionally do harm to Little Jon, it's a joke that anyone has decided my dogs or I should die for winning a stupid race too many times and it's a joke that anyone could repeatedly bring harm – mental or physical – to anyone as many times as that man has. The worst is that he has never been held accountable despite there being two branches of justice that govern him in this state."

Lauren smiled, "You finally admitted it."

Bo's face twisted, her brow furrowed with confusion, "Admitted what?"

"That what happened to Little Jon all those years ago wasn't your fault."

Bo began to speak, but stopped. She stared at Lauren for a long moment before she finally said, "Wow."

"Yup." Lauren smiled, "Congratulations on learning how to forgive yourself. Now you have to forgive yourself for these fires. You can't control Big Jim and like you just said, the people who can, haven't. You didn't give the order. That was Big Jim too. You didn't set the charges that caused the propane tank to explode at the clinic and the hospital. You didn't set the wick that caused the propane fire to ignite Mark and Molly's store. From what that guy Jeffrey told me before Dyson hauled him off to jail, the whole plan was to start the fire at a time that there was no way you could make it back to save us all."

Bo nodded, "Luckily you were all able to save each other. Mostly."

Lauren agreed, "We're all stronger together, Bo."

"Does that include you and me?" Bo asked quietly.

Lauren smiled, "I'd like to think so."

"Good. Because I think so too."

"Good." Lauren replied, "So what did the Morton family men have to say?"

"Well, you saw the evidence… at least a smidge of it."

"A smidge?" Lauren laughed.

Bo smiled, "I got one of those word-a-day-calendars. Smidge was the word on Tuesday. I've been trying to work it into a conversation ever since."

"Word-a-day-calendars?" Lauren chuckled.

"I get bored on the trail. Dogs offer one-sided conversation which also gets boring. I have to keep myself out of my own head. I finished both of my books, so I stopped at a bookstore and found an old 2018 word-a-day calendar on sale for a dollar. It was small and easy to carry. I went all the way back to January 1st and made myself recite ten sentences for every word. I'm up to March 12th."

Lauren laughed, "And you've used smidge in how many sentences so far?"

Bo lowered her eyes, embarrassed as she replied, "Uh… that was the first time… except I did tell the dogs to move up a smidge. They laid down instead."

Maybe they were in an inappropriate place for laughter, but it felt good for both women to let it out… loudly. Naturally, Evony came running,

"This may sound strange coming from me, but are you sure this is the proper time for…" she wagged her finger between the two of them, "…whatever this is?"

Lauren looked up at her boss and tried to contain herself as she replied, "Laughter is the best medicine, Evony. I don't think there's anything wrong with laughing just a little bit right now."

She looked at Bo who smiled as they both said, "Just a smidge."

The two allowed the laughter to pour from them once again, leading Evony to roll her eyes and walk away. Finally, they stopped and Lauren changed the topic,

"So… the race."

Bo smiled, "What about it?"

"Are you ready?"

She shrugged in reply, "Somehow it doesn't seem quite as important anymore."

"Bo, we talked about this. You don't run that race, Big Jim wins even if he can't line up at the start because he's a wanted man."

"We've got him, Lauren. Either way, I win and he loses."

"You have been running for weeks to train for this. Hours and hours of work… of your dogs' work just… thrown away because it's not important anymore?"

Bo shrugged, "I don't know. I mean, Harper can't run, now I've lost Athena. I can't replace her with Elsa."

"You were going to use Elsa?"

"Thought about it. She's been great, she's got great endurance, great instincts and she's bonded with the other dogs. They respect her because Harper treats her like a daughter." She paused before adding, "I would have asked first, but… well… I'm sorry she was injured. How is she?"

Lauren nodded, "Her burns are mostly first and second degree, thankfully. She has a small third degree burn on her tail. I'm glad she was with the other dogs. I don't know that she would have made it out of the clinic if she were in there with me and Kyle. We barely got out ourselves."

Bo nodded, "Those dogs are smart. If she or any of them were inside with you, you would have known sooner that a fire was coming. Hell, they probably would have heard whoever was outside setting the trap at the propane tanks."

Lauren sighed, "I never thought about it that way."

Bo was quiet for a moment before she spoke again, "Well, you can believe that when we rebuild the clinic and the kennels, there will be a lot more ways to exit in the case of fire."

Lauren smiled, "And a full-sized apartment upstairs? I mean, there's no sense in me taking up space at the hotel when I can just live at the clinic. I really miss cooking my own food."

"You cook?" Bo asked.

Lauren shrugged, "I used to… I mean, before I got married. Then things got chaotic and… well, just the other day I realized that cooking used to help me relax. I miss having a kitchen. I actually cooked Ramen Noodles on a Bunsen burner in my lab a couple of days ago."

"Wow. Mad culinary skills there, Doc."

Lauren frowned and Bo laughed.

"Don't think I don't realize you dodged the question about the race. I was really looking forward to watching you run. You've got thirty dogs, Bo. You've been training with all of them. Choose a team and go with it. I mean, those four dogs who saved you from Vince and Jeffrey seem like a good start." Lauren suggested.

Bo turned towards Lauren, "Okay… there's something I have to tell you."

"Okay… I don't like the sound of that."

Bo nodded, "The reason the Morton men came to see me was to tell me to stay put and stay alert."

"Why?"

"Big Jim and his men… they're missing. No one knows where they are."

Lauren swallowed hard, "So they think they're coming here?"

"Apparently, they had a huge blow up at the Point Siku General Store and when he left, he swore I wouldn't see the finish line. He apparently told them he had a backup plan. His truck, his dogs, his sled were all gone. Four of his men are missing too."

"So where did they go?" Lauren asked.

Bo shrugged, "They don't know. That's why they're talking to Jeffrey and Vince. They're trying to find out what they can… get them to fill in some of the blanks."

Lauren nodded, "Well, I'm afraid they won't get much out of Vince. He still can't talk."

Bo hung her head, unsure of what to say in reply. Ever since she'd returned, she'd felt uneasy… no, that wasn't it. She concentrated on the feeling… every nerve in her body was on high alert, her gut was filled with acid, her blood was on fire and her heart ached for what she had allowed herself to do to that man. She felt anxious, afraid, angry and guilty all at the same time. She could have killed him… honestly… part of her wanted to kill him… not for trying to kill her, but for trying to kill her dogs. They were innocent… but still, most would see killing a human much worse than killing an animal. Of course, Bo wasn't most people… she was anything but.

She felt Lauren's gentle hand on her shoulder and looked up, unaware that her eyes were brimming with unshed tears. Lauren shook her head, pulling Bo with her away from onlookers before she caught a traitorous tear as it traveled down Bo's cheek,

"You did what you had to do to survive, Bo. No one is questioning what you did to Vince."

"It still feels wrong." Bo replied, hanging her head once again.

"All of this feels wrong. But you have to finish this, Bo." Lauren insisted causing the brunette to raise her eyes to meet the blonde's.

"Are you actually on board with me going out there?" Bo asked.

Lauren shook her head, "Absolutely not." She replied conclusively before her eyes softened, "But I know you have to and therefore, I know you will. There's nothing I can do to change that, so I'm choosing to put all my strength and support behind your effort. It's who you are and that is exactly who I want you to be no matter how terrified I am about the odds likely being five of them to one of you out there."

Bo grinned, "You're forgetting my dogs… and from what I've heard, the town suddenly has vigilantes bent on their own special brand of justice."

Lauren lowered her eyes, shoving her hands in her pockets, "You're forgetting that Big Jim and his four men will each be on a sled with a full team. Their dogs will outnumber your dogs."

Bo shook her head, "Actually, that's not true. They'll drive most of the distance and only use the dogs and sleds when they run out of road to reach me. Because of the size of my team, I'll be most vulnerable in the woods and Big Jim knows that, so he'll have them use a smaller team so they can out-maneuver me. Their sleds will be empty beside weapons, ammo, water and a first aid kit while I'll be bogged down with supplies so will run deeper and slower if he comes at me in the beginning before my supplies run out.. They'll be fast… much faster."

Lauren stood, mouth agape for a long moment before she placed one hand on her hip while the other gestured as she spoke,

"So… is there any good news about your chances of getting out of this alive?"

Bo grinned, "You do remember I'm a tracker and a trapper, right? The trap that got Vince is one of the less complex that I have to offer that bastard. I've set snares that have caught big game just as well as small."

Lauren sighed, "Are you sure you're okay with doing that considering how you felt about what you did to Vince?"

She shrugged, "All bets are off now. Vince and Jeffrey were my warning shot across their proverbial bow. Big Jim knows I survived and I'm sure that by now, he also knows how. Secrets are tough to keep around here. He'll go snoop around the site where I took down Vince and Jeffrey, try to learn what he can about what I might do, but…"

"You're too smart to use the same methods twice." Lauren grinned.

Bo smirked, "I'm super smart… well… not as smart as you, but smarter than Big Jim, that's for sure. It's time I stopped taking a back seat to that mule. When I left the north, I was trying to find my family. Instead, I found Big Jim and my life has been nothing but trouble ever since. I forgot my roots because of what he did to me. I forgot the skills I used to survive to get here from the North. I just have to become the Bo Dennis I was born to be again."

Lauren placed both of her hands on Bo's shoulders and looked her squarely in the eyes, "Then I think it's time you put a stop to this so that you can take back the life he took from you."

Nodding, Bo replied, "Right. Take back my life. It's time. It ends now. No matter what."

"Well… I'd prefer you come back to me in one piece if you don't mind." Lauren smiled, dropping her hands to her sides.

"Right. One piece."

"One piece." Lauren agreed with a definitive nod.

They stood, staring into each other's eyes for a long moment before the alarm on the monitor of a patients' bed sounded. Lauren sighed, turning towards the woman, then back to Bo,

"Duty calls."

"Go save lives." Bo smiled, waving the blonde off.

Lauren nodded, placing a hand on Bo's arm while offering a small smile before rushing across the makeshift hospital. Bo watched as the blonde's eyes traveled dutifully to the monitor of the fire victim. Pulling a syringe from a tray, she injected a clear substance into the tube that ran into the patient's chest. It only took a moment for the monitors to stop, but Lauren stayed by the woman's side, checking her vital signs and making notes on the clipboard for a long moment before taking a moment to pull her hair up into a messy bun. She then began moving around the makeshift space to check in with each of her patients.

Bo smiled as she watched the doctor… her doctor, "Beautiful," she whispered.

Bo turned to stare out the window into the darkness, thinking about how great a life with Lauren could be if she won the race and put her past behind her. Their life could be… normal… although she didn't actually know what that meant. She'd seen 'normal' in her travels… families that lived in a house with land and chores and… well… a routine. She thought that now, with Lauren, maybe she could have that… maybe she could finish building her secret home in the woods and establish a real relationship with the doctor… make a commitment like real people do.

Then again, Lauren was from the lower forty-eight. Would she even want to stay in Alaska? She had been married back east. That wasn't easy for two women living on these lands. While they had a group of friends who would support them, there would always be the Big Jim's of the world here. Of course, Bo had heard they were everywhere, but still… could she leave Alaska if Lauren wanted to go home? She'd never lived anywhere else and her search for her family was not yet complete. She sighed, looking back at the doctor who had a stray strand of long blonde hair hanging over her right eye as she changed the bandage on the burn of a young boys' leg.

He was in pain, that much was obvious, but he managed a forced smile as Lauren spoke to him. The wince on his face eventually turned to laughter as she poked his belly. When she finished, she removed her gloves and reached into her coat pocket, handing the youngster a lollipop. He grinned as he took the offered treat, his smile growing as Lauren sat beside him to help him remove the wrapper. She had a way with people, and it was something Bo loved to watch. She seemed to get along with everybody and anybody. She was easy to like, and even easier to fall in love with… Bo knew that first hand and it had caught her by surprised when she realized it was happening to her.

Bo smiled thinking about how easy it had become to admit that to herself. She was in love with the doctor. She was sure of it. She was deeply, happily in love with the doctor and even though she hadn't been able to verbalize it to anyone yet, she knew it was a big step in her personal evolution that she could admit it to herself even though it made her feel somewhat weak and vulnerable.

The bottom line in Bo's mind… Lauren was amazing, and she couldn't imagine living life without her now that she'd experienced a small sampling of what life was like with her. Lauren challenged her and held her accountable for her behaviors. She questioned her actions and motives. She didn't allow her to be impulsive and rude… she forced her to think. Lauren made her a better person. Of course, it was an added bonus that the doctor was also smart, adventurous, capable and beautiful - both inside and out. If Bo survived this race, it would be nice to have a life with Lauren knowing that Big Jim was safely behind bars or worse… yes, to have a life with Lauren, if it came to it, Bo would do her worst.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **Twenty-eight Hours to Race Start**_

Lauren slipped quietly down the basement steps of the old hotel, stopping when she saw about twenty pairs of eyes look her way. Holding two fingers to her lips, she begged for quiet from the prospective race dogs as she walked towards the sleeping musher at the back,

"Shhh… good girl, Gaea. Good girl, Hera, Demeter, Artemis…" she continued along, "…lay down Nike, it's okay girl…"

She paused when she came to the boys, "Propping her hands up on her hips, Ares, Bacchus, Julius and Apollo… this could be your debut. I hope you boys are ready because those girls back there won't take any nonsense from you guys. They're champions and they have no time for being held up by a couple of boys that are subbing in for their fellow champion sisters."

Lauren had to laugh when Apollo groaned and lay down, covering his eyes with his front paws, "Well, I hope you get some confidence in the next twenty-four hours or we're in trouble."

She patted the snow-white dog on his head and moved on until she reached a sleeping Bo. She was out cold, though Lauren had to admit she wasn't surprised. She'd been running herself ragged for weeks. It was only a matter of time until she crashed. As a doctor, she was glad it was twenty-four hours before the race. It meant she'd have another good night's sleep and a chance to load up on nutrients.

Checking her watch, she knew that Bo had four more hours until her designated wake up call, so she grabbed a heavy blanket knowing the brunette was likely cold, laid down next to her and pulled the blanket over both of them.

"Wh… what time is it?"

"Ten in the morning. You have four more hours to sleep. Your team is getting everything ready. Mark said to tell you not to worry if you woke up when I came in."

"Kyle?"

"Still with us."

"You okay?"

Lauren nodded, "Evony's people arrived. A team of twelve doctors and eighteen nurses. She sent me to get some sleep after I briefed them on the patients."

"You single-handedly took on twenty-seven patients after all was said and done. You deserve some sleep."

The blonde agreed, "I was having trouble concentrating and I was making mistakes. Sleep was the only option."

Bo nodded, "Come closer so we can share body heat. I'm cold without the dogs."

Lauren slid into Bo's embrace, grateful for the warmth, before asking, "No heat in the basement?"

Bo shook her head, wrapping her arms tightly around the blonde, "Every room and free space in the hotel is holding guests, dogs or necessary equipment, so the furnace is running overtime. There are five wood stoves on the first floor and the one down here, but she ran out of firewood about six hours ago. Kurt called some of his buddies to have them bring wood and space heaters, but they're still a couple hours away. Kenzi just went to take a nap in her room – Hale's orders. She was getting cranky."

Lauren nodded, "Okay. So this is as good as it will get. Enough talk. We both need the sleep. Little Jon will wake us up when lunch is ready upstairs. Molly is feeding the hotel guests first, then family and friends."

Bo nodded, "Okay. G'nite."

"Nite."

The pair fell off, unable to fight the need for sleep any longer.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **Anchorage, Pre-Race Final Prep**_

Bo's team was running through the inventory, making sure they had everything in Kyle's delivery truck that they needed. They'd decided to move all of the gear into the large closed truck so it could be locked up until the race start. If Big Jim had a plan to try anything at the start, it would surely be to tamper with the equipment so Bo would have an 'accident'. Any equipment in the pick up truck was a decoy. She wouldn't be using it in the race.

The super cab of Kyle's pick-up truck did hold the dry goods for the other three teams she was supplying. The rest of their gear was stored in a portable shed. Those teams would be here soon, but Kurt had called all of them to let them know of Kyle's condition. He felt it only fair they knew they were walking into a situation that may not be ideal, so they could give themselves extra prep time. He'd quickly diverted the condolences in favor of conversation about their gear and hurried off the phone, but he was pretty sure that when they arrived, there would be more conversations to avoid.

"How are you, Kurt?"

He turned to see Mark standing next to the bumper of the truck, "Doing okay, Mark. Thanks. Do we have everything?"

"All of Bo's gear is prepped and ready. The food mixes are all prepped into individual bags and marked by the dog's position on the team since we don't have names yet."

Kurt pulled off his gloves and turned to Mark, "I don't know half of what my sister knows about mushing, but isn't it getting pretty late for Bo to pick a team, isn't it?"

Mark shook his head, "She's never been in this situation before, so I guess we're just going to have to follow her lead… no pun intended."

Kurt nodded slowly, "Sounds risky."

"Bo's been driving dogs since she was five years old. If I had to trust anyone's instincts, it would be hers."

Kurt nodded again, "Okay then… we'll wait her out. Don't see how we have any other choice."

Mark gave a nod, "We also don't know if she's going to pull a trailer behind for her hay and non-essentials. She said she wants to travel light just in case she has to lose a tail."

"Honestly, I'm more worried about these people who are coming out of the woodwork to 'protect her'. Some people are talking about being on sled patrol. The last thing Bo needs is a bunch of unskilled riders trying to intercept Big Jim and his boys. I'm afraid they'll collide with her or slow her down by crowding her or spooking her dogs. If it was her regular team, I wouldn't worry but using an unfamiliar team, she's already going to have her challenges."

Mark could understand the younger man's concerns. Kurt had been a highly respected competitive musher for five years, but he retired young to pursue the opportunity to buy his bosses' garage when he retired,

"Well, Bo has been running day and night rotating combinations of teams. I think she has a good feel for who can do what. She's just got to get out of her own head about not having Harper and Athena. Of course, she was thinking of using Elsa and Hercules in their places, but now she doesn't have them either. Like I said, I'm not going to second guess her. We'll just have to wait her out."

Kurt nodded, "Bo knows her shit unlike anyone I've ever met. She'll figure it out."

"Hey Dad!"

Mark turned to see Little Jim waving to him, "Let us know if you need any help unloading orders for the other mushers when they arrive… or dodging all the questions about Kyle."

"Appreciate it." Kurt replied as Mark moved back towards the large delivery truck.

"What's the matter?"

"Little Jon got word from a few of the village scouts about three men camping in the woods just outside of Campbell's Airstrip."

Mark sighed, "So they're going to try to go after her before the first checkpoint? Seems unwise."

Little Jon joined the pair and shook his head, "I doubt that's the plan. Word has it they're highly visible. I think they wanted to be seen and that they're going to stay a checkpoint ahead of Bo and backtrack to make their move."

Mark shrugged, "That would make more sense. Did you get rid of those other 'sled patrol' volunteers? I'm afraid they're going to get Bo or her dogs killed."

Little Jon and Little Jim both nodded their agreement, Jon voicing his concern first,

"I'd love to know where all these people were when the elders were siding with Big Jim years ago."

"No one died in a fire set by arsonists sent by Big Jim. People lost loved ones. They're as angry as we were with the way Bo was being treated after saving you. Honestly, my biggest concern is that they're all from the village which means village justice. They're all going to be carrying guns which means Bo could get hit in the crossfire."

Little Jim nodded, "Maybe that's Big Jim's plan. Run next to Bo so that she's between them."

"Could be. The bottom line is that we just don't know. Bo's smart. She'll figure it out once she knows what's happening." Mark assured.

"She's going to be pissed we let her sleep while all of this is going on. She'd want to know early."

"And that won't make a bit of difference." Mark countered, "I'll handle Bo. Don't worry."

Little Jon laughed, "Good luck with that."

"Thanks." His Uncle Mark replied.

"Come on. Let's go count the booties out and get the lines ready."

The three men headed off to the truck to prep the start line gear, all quietly pushing back the the fear over what was to come.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **Basement of Talkeetna Hotel, 3 hours later…**_

Bo felt a throbbing in her arm and awoke to find that it was asleep beneath Lauren. The pins and needles surged as she tried to pull the limb free, but she had to stop when the blonde began to stir. Lauren had been exhausted and the last thing she wanted to do was wake her, but at the same time, she needed her arm to drive her sled. Trying again, this time Lauren rolled away allowing her to yank it free but then found the blonde draped across her body.

She had to chuckle as she saw a tuff of hair blowing gently up and down with each breath the doctor took. Lauren was adorable when she slept, that much Bo had learned in the first month they'd begun this… arrangement… of theirs. She ran her fingers gently across Lauren's brow, brushing the hair away so that she could gaze upon the face of the woman she had quietly, secretly fallen in love with.

Bo took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, thinking about the race ahead. Truth was, she was determined to do her best to win, but she was also sure there was a battle ahead. She could feel it in the air. Big Jim was coming for her and he was not going to hold back. It was him or her this time – they would both lay it all on the line. As Bo gazed down upon the beautiful face of her first and likely only true love, she prayed that the battle would go in her favor. She didn't want this goodbye to be their last. She had too much to live for now.

She sighed, knowing she had to get up. She really didn't want to wake the sleeping doctor, but at the same time, she didn't want to miss the chance to look into her eyes, hold and be held by her, kiss her deeply and tell her… what to tell her… what would she say? I hope I don't die?

"Shit." She whispered, slipping out from under the blonde and carefully sliding from beneath the sleep sack to head up stairs. She would leave a message with Kenzi that her bestie would get her to the start tomorrow. There, they would say a heartfelt goodbye. Looking back at Lauren one last time, she allowed the image to carve itself into her memory and turned to walk up the stairs. It was time to face her past… or die trying.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

"Well, good afternoon Doctor Lewis. What can I get for you?" Kenzi asked from behind the bar.

"Do you know where Bo is?" Lauren asked, her eyes surveying the patrons of the restaurant.

The owner wiped down the old wood as she replied, "Yup."

Lauren turned and waited for a moment before she asked, "So… are you going to tell me where she is?"

"How 'bout you have a seat, let me get you something to eat and we have a chat."

"As much as I'd love to chat, I've got patients to visit and I'd like to know where Bo is." Lauren replied, her tone holding a slight edge to it.

"Well, Bo is my best friend and since I hold the best friend card, I believe a short chat is appropriate for the occasion."

"Occasion?" Lauren asked, clearly confused.

Kenzi placed her elbows on the bar and planted her chin in her hands, "I get an interview with all prospective girlfriends. The bestie stamp of approval is an important step."

Lauren shook her head, "What are we, twelve? I believe that Bo is a grown adult, as am I and whomever we choose to become intimate with is our business… no one else's."

"Lil' Mama, you're crossing a line here." Hale cautioned the petite younger woman.

"Uh, if you want to lose the sugar you currently get in your coffee, you'd better choose the right side, Sheriff." Kenzi replied to her beau, pointing a finger in his direction.

He raised his hands and his eyebrows, shaking his head, "Okay, but don't blame me when Bo isn't on your side for making demands of her Doctor."

Lauren was done, "I'm nobody's property, now is someone going to tell me where Bo is or not?"

"Fine! She headed down to the race start to meet up with the team. She has to register her dogs."

"Thank you." Lauren replied, "Can you explain to me how to get there?"

Hale looked at Kenzi who sighed, "Fine."

Lauren watched as she turned away and picked up a long velvet box with a red bow on top. Turning back around, Kenzi deposited the item on the bar in front of Doctor,

"That's from Bo."

"For me?" Lauren asked, surprised.

"You're the only one standing here." Kenzi snarked, watching Lauren stare at the box, "Look, what are your intentions with Bo?"

The doctor looked up at the young barmaid, "I intend to see her through this race and then do anything I can to support her in any way she wants for as long as we're keeping each other's company."

"Keeping each other's company?" Kenzi laughed, "How romantic."

"Yea, well living in freezing temperatures surrounded by the constant threat of impending doom has not helped the romance department." Lauren snarked.

Kenzi stared at the blonde for a long moment before she replied, "Okay… that's better. The train leaves in a little over three hours. It's the only one headed there until tonight. If you miss this one, you won't get to see her before the race start."

"Okay. Thank you."

Lauren picked up the box and turned away, but Kenzi called out, "Aren't you going to open it?"

Lauren nodded, "In my room. Thank you."

She quickly made her way up the stairs, giving polite nods to the locals who waved and gave her thanks for helping out with the fire victims. The truth was, she never liked having to listen to the accolades people tossed her way. She was awkward with compliments and generally unresponsive when people spoke. A nod and a half smile was usually the best she could muster.

As she reached her room, she put her key in the door and moved quickly inside. She could soak in a tub for an hour, check on her patients in the town center and walk across the street to catch the train. She wanted to be at the platform early since it might be crowded with people going to see their friends and loved ones who were participating in the race.

Moving to her bedroom, she smiled when she saw rose petals covering her bed. As she moved closer, she laughed when she found that they were all silk. She should have remembered that roses were not exactly a staple item in these parts. There was an envelope with her name on it leaning against the pillow. She laid down amongst the roses and opened the letter. When she saw that it was from Bo, she pulled it to her chest, closed her eyes, took a deep breath and smiled. After a long moment, she began to read,

 _Dear Lauren –_

 _I'm not sure what things will be like when I see you next. I just know that I will likely be barking orders at my team, dealing with my dog, running through my race strategies and putting the finishing touches on my plan to handle Big Jim and his men. That means, I may not have time with you and any time I do have, it may not be great for you. I tend to become distant when focused and abrasive when stressed… but of course, you already know that about me._

 _Still, I debated whether or not to wake you, but ultimately, you looked so peaceful sleeping that I simply didn't have the heart to wake you. I'm writing this while eating breakfast at my favorite corner table and watching the skies. A storm is rolling in again – I'm sure of it. Big Jim won't know because the weather stations haven't predicted it yet. I'm happy to have a slight advantage already._

 _Kenzi has a gift for you if you didn't stop at the bar. It was my Mom's. She gave it to me and told me that one day, she would be happy if I gave it to my partner or daughter… that it would protect them when I was away. I'm not sure I'll ever have a daughter, but I do have you. I want you to know that if I don't make it out of this, there is no one on earth I would rather have this than you because no matter what we were or could have become, you had my heart and I am grateful for all we've shared. If the Spirits grant me reprieve and return me home to you, then I will spend my time making you as happy as I am able while you are here._

 _Lauren, if he wins, I've made arrangements with Evony to get you as far away from all of this as possible. It won't be safe for you here if he isn't locked up or worse. Please don't resist. I wouldn't want you to get hurt because of your association with me. Of course, if you wear the gift from my Mom for the race, maybe we'll both be protected._

 _Take care, Lauren._

 _Love,_

 _Bo_

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **Anchorage, Race Pre-Start Area**_

"Where is she, Mark?" Lauren asked, storming up to the delivery truck, her eyes wild as she searched the grounds.

"What's wrong, Lauren? Is it Kyle?"

"What?" Lauren asked, scowling before she realized why he would ask the question, "No, Mark. Kyle was flown to Seattle last night. She's fine… well, as fine as she can be considering her condition is dire. Where is Bo?"

"She's in the kennel choosing her dogs. You're here much earlier than I expected." Mark replied.

"Yea, well Bo did something I didn't expect." Lauren replied, walking quickly off towards the small structure that Mark had pointed to.

She looked around as she walked, all too aware that Big Jim or his men may be watching. Just before she entered the kennel, she spotted a motorcycle with a rider wearing a black helmet up on a ridge above the kennel.

"Strange. I would think motorcycles to be useless in the snow." She whispered as she quickly lowered her eyes and entered the kennel. Inside, Little Jon and Bo were walking amongst the dogs, talking about what Lauren could only guess was various combinations for the team.

"Lauren." Bo said, looking up to find the doctor standing just inside the door.

"Hi. Uh… sorry to disturb you, but I got this somewhat disturbing message from Kenzi and…"

"Disturbing?"

Lauren looked at Little Jon who quickly took the hint and moved towards the door. The blonde grabbed his arm, "Thanks for the privacy, but could you carefully and without being noticed take a look up on the ridge at the man on the motorcycle, black helmet?"

Bo and Little Jon looked at each other, Bo giving her young apprentice the nod before he headed out. Bo took a few steps towards Lauren,

"So, I had hoped the letter would be more romance than… what did you call it? Disturbing?"

Lauren nodded, "What's all this talk about you not coming back and me going home? That's not the plan, right?"

"Right, but…"

"No buts, Bo Dennis. You will bring that perfectly toned ass back to me or I will come into the afterlife, find you and kill you myself. Is that understood?"

Bo's eyes went wide, "Yes, Ma'am, it certainly is!" She chuckled.

"Okay then. So… well, I guess that's all I had to say." Lauren said with a scowl, crossing her arms over her chest, "You can go and… well… win."

"I'll do my very best." Bo replied with a softer smile.

Lauren fidgeted with her jacket, shifting her feet in the snow, "And be aware of your surroundings, especially when you're near Big Jim's replacement."

Bo nodded, "You heard about that, huh?"

Lauren nodded, "Do you think the man driving his sled is one of his men?"

Bo shrugged, "Probably. I can't worry about that. He starts behind me, so my plan is to keep him there."

"You do know that bullets fly forward, don't you?"

Smiling, the brunette replied, "I do, but there will be too many people around most sections of the course in order for him to take a shot without a lot of witnesses."

"Still… be careful, Bo. Watch your back."

Bo grinned, holding up a mirror, "That's what this is for. It's from Mark's motorcycle. He's attaching it to my sled so I can literally see behind me."

Lauren nodded, staring down at her wrist, "The necklace and bracelet are beautiful, Bo. Thank you very much. Are you sure…"

She smiled, "I'm sure that my Mom approves, Lauren."

The doctor's hair blew forward across her face with a gust of wind. Bo brushed the mane back over Lauren's shoulder,

"You're beautiful." She smiled, leaning in and kissing her cheek. She whispered, "I'll be thinking about you every night. Wanting to get back to you will get me through this."

She pulled back, "See you soon, Doc."

Lauren laughed, knowing Bo had taken to calling her that just to annoy her, "You'd better."

The brunette turned to walk away but stopped when Lauren called out to her, "Bo, about what you said earlier… about your feelings for me. I…"

"Lauren, it's okay. I just wanted to say it so that you would know. You take your time. I was well aware that you may not say the same in reply. I'd rather you were sure if and when you say the words. It's okay, really. I just wanted you to know."

She smiled and turned away, walking off towards the shelter that held her dogs. Lauren stood, watching her walk away, her eyes brimming with tears as she whispered into the wind, "I love you too, Bo. Please come back to me."

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

Bo's team stood against the walls watching the Musher as she walked back and forth along the aisle between the twenty dogs they'd brought to the pre-race shelter. They'd all passed the Veterinarian check, so all qualified to race. Now, all eyes were on their master, tails at full wag as they awaited any command.

Hale and Dyson were perched by the door of the structure. They were the primary security for the Musher until she hit the trail. They would be by her side until the start whether she liked it or not. The orders had come down from the race officials at the mandatory mushers meeting on Thursday morning. As soon as they pulled Bo aside before the meeting, she knew there was going to be additional rules for her now that word was out about Big Jim coming for her.

 _Once they explained their point of view, the decrease in sponsors, bad PR over dog deaths, PETA's constant badgering about the sled dog breed and the resulting decrease in the championship purse, Bo knew she was going to have to give a little. Add to that the bigger climate issues they were now dealing with – having to bring in snow at some spots to have something for the dogs to run on and Bo had softened her view completely._

 _She stopped arguing altogether when they had informed her of the mass of vigilantes bent on protecting her as well as their culpability for allowing her to run the race knowing that Big Jim might have people shooting at her and her dogs on the course. She knew this was for the safety of the dogs, the other racers, the spectators and the historical event they all loved so much. She would accept the protection and the knowledge that there would be sheriffs and anyone else the committee saw fit to put on the course._

 _They finished by telling Bo that the other mushers were being informed at the meeting which is why they had wanted her to know before the mandatory meeting. It would draw attention to Bo and they wanted her to be prepared for calls from the mushers to have her disqualified from the race._

 _ **FLASHBACK… PRE-MEETING DISCUSSION WITH THE RACE DIRECTOR…**_

" _Now Bo, we have no intention of doing that. Most of these mushers would want you out of the race because you're a threat to them not winning the big purse. They are going to be required to sign confidentiality agreements, courtesy of the F.B.I."_

" _The what? What is the F.B.I. doing here?"_

" _This is an international race, Bo. The committee is an international committee these days. They've insisted on having them here to scout out the course."_

 _Bo looked down at her feet, telling the Race Director all he needed to know, "Bo, we go back a long way and I've heard about how you defended yourself before the big fire over in Talkeetna. You've set traps along the Iditarod Course, have you?"_

 _Bo nodded._

" _You'll need to make sure none of the Feds get caught up in those traps."_

 _Bo nodded again._

" _Kenzi know where they are?"_

 _Bo nodded._

" _All of them?"_

" _All except the ones at Iditarod. That ghost town is where I'll be on my own and at times, in the open. The snow is deep there and depending on the temperatures, it may make it hard for me to gain speed and outmaneuver anyone coming after me and my dogs. I've got to protect my dogs, Director."_

 _He nodded, "You have a right to do that and no one – not one person on our committee – things that after all your hard work prepping for this event – after the attack on your team and… well, I was sorry to hear about Harper… none of us want to see you pushed out of this race by that maniac. You should have had the Feds here long ago, Bo."_

 _Bo looked up at the man, tears threatening to fall. She swallowed hard, "You're not a native, sir. I don't expect you to understand, but I need to stay in good standing with the village elders. If I go around their justice system to the Feds, any chance of being accepted by my community is gone."_

" _They don't accept you now, Bo. What's the difference."_

" _Look… Mr. Director…"_

" _Bo, we've been friends for a long time…"_

" _And that is why, Mr. Director, that today of all days, we must follow the rules. We can talk later about what Bo should and shouldn't have done and how she's screwed up all this time, but the bottom line is that talk is cheap at this point. The situation is what it is. You'll either let me run or you won't. The other mushers will either ostracize me or they won't. Bottom line is that I'm here and we have a meeting to get to. You've got Kenzi's number. Put her in contact with the Feds so they know what to look for. I'll just have to hope that Big Jim has never crawled up the ass of any of them."_

" _Why's that?"_

" _Because if any of them get wind of where… they could be stopped… they'll tell him and that will put me or my dogs at risk for actually being hit by whatever weapons these guys will be carrying."_

" _Damn, Bo. You really think a Fed could be in league with Big Jim?"_

" _I think anything is possible where that wackadoodle is concerned at this point. I'll tell you this. Big Jim is mad… furious. He's at the end of his rope and someone that desperate is likely to come at me himself. He'll want to use a knife and he'll want to gut me up close and personal… after he makes me watch him slit the throat of everyone of my dogs. Where else will he have time, space and no witnesses to do that if not in the ghost town of the races' namesake? Fitting end for me in his eyes, don't you think?"_

 _The race director nodded, rubbing the back of his neck as Bo quietly walked away. He waved a a man in dark sunglasses in the back of the room, calling him to the front of the room. Bo sat down in a corner chair away from the other mushers and watched as the two men whispered quietly to each other. The Race Director then walked over to the members fo the committee. They all circled up, some looking at Bo, others looking at what Bo could only guess was one of the Federal Agents. Bo laughed thinking to herself that the Fed would die of frost bite in the first twenty-four hours if that was what he planned to wear. She wondered if agents had training as mushers, before the meeting was called to order._

 _END OF FLASHBACK -_

Hale removed his hat and scratched his head, whispering to Dyson, "Does she always do this?"

Dyson shrugged, "How would I know? The only reason I'm even this close in proximity to her dogs is because the race officials required security for her if she was going to race."

Hale laughed, "Guess not. Hell, the dogs would have bit your ass by now if she gave them free reign. They really don't like you. What'd you do, try to steal their food?"

Dyson looked at Bo, "I tried to steal their master, but she wanted no parts of me."

Hale's eyes went wide as he turned to look at the Sheriff, "You tried to bed the one and only Bo Dennis? Dude, you know she doesn't do relationships. Everyone knows that."

"Yea, well she seems pretty set on doing a relationship with that new doctor." Dyson growled.

"You jealous?" Hale laughed.

"No. Of course not." Dyson lied.

"You are, but good for you pretending you're not. I just hope you can do the job we've been assigned to do."

"Don't worry about me, Hale. I'll do the job just fine."

Hale returned his hat to his head, "Sure hope so. I'll be pissed if you get me killed."

"Yea, well Bo's gonna be mega pissed if she sees Tamsin pretending to be a Musher in this race."

Dyson looked around, "Shhh. No one is supposed to know about that, so keep it to yourself."

"You really think she can keep up with Bo?" Hale asked.

Dyson shrugged, "It won't matter. Her sled has a modified snow machine beneath the sled. All she's gotta do its turn it on and the dogs will be running to catch up to the sled."

"Gentlemen, your silence would be appreciated." Mark leaned over and cautioned the men, "This is a crucial decision and Bo needs to concentrate. You are both well aware she doesn't want you here, so please do not do anything that will further upset or distract her from her routine."

"Of course." Dyson bowed his head apologetically.

All three men turned their attention back to Bo who now had a pad of paper and pencil out. She was scribbling away, drawing and writing, drawing and writing while occasionally tapping the eraser against her bottom lip. After another twenty minutes or so, she looked up at her human team,

"Lead dogs Nike and Diana, Swing dogs Jenna and Muk…"

"Bo, you do realize that Jenna and Muk have never…"

"I know your concerns, Little Jon but I've been running the backup dogs for weeks. You're gonna have to trust me the way I trust them."

Little Jon nodded as Bo turned back to her paper and continued,

"Ready Gaea and Aphrodite at the wheel position. They both lost their running partners. They'll do well together and if anything happens to any of the forward dogs, I can still move them up." Bo paused, re-reading her list.

Little Jon leaned over to his Uncle Mark, "I get it now. She's sacrificing Jenna and Muk since they're most likely to get hit if someone takes a shot at the dogs while they're on the run."

Mark nodded, "Smart move. Shame she has to think this way at all, though."

Little Jon could only nod in reply as he looked towards Bo's voice,

"The team line up is tough. I can only add two to the rig, so I'm going to keep Hera, Demeter, Nemesis, Artemis, Hestia and Iris paired in order from back to front as usual. Pair Atalanta and Persephone in front of Hera and Demeter. They'll keep them in line. Besides, Atalanta has a crush on Nemesis. She'll follow her anywhere."

The team chuckled as Bo moved to Nike and Diana, releasing the two from their leads and bringing them together,

"Okay, ladies. It's time to go to work. I know you've got some inexperience behind you, but they're strong, I promise you. Just lead the way and they'll get the job done. Ready to go?"

The two dogs barked, leaning in to Bo's embrace. The Musher moved down the row, releasing each of the selected dogs so that her team could pair them up. They'd have a few hours for them to get used to each other before they'd need to get started with the race prep.

Bo walked towards the door, "Get Ares, Bacchus, Julius, Apollo, Anna and Belle together for the Ceremonial start. I guess throw six of the pups into the mix to round out the team. Who's running the drag sled?"

Little Jon stepped towards the brunette, "Bo, I've talked it over with my parents and they're on board. If you want, you can run my team for the start. If my Grandfather's going to have his men take a shot at your dogs, he'll hit dogs bred by my family and not you. It's only right."

"Jon, I'm not getting your dogs shot. They're young and they're gonna race for you in a few years."

"I know you don't see it this way, but me and my family do. We owe you Bo. We owe you so many times over it's become ridiculous now. You have to let me do this. I have to make it right in my own head… my cousin's head too. It's my kin that have let Big Jim run wild you your life. This is what's right. You have to let me do this, Bo. Please!"

Bo watched as tears began to stream down Little Jon's red face. He wasn't making eye contact with her so she knew he was in a bad way, emotionally. She took a breath and relented,

"Okay, let's see how six of your pups run with six of mine. You pick the group and you put them on the line as you see fit. Just remember that horn toad of mine."

Little Jon laughed, "He'll breed well one day."

"Yea, well let's just see if he can run a straight line with the distraction of a crowd at the Ceremonial start. Anchorage gets pretty loud and these dogs are used to running the backwoods of Talkeetna and the quiet trails from Willow on." Bo explained.

She placed a hand on Little Jon's shoulder, "You know how to handle the drag sled?"

The young man smiled, "I'd been practicing with Kyle before the fire."

"She was teaching you because she wanted to retire from doing the Saturday run."

"She hates ceremonies."

Bo nodded, "She always did. It's another thing we always agreed on, though we both understand why they do it. It's cool for the community to get to meet the dogs and the Mushers."

"You'll tell me if we're going to fast?" Little Jon asked.

"Sure will." Bo nodded, happy that he understood his role driving the sled that would run behind her to the official start.

Race dogs were known for their energy and a drag sled helped to slow them down, making it safer for both the dogs, the drivers and the spectators. If a sled skidded out of control at top speed, it could do a lot of damage to dogs, people and property. She'd seen it before, but she was confident that Kyle would have taught Little Jon everything he needed to know.

"Thanks, I just want to do it right my first time out. I know how important it is to keep a proper speed. I'm just not sure how fast is too fast for the safety of the crowds."

"I'll let you know if I need to. You just show me what you learned from Kyle and I'll finish off the teachings if there's any lessons to be had."

Little Jon grinned from ear to ear, "This is awesome!" He jumped a bit as he beamed at his Uncle, "I'm driving a drag sled in the Iditarod start!"

Bo leaned over to Mark, "How about that other surprise for the Anchorage start?"

Mark grinned, "All taken care of, Bo. Kenzi should be there by now with the… package."

"Great. You have some extra gear, right? It's colder than last year." Bo replied.

Mark nodded, "The package will be snug as a bug. Promise."

Bo laughed, "You're making an awful lot of promises this year, Mark. You sure?"

He laughed in reply as Bo's tone grew serious again, "You'll see that my starting team is fed and watered?"

"I will." He replied.

"Get their first pair of booties on their feet so they can start wearing them in. I'd like to keep my back up dogs here until I leave Willow… just in case anyone doesn't pass the vet check. Someone will have to take the dogs I don't use back to the kennel."

"I understand. Kurt is going to fly them back to Talkeetna rather than send them with the race planes. We're not taking any chances with personnel who aren't directly tied to our team."

"Thanks, Mark. I know that's an extra expense." Bo replied.

Mark shook his head, "Kurt's company is covering the expense… actually Kyle's company is covering the expense. Kurt refuses to call the company his unless his sister actually passes. If she lives, Kyle's going to have a ton of money after the lawsuit being filed on her behalf."

"Isn't that your family's money?" Bo asked.

Mark shook his head, "A little known fact… none of Big Jim's money is family money. It's his money. When my brother and I turned eighteen, we were financially on our own completely. He always told us if we can't earn our own money, we don't deserve money. We worked our asses off day and night to make enough money to buy land and at age nineteen, we built the store in Anchorage."

Bo nodded, "Good to know."

Mark nodded in reply, "Anything else?"

Bo shook her head, "I'm going to go load gear."

"It's already done, Bo. We've taken care of everything, I promise. We've been your team for a long time now. We've got your back. We wanted things done before anyone else got out there. Your gear is all locked up where no one can get at it. Kurt is the only one getting into that truck but just to be sure, Molly and our boy are there as well."

"Mark, you brought your wife and kid into this shit show?" Bo questioned.

"Now you know Molly is an expert marksman, Bo. She put herself down there with Dorothy and Auntie Em planted firmly on her hips. She's also got the Tin Man stuffed into her boot. Little Jim's no different than his cousin Little Jon here. He'll stand a post as well. I told you, our family is going to see this through. My Grandfather's reign is over and we're here to make sure of it… no matter what."

Bo nodded, "Well, I've seen the damage that Molly's two pistols can do, so if they're on her hips, I feel much better about her being involved. Never let it be said that I thought your wife couldn't take care of herself."

Mark grinned, "She's lived here all her life. She knows the risks."

Little Jon nodded, "Besides, if Aunt Molly can take down a Grizzly with those two pistols, she can surely take down three men with the Tin Man as her backup."

Bo nodded, though the young man wasn't thinking about the fact that the three could come at her from different sides and there could be more than three. Big Jim had ways of recruiting people and he wasn't done yet. She turned to Mark,

"So you're sure I don't have to worry about having all of my gear?"

Mark assured her, "Positive. We've been through this with you many times now, Bo. We know you are very particular about your gear and we made it just as ordered. Kyle took really good notes and we took care of any changes she had written down."

"And the latest weather?" Bo asked.

Little Jon replied, "Temps will range from 5 to 30 from Willow Lake to the end. They're expecting winds and weather as you travel west. There's a big one coming into the Bering Sea, so the closer you are to the finish, the more wind you'll have. Plus side, you've got a hard, fast Rondy trail right now. There will still be slush so they're not expecting any course records being set, but it's good for now. Probably about six degrees in the morning."

"Are you sure we have the right size booties now that I'm taking two of the bigger dogs?" Bo asked.

He nodded, "Actually, I bet on Ares and Apollo, so yes, the correct sizes are there."

Bo turned to Mark, "You bet I'd take the boys?"

He shrugged, "Nope, but I did think that my bet could be wrong, so I packed the big sizes based on my own stupidity."

Bo smirked, "Good man. Who bet on the boys?"

She surveyed the room and watched three hands go up, their heads down, "Sorry guys. If there was a year I was going to race the boys, this might have been it. Hercules was a definite if he hadn't gotten hurt. Ares was definitely in the running since he's from the same line as Herc and Harper, but he'd have to run lead in order to avoid getting a bad case of the hornies being around the girls. I'm not replacing my leads."

They all laughed as Bo leaned down and looked fondly upon the face of the dog in question. He barked twice in her direction, standing up and wagging his tail,

"I know you would have run hard, boy. Maybe someday you'll get your shot at glory when your libido calms down."

He whined as she turned and walked towards the door, seemingly knowing he'd lost the Iditarod lottery.

"Frick, Frack, let's go." She waved to Dyson and Hale who rolled their eyes.

"Apparently she forgot our names. This will be fun." Hale moaned as they set out towards the registration area.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **Anchorage, Iditarod Ceremonial Race Starting Area, thirty minutes to race start…**_

Lauren stood with Kenzi who had driven an insistent Evony to the race start. The woman had whined about the cold and the damage to her boots the entire walk to their current location, insisting that her helicopter could have dropped them right on the very spot where they now stood. Kenzi had countered that the police would never have let that happen, but Evony reminded her that everything has its price.

"I don't understand why they start this stupid race twice. How do they call it a start if it's not actually the start?"

Kenzi shook her head, "You're sounding like a tourist, Evony. Didn't you research this at all before you came? You see, there's this thing called Google these days and even Alaskans know how to use it."

"Why look it up when I have you to explain it to me." She snarked.

Kenzi sighed, "It's basically community PR for the race. They get to interact with the Mushers and the dogs. It's our kind of fun. There's something for everyone."

"Not for me."

"You're not Alaskan so who cares."

"Anyone who wants my money should care. Don't you want that hotel of yours renovated? Your furnace fixed? It's colder inside than it is outside."

Kenzi had no reply for Evony's snark so she simply closed her mouth and turned her attention back to the starting line, watching with Lauren for any sign of Bo's team… or more specifically… Mark. She was slightly concerned about the shiver the doctor had going considering she had already had hypothermia once since her arrival in Alaska. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea.

"So, they're going to go from here to the actual start which is Willow Lake?" Lauren asked Kenzi.

The younger woman nodded, "Every year they do this big send off on 4th and Cordoba. It's a fun time. This year there's fifty-two teams and they'll go down the stretch in their regular race order so everyone can meet them. Each Musher will have a drag sled attached that will slow them down so everyone stays safe. Kyle usually drives Bo's drag sled, so I'm not sure who's doing that this year."

Lauren nodded while Evony pulled her collar up closer to her ears and groaned more about the cold. The other two women just rolled their eyes,

"Honestly, it's not that cold out here, Evony." Lauren stated. She was getting tired of her bosses' incessant complaining since her arrival. She'd forgotten just how much the woman got on her last nerve. There was no need for her to be at the race. If she was going to be miserable, why didn't she just leave?

"It is cold out here and you know it. You're just trying to impress Kenzi, though why you would feel a need to do that I can not for the life of me understand." Evony looked over her shoulder at Lauren, "Unless you think she can help you land wondersnatch for your next marriage."

Lauren winced at the statement, knowing that Bo had decided not to mention her previous marriage to her best friend.

"You were married?" Kenzi asked, surprised.

And there it was. Lauren glared at Evony who smiled at her own snarky success.

"I was, now I'm not. If you want to know about it, ask Bo. It's not something I'm going to rehash again no matter how much Evony may feel a need to broadcast my personal life across the winds of Alaska."

Kenzi noticed the look of victory on the brunette's face and decided to drop the topic for now. She definitely hated Evony a whole lot more than Lauren. Of course, Bo had insisted on her being more friendly towards Lauren before they'd parted ways this morning. Kenzi shrugged as she spoke to Lauren,

"Yea, well maybe Evony will be going outside real soon and you won't have to deal with her." Kenzi replied.

"We already are outside." Evony huffed.

Kenzi laughed, "And you're definitely from the lower 48. I meant going outside of the state, as in leaving so that we don't have to deal with you anymore."

Evony glared at her as Kenzi turned back to Lauren, "I don't know why you keep working for her."

Lauren frowned, "It's this piece of paper called a contract."

"Ugh, you poor, poor thing. That's like thirty more months of indentured servitude! I'm not sure I could do it." Kenzi said, shaking her head vigorously.

Evony snapped, "Wow. You're capable of basic addition. That's some pretty advanced math for you considering you can barely turn a profit on that hotel of yours. You really should let me buy that from you. I would still allow you to work there."

Kenzi laughed, "You'll get your hands on my hotel when hell freezes over."

"Look around, goth Queen. We're in hell and it's definitely frozen over."

Lauren looked up, "Seems to me the sun is shining in hell today. Nice weather."

Kenzi smiled and nodded in agreement, "So it is. Nice place, hell."

"Lovely." Lauren smiled.

"Afternoon, Ladies."

"Gordie. How's it hangin', buddy." Kenzi said, greeting the elderly gentleman who came to stand between she and Lauren.

"High and to the right."

Lauren held back the laugh, but Kenzi gave a snicker, "That sounds like it could be painful, Gordie."

He laughed and nodded, "That it is, considering these days it's more likely to be hangin' low and left."

Kenzi howled, "Oh, Gordie. You are always good for a laugh."

He smiled, "Well, I'm eighty-eight years old and the doc here says there's nothing she can do for me, so…"

"Gordie, that is a flat out lie!" Lauren interrupted, "You never told me there was anything wrong with… your… uh… reproductive area."

"Relax, Doc. Kenzi and I are just having a laugh at your expense. No need to get all riled up."

Kenzi laughed in Lauren's direction, "You've got to work on recognizing sarcasm, Doc. This sourdough's been making people uncomfortable with his jokes for as long as trees have been on this land."

"On the serious side, Kenzi, do you have any idea when Bo is gonna be able to come and help me out with my cache?" Gordie asked.

Kenzi turned to Gordie, "She sent Hack and Paul out to do that weeks ago. They never showed?"

Gordie shook his head, "Nope and Bo ain't been around to tell her, not that I don't understand with Big Jim tryin' to kill her and all. Asshole."

Again, Lauren fought back the need to laugh while Kenzi replied, "He sure is."

Gordie leaned in and whispered in Kenzi's ear, "So… I've got that thing you needed."

Kenzi nodded, "Thanks, Gordie. Sorry for the last minute request."

He shrugged, "No worries. Everyone knows I've officially retired from silver smithing."

"Yea, but they also know you're still doing orders for people if they ask."

Gordie smiled, "It's a hobby. I only do orders for people I like. It's a retirement luxury."

"May be, but you're still better than anyone else in town." Kenzi smiled, sliding her hand out so that she could take the velvet pouch in hand without anyone seeing the exchange, "You got your bucks, right?"

He nodded, "Tell Bo it was nice doing business with her."

"Will do." Kenzi nodded.

"Ladies and Gentlemen! It's that time again!" The announcer's voice rose above the mumblings of the crowd pulling the attention of Gordie and Kenzi,

"Looks like you were just in time, Gordie." Kenzi smiled.

"You'd better get her over to the start." Gordie reminded.

Kenzi smiled, "Thanks again." She turned to Lauren, "Doc, I'm gonna need you to come with me."

"Oh? Where are we going?" Lauren asked.

"Yea, where are we going?" Evony asked.

Kenzi turned to Evony, "You are staying right here with Gordie. Lauren, you're coming with me. It's a surprise. I promised I wouldn't spoil it."

Lauren's mouth had barely opened to protest when Kenzi shut her down, "Now, Doc. No arguments, no questions, don't shoot the wee messenger. Come on."

Kenzi grabbed Lauren's elbow and pulled her towards the starting line. Lauren wasn't sure what was about to happen, but she decided that pulling away from Kenzi would be a big mistake.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 **Iditarod, Ceremonial Start**

"Here's the package, BoBo."

Kenzi noticed immediately that her best friend was in a foul mood as she presented Lauren to her. Bo looked up at Lauren,

"Hi."

Then looked at Kenzi, "I can't believe that Dolly and Biddy are covering the race with Talkeetna's local TV news station."

"Dolly and Biddy?" Lauren asked.

Kenzi held a finger up to Lauren as she emphasized her point, "Not their real names, but they are old rivals of Bo in the Iditarod. Dolly beat her the first year she raced and Biddy got her the second year. Bo beat them both every race after, so they started spreading gossipy crap about her in town. You can bet they won't be saying many nice things about Bo during the race."

"They've already started, saying that a lot of the changes this year are because of increased security around me and my team."

"They did not say that!" Kenzi replied.

"They did!"

"Them bitches be nasty witches!" Kenzi said, "But we'll have to deal with them later. I've got many ideas for how to get revenge on them. For now, let's get the sled loaded."

Lauren's brows knit together, "I thought the sled was already loaded."

Bo smiled, "She means my ceremonial sled. You see, it's tradition for the mushers to have someone who is important to them ride in the sled to the start. They're called the idita-rider. Usually, people pay for the privilege of riding in a sled, but this year that fee was handled for you."

"By who?"

"That doesn't matter, Lauren. What does matter is that I'd like the person in my sled to be you, Lauren. You've done so much for me since you came to Alaska. You've taught me to open my eyes to the world… well, to everything around me and all of the possibilities my life has to offer. You've changed me… hopefully for the better. I can't think of anyone else I would rather have in this position of honor. Will you ride with me?"

Lauren's eyes filled with tears, "Bo, I… I… I'm not a native. Why wouldn't you take Seline or someone closer to you?"

"There is no one closer to me than you, Lauren."

The blonde cringed as she awaited a snarky comment from Kenzi, but none came. She looked up to see Bo's hopeful eyes staring back at her,

"You know, you're like a newborn pup, looking at me with those big sad eyes. Yes, I'll ride with you."

Bo grinned from ear to ear as she took the velvet pouch from Kenzi, "Well, I believe you just met Gordie. I had him make this for you to commemorate the occasion."

Handing the gift to Lauren, Bo waited anxiously for her reaction. Opening the small bag, Lauren poured the contents into her hand.

"What a beautiful bracelet, Bo."

"If you look at the charms, I think you'll find there is one for every big moment we've shared since we met."

Lauren looked down to examine each of the charms, "Dog, the caduceus…"

"The what now?" The two observers said in tandem.

Lauren chuckled, "That's what this is called. Historically, it was the symbol of Hermes. It's two snakes winding around a staff that, like this one, has wings. It's a fun fact that in our country, we often mistakenly use it as a symbol for medicine instead of the Rod of Asclepius."

"You mean he made the wrong thing?" Bo asked.

Lauren smiled, "It's an honest mistake. The asklepian would be the appropriate charm, but since it's so often mistaken, it's very common to see it as a representation of medicine."

"I'll have him fix it." Bo replied.

Lauren shook her head, "Not necessary. Bo, this is great. Is the dog house representative of the kennel or of you being in trouble with me?"

Bo laughed, "Take it as you will, but yes, I meant it to be the kennel."

"Look at this beautiful, tiny sled… and is this the Labrys?"

Kenzi asked, "The what?"

Lauren looked at the young woman, "The Labrys is the symbol of female strength."

Bo shook her head, "It's a take on that." She leaned in and whispered to Lauren, "I asked Gordie to design something that represented a woman gaining the strength to love… something you did for me. It's his take on that."

The blonde smiled, "It's beautiful, Bo… and meaningful. Will you help me put it on?"

Nodding, Bo pulled off her gloves and attached the bracelet to Lauren's wrist while the blonde continued to take inventory of the various charms.

Kenzi pulled the backpack off her shoulders, "So, this isn't hot chocolate, alcohol and snacks as I previously suggested. This is cold weather gear for the ride."

Lauren smiled, "Thank you, Kenzi. You two had this all planned out, huh?"

Bo grinned, "More like us five or six. A lot of pieces had to fall into place since I was previously running unaccompanied with Kyle as my drag sled driver. We had discussed me not going at all and using Tamsin in disguise as a decoy, but the race officials wouldn't allow it since it would have left me unprotected."

There was a moment of silence before Bo asked, "Are you sure you want to do this? I mean, Big Jim could take a shot at me and hit you."

Lauren shrugged, "We're together most of the time, Bo. It could happen anywhere."

Bo shook her head, "Not during this race, we're not. Maybe this is a bad idea."

"No. You don't get to do that. You don't invite me to take place in the greatest race ever run and then take it back because you're afraid Big Jim will be stupid enough to take a shot at me with thousands of witnesses around."

"I just... I wasn't thinking about the danger I might put you in when I…"

"Stop it. Stop it right now. Do not ruin this beautiful moment you've created for us. Courage, Bo. We're going to face this thing with Big Jim together. If you want a life with me… if we're going to be together… we have to respect the decisions each of us makes. I am making this decision because I refuse to allow Big Jim to taint this memory for me… for us. If something bad happens, it happens because we chose to have the courage to take the chance to make this journey together."

Bo nodded, but Lauren knew the fear had set in. Loving someone meant you feared for their safety. In Bo's case, she had been conditioned to feel responsible for anything that happened to her loved ones and that guilt is what had caused her to shut down. All of it had come at the hands of Big Jim,

"This is about us, Bo. No one else. I could just as easily get attacked by a bear on the trail. But it only took a near death experience on a dog sled months ago for me to decide that I was not going to let fear ruin my life. Alaska and Big Jim will not stop me from doing the things I love with the people I've come to care about in this town."

"Okay." Bo replied.

Lauren smiled, "Now… are we doing this or not?"

Bo grinned, taking a deep breath, "Let's do this."

Lauren clapped her hands together, giggling with excitement, "I'm actually riding in a real Iditarod sled! This is so exciting! Can I give the left and right commands along the trail? Will they listen to me?"

Bo laughed, watching Lauren's adorable rant. She'd learned the doctor got this way when she was both nervous and excited about something.

"You've got to get this gear on, Lauren. We're up soon." Bo picked up the backpack and opened the zipper, revealing the cold weather gear that Kenzi had packed for her.

Lauren asked, "I suppose this goes under what I have on?"

Bo nodded, "We're just adding a couple of extra layers for beneath your waterproof outer jacket. The goggles, gloves and hat are the usual brands you've been wearing. Kenzi had them shipped up from Big Jon's store in Anchorage. You shouldn't need most of it until we're out on the trail."

Lauren nodded as Kenzi helped pull the rest of the gear from the bag, "Okay you two, I'm gonna head back out. Gordie has probably had all he can take of one Evony Fleurette Marquis."

"That man is a national treasure." Bo smiled, "I can't believe you left him alone with Evony."

"Which is why I have to get going. He doesn't deserve to be left with that witch for longer than is absolutely necessary." Kenzi replied.

The two friends hugged, before Kenzi reminded, "You be safe out there, Bo. Watch your back, front and sides. Listen to the dogs. I know they're not your usual team, but they're every bit as good at detecting danger. You have the trap map, right? I wouldn't want you to get caught in your own snares."

Bo laughed, patting her left chest, "Thanks for laminating it. You'll get one of these to the…"

Kenzi pointed to Lauren who was distracted by getting dressed and pulled Bo away to talk security news with her friend,

"I've already dealt with the Feds. They'll be in hiding in and around the pass through Iditarod since the map only covers where the traps aren't, not where they actually are. You're sure none of the mushers can hit any of these traps you've set, right?"

Bo nodded, "Positive. The traps are set up at entry points to the trail, not on the trails themselves. The Feds know to stay out of sight, right?"

Kenzi shrugged, "They'll have sharpshooters out there. That's all I know."

"Not the kind of protection I had in mind, but the ghost town does have structures they can hide in. I just hope they don't get buried inside of them. They're not very stable."

"Not your problem, Bo. The sharpshooters are for the good of every dog, musher, race worker and spectator out there, Bo. Seline has been working on getting the vigilantes to back down as have Dyson and Hale."

The musher nodded, "Right. Have you got the trail report?" Bo asked.

Kenzi nodded, holding up a finger, "Almost forgot. Sorry." She pulled out the document from her backpack and handed it to Bo.

The musher grabbed the report and slid it in with the other documents and maps that were in the rail pouch on her sled, "I'll read this when I get to Willow unless you think there's something important that I need to know for the first eleven miles."

"Nope. Just remember that your life is more important than a trophy."

Smiling, Bo glanced at Lauren, then back at Kenzi, "It is now."

"I'm happy for you, Bo. Really, I am."

"Thank you, Kenzi. And thank you for giving Doc a chance."

Kenzi snapped her fingers and pointed them at Bo, "She's actually not the stick-in-the-mud that I thought she was. And she's good at insulting her boss."

"Don't even get me started on that. We've got to find a way to buy Evony out of some of the stuff she owns around here. She's got way too much power."

"Agreed. We'll work on that after Big Jim is behind bars." Kenzi replied, "See ya later."

Kenzi turned to Lauren who had politely stepped away to allow the two friends to speak privately, "Have fun out there, Doc. Enjoy the scenery and the atmosphere of the last great race on earth! Hopefully the dogs behave, Little Jon handles the drag sled well and you don't crash."

"Crash?" Lauren asked, her eyes going wide as she looked at Bo.

Bo laughed, waving her friend off, "Get out of here." She turned to Lauren, "She's kidding. Well… mostly. The dogs run… it's what they love, it's who they are and it's what they do. We're going to try to keep them under their top speed, so the dogs behaving is important. The problem is, we're running a team mostly full of rookies."

"So crashing is entirely possible." Lauren replied.

Bo shrugged, "Not if we talk to the dogs and keep them focused on my voice rather than the crowd."

"You mean we're expecting them to hear our voices over the thousands of people lining the streets out there?"

Bo laughed, "Yup."

"Of course." Lauren smiled, getting into the sled as Bo held back the blankets and cover. Once settled, Bo covered the blonde and pulled the waterproof cover across and snapped it to the frame.

"All set?" Bo asked.

Lauren looked at the team of dogs in front of her, "You kids behave!"

Bo laughed, as the dogs turned around and barked at the blonde, "They said they will. Here we go."

Bo expertly steered the sled from its position away from the other sleds to the starting area. They sat listening to each rider announced, Bo feeding Lauren information about each of them. The blonde asked questions, wanting to know who the favorites were, how many sponsors they had, where they were from and other information. Bo was happy Lauren was excited about the race and taking an interest in something that was so special to her.

"Ready to go, Obi-Wan?"

Bo turned to see Little Jon approaching with the drag sled that he would hook behind the main sled, "Good to see you, my young Padawan."

Lauren laughed, "So what is Little Jon going to do?"

"His sled will slow our sled down. That's his primary job. If our dogs get out of control, he overrules them… well, at least, he makes it difficult for them to keep up their speed."

"Do a good job then." Lauren suggested to Little Jon who smiled and nodded,

"Will do, Doctor Lewis!"

Finally, they were the next sled in position,

"And now, our returning 2018 Champion, Bo Dennis, Ladies and Gentlemen! Sponsored by the Morton Brothers and Kyle's Sled and Things, the Alaskan native is hoping to make it a three-peat this year. Riding in the honorary sled position is the new doctor hailing from Talkeetna, Dr. Lauren Lewis! She's saved many lives since arriving in our fair city and we hope she'll continue to find us worthy of her talents. Many of you know Harper, Bo's prized dog who is battling cancer right now. Let's all give a cheer for Harper – loud enough for her to hear us back in Point Siku!"

The crowd cheered, causing Bo's throat to tighten at the sentiment. It filled her heart to see signs that said 'Get Well Harper' and 'Harper's #1 in our Hearts' on the sidelines. Finally, the announcer signaled,

"Coming up on the start. Let's give these special ladies a wave and wish Bo luck on her attempt at another win!"

"Mush!" Bo called out to her team and the dogs were all too happy to obey. She leaned back to Little Jon, "Let 'em run this straight away and get some of the energy out. We'll slow them down at the trees, okay?"

"Got it." Little Jon nodded, easing up on his brake hand, "Bo, look."

Bo turned to see that the crowd was completely silent accept for a few people who were probably visitors to the state. As her eyes scanned the crowd, she saw sign after sign,

" _We've got your back, Bo" and "We believe in you, Bo" and "Go Bo!" and "The Bo Brigade"._

But the one that got her the most was the sign that said, _"Bo Dennis, Alaska's #1 Daughter."_

As the sled moved down the street, she heard the clear shouts, "We're with you, Bo!" and "Big Jim must go, Bo!"

She looked down at Lauren who was staring out at the crowd, then back at Little Jon who was grinning from ear to ear,

"Did you do this?" Bo asked.

Little Jon smiled, "I had absolutely nothing to do with this, but I'd love to shake the hand of the person who led this effort. This is awesome, Bo."

She turned and slowly began to look at the faces in the crowd. Most were smiling and waving, some were pumping fists of encouragement as they shouted very specific suggestions of what should happen to Big Jim. Some remained silent and allowed their signs to do the talking.

Lauren turned and looked up at Bo whose eyes were now filling with tears. She could only imagine what this moment felt like for her. She'd waited for so long for someone – anyone – to believe her. She'd waited for so long to be accepted by her community and now, finally, after all of this time, it was happening.

"Bo?"

The brunette took a moment, but she finally looked down at Lauren, "They… they're…"

"You should wave back, Bo. Smile and wave back. We'll talk later."

She gave Lauren a nod and looked back to the crowd. Her wave was awkward at best, but the blonde figured it was the thought that counted. Just after the first turn, they moved closer to the crowd. Lauren worried for a moment until she finally heard Bo calling to the dogs,

"Gee! Gee! Whoa! Whoa!"

"Bo?" Lauren asked wondering why they had parked so close the crowd.

Security surrounded Bo almost immediately, but she waved them back before turning to Lauren,

"Stay here. Little Jon has the brake."

Lauren watched as Bo left the sled and took two steps to a little girl who was sitting in a wheelchair adapted for the snowy surface. She was holding out a marker and a sign. Lauren looked back at Little Jon who replied,

"The little girl called to Bo and asked her if she could have a hug."

Lauren turned back to see Bo embracing the child. She pulled back, knelt down in the snow and signed her poster before they began to talk,

"I'm Jilly."

"Hi Jilly, I'm Bo." She replied, shaking the little girl's hand.

"We all want you to win, but if you don't it's okay. All that matters is that you try your hardest because then you did your best, okay?"

Bo smiled, "Okay."

"Oh, and stay safe too, okay?"

"I'll be safe, Jilly."

"Good. My Dad wasn't safe when I was little so I ended up in this chair. Being safe is really important."

Bo looked up at the little girl's mother and gave her a half smile before replying to her daughter, "I promise I'll be safe."

"Thanks for stopping to see me, Bo. I hope you three-peat."

Bo smiled, "Me too. How about if I win, you get to keep the trophy?"

"Really? That would be so cool!"

Bo nodded, "I think so too. See you at the finish line?"

Jilly looked up at her Mom who nodded, "Yes! See you at the finish line!"

Bo stood and gave the Mom a hug, whispering in her ear, "Anything she needs, you tell me."

The Mom whispered back, "I'm not to proud to ask. She needs a surgery that might help her to walk again."

Bo smiled, "Well, I just happen to know the woman who is building the new hospital in Talkeetna and Doctor Lewis back there is a very close friend of mine. Write down your information for me and I'll see you at the finish line."

The woman pulled back, "Safe travels, Bo. You deserve some goodness."

Bo nodded, "So do you and Jilly."

The two nodded before Bo looked down at the little girl, "See you soon, Jilly."

"I'll be tracking your race. Stay on pace." She looked at the dogs, "Good luck doggies!"

Bo smiled, heading back to the sled, giving Little Jon a nod to release his brake. She called out to Jilly,

"Do you want to give the command?"

Jilly pumped her arms excitedly,

"Okay kids, listen to Jilly!"

The young girl called out, "Mush! Mush! Go team go!"

Bo calling out to the dogs to make sure they followed the command. She gave one last wave to Jilly and a wink to the mom before getting focused on the trail. It wasn't long before they were on a more wooded area of the trail to Willow. From here on out, the spectators would be in smaller groups.

"We go to Willow, right?" Lauren asked.

Bo nodded, "Just about. We're going to go eleven miles. At that point, Mark and the rest of the team will be there to pick us up. From that point, it's all business. I sleep and prep before heading out to Nome."

Lauren nodded, her eyes traveling back out to the scenery surrounding them. The trail was a bit slushy, but the dogs seemed to be handling it well. So far, they'd been working well together – something that surprised Bo. Little Jon's dogs were performing just as they'd been trained and were very obedient. They did a good job of following the lead of Bo's more experienced dogs.

She and Lauren made idle chatter, unable to talk about anything too personal with Little Jon on the back of the sled. Bo thought it was nice, however, to not talk about business or the impending doom. It was relaxing and fun to not worry about anything. The sun was out, and the scenery was beautiful. Usually by this time, she was all business in a race. Today, however, was different. She had Lauren and a young man who was essentially a brother to her. If things weren't going to go her way in the coming days, she was happy she could have this experience before… well, before whatever would happen.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
**_

 _ **Willow, Alaska**_

Lauren sat watching the team of Vets do yet another health check on Bo's dogs as the veteran Musher watched and answers questions. Lauren could see the small notebook sticking out of Bo's back pocket. It was her race notebook with details about every single one of her dogs. Lauren had never seen such meticulous records. Bo tracked everything from training and performance routines to feeding schedules. She tracked any changes in behavior, noted the slightest change in gait, eating habits… even bowel movements and sleep schedules. To say the vet was impressed would be an understatement.

"You must be Lauren."

The blonde looked up, sheltering her eyes from the bright sunlight that surrounded the visitor. She stood and immediately noticed the long black hair and practically yellow eyes of an elderly woman,

"Seline?"

The woman smiled, "In the flesh."

Lauren grinned, "It's so nice to finally meet you."

"I can say the same thing. You certainly have been an energetic topic of conversation in my home."

The blush immediately took over Lauren's cheeks as she struggled to reply, "I… uh… well… I hope… all good?"

Seline laughed, "You doubt Bo's feelings for you then?"

Lauren shrugged, "It's not that. It's just that… well, I can be stubborn and strong-willed, and she did run off for a while. I had a feeling she ran to you."

"You know her well then."

Lauren smiled, "Well enough, I suppose. She's not what I would call an open book. We… us… well, what we have… it's still all very new and recently, we haven't had much time together because of her training schedule."

Seline sat back down on the bench where Lauren had been sitting, pulling Lauren down with her, "I'm old, dear. Sitting is much easier."

"Of course." Lauren replied, nervously. Though she knew this woman was not Bo's mother, it felt like a 'meet the family' kind of moment. With Nadia, that had not gone well at all. If not liking their daughters' lifestyle was not enough, the fact that Lauren wasn't Greek was even worse in their eyes… especially Nadia's mother. They'd never gotten along. There was always something Lauren was doing wrong or poorly or just plain not good enough.

Lauren felt a hand on her shoulder and looked to her right to see Seline staring at her.

"Sorry." Lauren said, looking across the field to where Bo was laying out food and hay for the dogs to sleep. Since they'd arrived in Willow, she'd had very little access to the brunette. Between the security, the press, her responsibilities as a Musher and a former champion, it seemed everyone wanted access to Bo. It was apparent that she wasn't one bit happy with the attention and she was concerned about how she was feeling… emotionally. Bo didn't trust people as it was. Being surrounded by strangers was not going to help her mental state. Lauren was absolutely certain that Bo just wanted to get on the trail and if she couldn't do that, she wanted to be with her dogs and only her dogs.

She looked at Seline, "I tend to get stuck in my own head sometimes." She pulled her eyes from Bo and looked at Seline, "A lot has happened since I arrived in Alaska not so long ago. Sometimes I'm overwhelmed by it all. Sometimes there's just… a lot of feelings."

Seline nodded, "Adjusting to a new people and places is always a somewhat arduous journey. Give yourself time, child. You will find your way through this snowswept land and end up exactly where you belong."

Lauren nodded, looking across the field once again, a pang of guilt settling into her chest as she spoke, "What if that's back east?"

Seline moved her gaze to Bo, "Then that is where you belong."

"But what would happen to Bo?" Lauren asked.

"Bo would continue to live her life as she would choose." Seline smiled, "As she has always done."

Lauren nodded, "It would be my fault if she wasn't happy."

Seline chuckled, "Happiness is of one's own choosing. If you are necessary for Bo's happiness and she chooses to be happy, she will do what she must to be happy. You will choose the same."

"So one of us will have to move."

Seline shrugged, "A move is simple geography, child. It's not where you live in this life that determines your happiness. It's how you live. We must each choose life, not location."

Lauren smiled, "I see why Bo is drawn to you. You are wise."

"Every wrinkle on my face is a life lesson. Some wrinkles are long because the lesson was hard to learn. Others are short because the lesson came easy to me." Seline placed a firm hand on Lauren's shoulder and gave it a shake, "Don't give yourself longer wrinkles than is necessary, my dear."

Lauren nodded, looking up at Bo. She was again surrounded by reporters. Lauren noticed Bo's stance change. Her arms were crossed, one leg forward, while her other leg held all of her weight. She was angry. Lauren moved her gaze to the two women interviewing her and frowned. It must be Dolly and Biddy. Kenzi said they would try to get in her head so Bo wouldn't win. Lauren was in protective mode and she knew it. She could feel her hands balling into fists and she was anxious to run… no, sprint, across the field to push the two bitches on their asses in the snow and tell them to back off.

Lauren was pulled from her thoughts by the soft, calming voice of Bo's mentor,

"You fear for her safety." Seline stated, matter-of-factly.

"I do." Lauren nodded, realizing this woman could somehow read her like a book, so there was no sense in lying. Honestly, she didn't really feel a need to lie to her. What would be the point?, "Although right now, I'm feeling for the safety of those two women if I actually get off this bench like my instincts tell me I should."

Seline howled with laughter at Lauren's words, "Oh, my! You are so much like my Bo!"

Lauren laughed. She supposed to did sound like an idiot. Bo definitely did not need her to fight her battles for her, "How so?"

"I believe Bo uncharacteristically shows a great deal of restraint around you. She fights her instinct to protect you from things she perceives harmful because you don't like it when she tries to play the hero. I believe we were having a conversation about the sheriff when she realized that about herself… and you."

"She has tried to play hero a few times and I suppose I did come off as a bit resentful of that behavior. As I said, I'm rather strong willed and stubborn."

Seline nodded, "She fears for your safety as one new to these lands. Our world holds many dangers to human flesh and you have little experienced with most of them."

"Well, I've learned quickly about polar bears and hypothermia." Lauren chuckled, "I've also treated a great deal of frostbite and lately, more burns than I ever thought I would see in a civilian population."

Seline smiled, "You've worked with a non-civilian population?"

Lauren nodded, "It's not something I've talked to Bo about. Actually, it's not something I've talked to anyone about other than my brother – but even with him, I couldn't bear to share any specifics." Lauren shook her head, her brow furrowing at the memories that often surfaced at the mere mention of the topic, "There's too many images I can't shake. It's uncomfortable to talk about."

Seline nodded, "I'm certain it is. We all harbor such memories. Sometimes those images hiding in the darkest corners of our mind serve us better when we bring them into the light. Our Bo still hides the images of her parents in the dark. I believe it's why her journey to find them continues."

"You think she knows where her parents are?" Lauren asked.

Seline turned and gave a nod towards Bo, "She was very young when she was abandoned. The images she keeps hidden in her mind may be clues to where they are and why she was left to fend for herself."

Lauren turned to Bo, her mind working hard to process all she had learned about Bo, "Do you believe there is any truth to the rumors about who her parents are?"

Seline gave a sigh, "The problem with rumors, child, is knowing what's fact and what's fiction. There is always some truth at the core, but problem is finding that seed of truth amidst the colorful tales that people weave around it to make the story more fascinating. Big Jim has done a good job of burying any trace of that seed."

Lauren slid a bent knee into the space between them on the bench, turning to fully face the older woman, "Do you believe he knows more about Bo's parents than he's telling?"

Seline's eyes sent a flash of warning to Lauren, "You must not speak of such things to Ysabeau. If she suspects that he knows more, she will do him great harm to get to the truth."

"And you don't think she has been pushed to that point now? He burned the businesses and homes of people she cares about to the ground in order to get to her. He tried to kill me, Kyle, Mark, Little Jon… everyone she cares about. He took another run at her dogs and sent assassins after her. He has now disappeared, but left a death threat for her before he did. Seline, this is it – the final battle between the two of them."

"You believe one of them will die."

Lauren swallowed hard, "I do. I don't know who or how, but I can feel it in my gut. Look around you. All of these people carrying guns. Is that normal for the Iditarod?"

"I see no guns." Seline replied, her eyes traveling the expanse of land.

Lauren laughed, "We see what we want to see, Seline. My guess is that you've spent too much time in the village and not enough time in Bo's reality."

Seline's eyes went wide, her face twisting into anger before she turned forward, looking again to Bo. Lauren watched her posture slouch, her body rocking forward and back, forward and back, slowly. She'd struck a nerve in the older woman and while she felt a deep sense of guilt for bringing any form of stress to a respected and skilled healer of these lands, she was not sorry for what she believed to be a much-needed wake up call for the older woman. She had, after all, not fought hard enough – in Lauren's opinion – as a village elder, against Big Jim's reign of terror in Bo's life. She was as guilty as the Morton Family men if not more.

"You are, indeed, as bold as Bo claims. There are not many who might speak to me in that tone, nor speak such words to me."

Lauren shook her head, "I will not apologize for speaking what I believe is true, but I am sorry if my words hurt you. I just believe they are words you need to hear."

Seline nodded, "You believe I have not done enough to protect Ysabeau from Big Jim."

"I was not here when Bo intervened to save Little Jim, but I believe the account she provided to me about the events of that night and those that followed. When she speaks of what happened, there is a look in her eyes… she relives the moment as if it were happening all over again. That's what we in modern medicine call PTSD."

"Yes, I've heard of this PTSD and we have adopted the term to some extent for use in teaching our children how to live life without fear after bear attacks and the like. You believe Bo has this PTSD?"

Lauren nodded, "Yes. But I believe it's not the first traumatic event she has suffered, so events of her parents' demise may be merging with the events of Little Jon's accident and her treatment afterwards. If so, there may be flashes of her past she doesn't even realize she's seeing because she's associating them with the wrong memories."

"In other words, the timeline of her past may be… out of order?" Seline asked.

"It's possible."

"Interesting." Seline replied, "I will use this information when I next meet with Ysabeau."

"Seline, may I ask why you call her Ysabeau?"

Seline smiled, "That is her full name, child. She hasn't told you?"

Lauren shook her head, "She hasn't. She told me it was just Bo."

Seline nodded, "Then it is true what you said. There is much the two of you have to learn about each other."

Looking across the field to the brunette, Lauren replied, "Hopefully, we'll get plenty of time together after this race to do just that."

Seline watched Rick and Rob Pritchard walk past, her eyes fixed sharply on their legs, "I suppose you were right about the town arming up."

Lauren turned to Seline who was nodding towards the twins now standing amidst a group of men that had gathered just down the trail from them. She recognized them as the young men she had treated for food poisoning just last week. She immediately clocked the weapons hidden in their jeans.

"Their sidearms are sticking out from beneath their jackets." Seline added.

Lauren's eyebrows raised, "Oh? I was thinking you were referring to the shotguns in their pantlegs."

It was Seline's turn to raise her eyebrows. She studied the group and then looked around at some of the others who were standing around talking. She shook her head,

"And here I thought it was Iditarod as usual. It seems I must apologize for misjudging you, Doctor. You have a much keener eye than this old woman gave you credit for, I suppose."

Lauren gave her a tight smile, "Military experience. We were taught to look for hidden weapons. Terrorists rarely carry them in plain sight."

"Apparently, neither do vigilantes. I'd heard rumor of such groups gathering to protect Bo. I'd not felt a need to recognize the truth of such rumors."

Lauren nodded, "Yes, well our concerns are many with this situation. First, that one of them interferes the race and costs her a win. Second, that one of them is actually working with Big Jim to kill Bo and her dogs. Third, that one of them is working for Big Jim and will lie to have Bo disqualified after feining an attempt to save her life."

Seline nodded, "Those are all legitimate concerns, I suppose."

Lauren only nodded in reply.

"So what is the plan to deal with this problem?"

Lauren shrugged, "Bo just wants to run her race and deal with things as they come."

Seline nodded, "Well, that doesn't seem a very proactive plan, now does it?"

"It's what she wants. We are all trying to respect her wishes."

Seline laughed, "When it comes to Bo, respecting her wishes is sometimes allowing her to be her own worst enemy."

Lauren watched as the old woman leaned on her walking stick and pushed herself up to a stand, "It has been nice meeting you, Lauren. We will meet again to share healing techniques, yes?"

Lauren stuttered, surprised by the invitation but finally found her words, "I would be honored."

"As would I, child. I've studied about you on… what do the young ones call it… the world, wide, web?"

Lauren laughed, "Yes, ma'am."

Seline nodded, "You have earned worldwide respect for your surgical techniques and research. You have saved many lives. I should like to learn more about your skills."

"And I would like to learn more about yours. Sometimes the new way is not the best way."

Seline smiled, "You are wise, indeed. Now, I have business to attend to. If you will excuse me, please."

"Of course." Lauren replied, curious at the older woman's sudden need to go. She watched as she walked down the trail towards the group of men. She pushed her way between the twins and disappeared into the circle.

Lauren stood, worried for her safety. She waited, resisting the urge to rush forward. She was, after all, unarmed and still considered a cheechako whether Bo liked it or not. She looked over towards Bo, wondering if she'd looked this way at all, but the brunette was now busy with the dogs. Lauren watched as the musher made sure that each was secured to his or her own lead which was also secured to the ground. It didn't take long for all fourteen dogs to be prone in their own private patch of hay. It seemed they knew that they would need the rest.

Lauren didn't know much about Bo's plan for the race. That was something that she would announce only to Mark and Little Jon at each stop. The circle of trust was three and Lauren was not included. She supposed she could feel offended, but at the same time, she realized that the less she knew, the less she would hold expectations for when and where Bo would arrive. Lauren decided that less knowledge meant less time pacing and worrying.

She did know that Bo planned for a steady clip from at least Willow to McGrath. The official race rules require that the first stop for all sleds be twenty-four hours long so she would go longer or shorter depending on how her team was doing. This group had never run together, so her plan was to do what was necessary for the sake of the team. Bo had confided in her that she had always hated the twenty-four hour rest rule, but this year with this team, she welcomed it… just in case. It evened the playing field for her amongst the other mushers by allowing her time to drop dogs or work with individual dogs as needed.

For Lauren, it meant containing her doctor's instinct to worry until Bo arrived at whatever checkpoint she didn't drive right through. Mushers were permitted to take the twenty-four-hour rest at any time, but Bo had decided she would rest the team after the three-hundred-mile mark. While Lauren thought that was an awfully long distance, the musher had assured her that she had run that distance - and then - some plenty of times.

Lauren had laughed when Bo had reminded her that her first-ever sled dog journey had begun when she was a young teenager with the trip from her family home in Utqiaġvik in the far north to the Elim Indian Reservation on the mid-eastern coast of the state. She had done the distance when she'd caught wind of a rumor that Elim was the birthplace of her father. She'd then mushed back up to Utqiaġvik to resume the search for her mother before coming south permanently.

But Bo's biggest reason for using as little rest as possible was that she wanted to remain unpredictable and as far away from her friends and the crowds as possible. She knew the more contact she had with others once the race began, the more likelihood of someone getting hit in the crossfire if those who were after her were carrying weapons more powerful than she was permitted to carry.

A clacking sound drew Lauren's attention back to the circle of men where they were all throwing weapons into a pile. She watched as they all lowered their heads to Seline before walking away.

"What in the name of Einstein…" Lauren began as the elder flagged down a race official and pointed to the pile of guns. The race official, in turn, picked up what appeared to be a satellite phone and ten minutes later, the police were on the scene loading the guns into a lock box and putting them into their vehicle.

Seline wandered back to Lauren, "Well, that's five vigilantes disarmed. Much to do. I think you should take a moment to go see Bo before she beds down for the night. It will be your last chance to see her before the start as they've closed down the area for security reasons."

"Is that normal?" Lauren asked.

"Nothing is normal this year, dear." Seline smiled, waving over her shoulder as she moved to another group of men along the trail.

"Okay then. Off to see Bo it is." Lauren said, heading across the snowy field to see her favorite musher.

 _ **MUSHER'S AREA… WILLOW, AK…**_

"Miss Dennis. How are you?" Lauren smiled as she walked slowly towards Bo. She had learned not to startle the brunette the hard way.

Bo looked over her shoulder and smiled, "Well hello, Doctor. Come to check up on me?"

"Just a friendly visit to make sure that my favorite Iditarod team has everything they need to win. I've got a huge bet on the line, ya know."

Bo laughed, "I didn't know you were a betting woman."

"There are a lot of things you don't know about me, Bo Dennis… or, should I say Ysabeau?"

Lauren watched Bo's smile relax into a pout as she replied, "I take it you met Seline?"

"I did. She referred to you several times by that name, so I asked. You never told me. I suppose you don't like the name?"

Bo shrugged, "The only time people have used that name are when I was in trouble or in court. I don't associate it with good memories, so I don't use it."

Lauren nodded, "Well, I would hope that a mentor that you care so much for would change that tune."

Bo turned and continued scooping what looked like garbage disposal waste into sealed plastic bags.

"Can I ask what's in that bucket and why you're putting it in bags?"

The brunette continued to work, patting the downed tree stump beside her. Lauren took that as an invitation to sit, unsure of whether or not to push the subject or not. She didn't want to upset Bo before her race, but she was tired of the secrets.

"Bo, you're really going to give me the silent treatment over using your full name?"

"I don't know how to respond to what you're asking, Lauren."

"What I asked is what's in the bucket? What? Is it a top-secret formula?" Lauren asked, with a laugh, "Does it violate the race drug program?" She chuckled again.

"That's not funny."

Lauren crossed her arms over her chest, "Wow. You're in a foul mood all of a sudden."

"I don't like you using my full name."

"Okay, so just say so and move on."

"It… it just caught me by surprise. I didn't think Seline would share that with anyone."

Lauren shook her head, "Always have to blame someone for something, huh? Well, I think Seline was just talking the way she usually would. Besides, I'm not upset about the 'energetic conversations' you've been having with her about me. Some women would be angry that their lover was talking about them behind their back to a total stranger."

"She's not a stranger to me."

"And apparently I'm not a stranger to her. You've shared quite a bit about me via the internet."

Bo stopped what she was doing, "She told you what we talked about?"

Lauren shook her head, laughing, "Wow. It really is all about you, huh? Okay then. I had this idea that I would have a great conversation before the woman who claims to love me went venturing off into the wilderness with men chasing after her who want her dead. Instead, she seems to want to pick a fight. Well, I'm not biting. As a matter of fact, I'll just head back to Talkeetna with the backup dogs."

Lauren turned away, only looking back over her shoulder to say,

"Good luck with your race, Bo. Hope you're still alive to apologize when it hits you that you were a real shit to me. This is why I can't tell you that I love you. One minute I think you might be the love of my life and the next, you take out your past on me and I absolutely hate you for it."

She stomped away, the snow crunching loudly beneath her heavy footsteps. Bo stood staring at the blonde, watching her leave. She slammed down the scoop that was still in her hand and scolded herself,

"Why am I such an asshole all the time!" She looked up and called out to the blonde, "Lauren! Lauren, please come back!"

She looked at her sleeping dogs, knowing she was not permitted to leave them. She shouted again, "Lauren! Please! I can't leave the dogs! Lauren! I'm sorry!"

She watched as the blonde stopped, standing perfectly still, her hands shoved deep into her pockets. When she didn't move, Bo called out again,

"I'm an ass! I'm nervous and worried and I'm sorry!"

Bo waited, hoping that the blonde would turn around. When she finally did, Bo breathed a sigh of relief. She watched every step Lauren took until she stood just a few feet from her,

"Bo, I can't talk to you right now. I also can't allow you to shout apologies across the field to me because I truly do want to preserve the privacy of our relationship."

Lauren looked around at the groups of people. Most had turned away since her short stroll back, but some were still fixed on their interaction,

"We have no privacy now and you have a race to focus on. I told you before, Bo, you can't treat me the way you just did and expect me to continue seeing you. You can't tell me you love me and then pick a fight with me. I went through a marriage that was like that every minute of every day. It wasn't love, it was constant stress and strife. I don't want that in my life. It's not healthy."

Lauren tucked some loose hair up under her hat to keep it from blowing across her face, took a deep breath and continued,

"I wish you all the best in this race, Bo. I want you safe. I want you to win. I want the same for those beautiful dogs of yours. I'll see you at your first twenty-four hour stop. No matter what it takes, I'll find a way to talk to you. Right now, you can't focus on me or us. Right now, you have to focus on this race and being aware of your surroundings. Good luck, Bo. Take care out there."

"Lauren…"

"No, Bo. Focus. I mean it. Get out there and fight. Fight to take back what's yours. Fight to be the woman your mother raised. Fight to put your past behind you and move forward. Then we'll see what we have. Good luck, Bo."

Lauren reached for Bo, pulling her into a firm hug. She pulled back, "You can do this, Bo. We're all pulling for you."

The blonde turned and started her walk back to the truck.

"Lauren?" Bo called softly.

The doctor stopped, turning back to look at the brunette.

"Will you stay? Please?"

Lauren sighed, "I'll see you at the first stop. Get some sleep. You'll need it."

Bo nodded.

Lauren went to turn away again, but Bo called to her once more,

"Lauren?"

"Yes, Bo."

"It's dog meals."

"What?" Lauren asked.

"The bucket. I know it doesn't look good, but the dogs love it and it has all of the nutrients they need."

Lauren smiled, "Good to know. I'll have to get the recipe from you."

Bo smiled, "You're planning on running a race soon?"

Lauren shrugged, "Why bother raising sled dogs and training if I'm never going to run a race?"

The pair shared a laugh, "Get some sleep, Dennis."

"Thanks, Lewis."

Bo watched the blonde walk back across the field, wishing she hadn't been such an ass before. She knew that Lauren was going to stop by and she was really hoping for more time with her before she started the race. She turned back to the dogs, satisfied that they were down for the night. She gave a wave to Dyson and Hale who moved towards her position.

Dyson spoke first, "The Feds are out there, watching. You can sleep. You and the dogs are well covered."

"Have they thought about the fact that Big Jim could have his own sharpshooter out there waiting to take out my dogs one by one?"

Hale replied, "Yes, as a matter of fact they have. But unlike our guys, Big Jim isn't likely to have night-vision scopes and goggles."

"Any chance I can get some of those?" Bo smirked before getting a bit more serious, "With only about ten hours of true daylight, Big Jim will have plenty of opportunities to strike in the dark."

Hale laughed, "Afraid they aren't bending that rule for you, Bo. Did you see those new headlamps Kurt put in your bag?"

Bo shrugged, "There's plenty of light around here with all of the portable lighting and lanterns, so I didn't bother. I figured they're all the same. He has one that mounts to your sled too. Said he showed you how to use it."

Bo nodded, "I forgot about that."

Dyson jumped into the conversation, "Read that weather report, Bo. Those lights may be the only things that save you out there. There's deep snow around Egypt Mountain, Rohn and Nicolai. From Rainy Pass to Rohn, there's open water where they've had to build bridges because the ice is too thin. You've got be careful around Dalzell Gorge out there."

"I'm always careful around that sled eater stretch." Bo snapped.

"Bo, just use extra caution, especially if you get there at night. They used trees, brush and snow to build the bridges. They can shift or give way."

Bo nodded, "Got it. How's that wonderful wall of ice at Post River Glacier?"

Hale laughed, "Still a wonderful wall of ice that everyone hates."

"And the old wildfire zones? Did they clean up anymore of the debris?"

Dyson shook his head, "The one fight everyone wanted PETA to win, they lost. Protect your team's feet."

Bo smiled, "I talked to Lauren about it. She and Molly sewed these special pads into double booties for that stretch. I forgot to check on those." Bo said, quickly running over to her sled to check the bootie pouch. She turned to Hale and Dyson waving a fluorescent green bootie at them, "Here are the special boots for my girls… I mean… my girls and boys."

"How's the team working out?" Dyson asked.

"They're running strong. They're giving me everything they've got, so I can't complain." Bo replied.

The two men nodded before Dyson brought up two more areas,

"At Elim and Golovin…"

"They covered that at the race meeting. I take the overland trail instead of going across the sea ice… because there is no sea ice." Bo grumbled, cursing the constantly warming climate.

"Oh, and there's no straw at Eagle Island. You've got to carry from the previous stop if you need it there." Hale added the last-minute piece of news he'd heard.

"Shit, really?" Bo asked, frustrated with another obstacle.

Dyson nodded, "Air Force delivery planes couldn't get through the storms in the north. They're buried up there."

"I thought our straw supplies came from the Lower 48?" Bo asked.

Dyson nodded, "They do, but all of those states along the Canadian border are getting hammered with storms this year. It's March and they're buried, Bo. Not normal for that part of the country."

Bo sighed in defeat, pulling out her map to figure out how she could have hay ready for the dogs. Of course, she also had those emergency blankets that Lauren had given her to use. They were waterproof and thermal, so they might just work. She would try one tonight to see if she stayed somewhat warm and dry. If it worked, she would sleep with the dogs at Eagle if she had to stop there.

Bo shoved the map back into the pocket and turned to the two law enforcement officers, "Any other good news?"

Hale shrugged, "Not that we know of."

Bo nodded, "I really wish that I was going to know where these Federal Agents were positioned. How will I know the difference between them and one of Big Jim's guys… or Big Jim himself? Especially at night."

Dyson sighed, "They're all carrying badges, Bo."

"A badge buried beneath layers of clothing… which, by the way… is all wrong."

Hale laughed, "We already talked to them about that. The last thing we need is a bunch of dead federal agents on the trail."

Dyson smiled, "These guys do stealth really well, Bo. They're highly trained specifically for Alaskan and cold weather climates. Big Jim and his guys are clumsy. We've seen it. If you see someone who doesn't belong out there, guaranteed, it's them."

Bo nodded, "I still don't like all of these people out there."

Hale could understand how Bo felt. She was used to taking care of herself. Now she was going to feel responsible for everyone else out there,

"You just worry about running your race, Bo. Be vigilant but focus on the race. Trust us to do our job. You just focus on winning that trophy and sticking it to Big Jim. It's about time someone gives that man a taste of his own medicine. We're all pulling for you, Bo. And when I say all, I mean most of the state, not just your friends and acquaintances."

Bo nodded, "Thanks, guys."

The pair walked away, Hale whispering to Dyson, "Did she just say thank you to us?"

"I think that's just the stress talking." Dyson replied.

Bo lay down on her back, staring up at the dark sky, brilliant stars twinkling overhead. She thought about Lauren for a long while, wishing she were laying here with her so she could teach her the constellations she used to travel. It's a skill she wanted to be sure the blonde had before she started traveling back and forth between towns. She supposed that now that Kyle wouldn't be able to teach her anymore, the responsibility would fall to her. Actually, she never should have relinquished the job to her friend. She'd made a promise – Lauren was right about that. She had been scared of losing the doctor and allowed that fear to influence her decision.

Fear could be a natural paralytic. Bo just hoped that wouldn't be the case throughout this race. She rolled over onto her side, snuggling in to the makeshift bed she used on her sled. Pulling the bag over her shoulders and her hat down over her ears, she settled in for what she hoped was a long sleep before the grueling race began.

 _ **Next Day - Willow, Alaska – Official Race Start Line**_

Lauren stood watching the team pack up the extra dogs and gear. The official start had been all business, just as Bo had said. They'd barely spoken this morning with Bo completely focused on running down the list of mushers she would be competing against. They all had their habits and Bo knew them well. She and Mark had planned her pace, her stops and sleep. They were ready. Kenzi had reviewed the traps that had been set or moved at the request of the Feds in accordance with Bo's instructions. Little Jon had gone out with his Dad to set them, so Bo felt confident they'd been done correctly. The youngster had, after all, learned everything he knew about traps for self-defense from Bo herself.

Spectators were not permitted near the official start, for security reasons, so other than dogs barking, it was oddly quiet compared to yesterday. The sun was hotter, so there was more slush than the day before as well.

Lauren had run into Jilly and her Mom. They'd discussed a bit more about what had happened to the young girl. Apparently, the ex-husband was an alcoholic who had gotten into a four-wheeler with his daughter on back while drunk. They flipped, the recreational vehicle landing on her legs while her dad lay unconscious and unable to move it from her. He'd been killed in a hunting accident some years ago. The Mom seemed indifferent to the conversation, but one thing was clear. She loved her daughter and would do anything to see her walk again.

Lauren took her contact information for Bo and promised to talk to Evony about flying in specialists who could handle the surgery. Her boss owed her at least that for handling all that she was handling on site in Alaska, despite receiving no additional pay. Lauren was going to call her on it. She was done working for free.

"Hey, Lauren. How are you?" Hale asked, approaching Lauren.

"Hi Hale. What are you doing here? I thought you were race security."

He smiled, "I am and I've just been assigned to stick with you and Kenzi for the start. She'll be over in a few minutes."

"Why for the start?" Lauren asked.

Hale pulled his gloves tight as he responded, "We don't want them running in here and grabbing you two to create some sort of hostage situation. I assure you it's just a precaution. There hasn't actually been a credible threat. We're just trying to think like Big Jim and plan for anything he may try."

Lauren nodded, "Of course, thank you."

Hale smiled, turning to face the race starting area once again as Kenzi came rushing over,

"Doc, you're wanted over at the race start, like right away."

"Me? Why?"

"Bo needs you to talk to the Vet about Jenna. Get on over there." Kenzi said, giving Lauren a shove from behind, "Hale, come on, you've gotta guard us."

The three moved back to the start area where Bo was waving to them. Lauren moved in next to Bo,

"What's going on?"

Bo looked up at Lauren, worry covering her face, "Jenna… she has a lump… this is Doctor Harrow, she works with Harper's surgeon. She…"

The woman placed a comforting hand on Bo's forearm, and looked up at Lauren, "You detected the first tumor on Harper. I'd like you to check this one and tell me if it seems to be similar."

Lauren looked at Bo, then turned back to the doctor, "I'm not a Veterinarian."

The doctor nodded, "I understand, but I'd like a second opinion and we are very close to the race start. There's still time for Bo to replace this dog if we think it's necessary."

Lauren looked at Bo again, searching her face for any hint of what she wanted from her, but Bo stood and stepped back, turning away towards Kenzi. Lauren took that as a sign that Bo wanted her to be completely honest with the Vet, so she knelt down in front of Jenna to have a look,

"From what we've learned about how Harper was exposed to asbestos…"

"I'm aware of the actions that led to the exposure. Bo tells me as far as she knows, it was only Harper's house that had the illegal lining. With current events coming to light, I'm concerned that it's possible that he did not share the full extent of his treachery. If that's the case, all of Bo's dogs could have been exposed over time since she has switched out all of the houses in the last three years. The Morton sons have no details about the houses."

Lauren nodded, "Jenna is only about three years old, so…"

"That coincides with the replacement of the houses." The Vet reminded.

Lauren reached along the side of the young Siberian Husky's neck and felt deep into the muscle. Bo turned around watching the expression on the doctor's face go from hopeful to helpless and she knew. She turned to Kenzi,

"He wiped out all of my dogs. They're all going to have tumors. They're all going to die." Bo's eyes flooded with tears that streamed down her face.

"Bo, we're not going there. Not yet. You're going to go out on that course with the best dogs we can gather and end this thing. They're going to catch Big Jim in the act and bring him in dead or alive. Then, he's going to pay."

The Veterinarian and Lauren stood, talking to one another before turning to Bo. Lauren broke the news,

"We agree that it's likely a similar tumor to Harper's, but it's very small at this point. We both agree that Jenna should be able to run without ill effects if she has been running without consequence throughout your training runs."

"But what you said before about blood feeding tumors. Isn't that a concern?"

Lauren nodded, "Of course, but she is very young and the tumor is very small. Where Harper's tumor has metastasized, this tumor appears to be free of anything but muscle tissue. We'll know in a couple weeks after we run some tests. Right now, we have no equipment to do the tests since everything has burned to the ground. Our suggestion is that when the race ends, we take the dogs to the hospital in Nome and have them checked out there. They have one of the largest pet hospitals in the state, so it only makes sense."

Bo nodded, "So you're both sure it's safe for her to run?"

Dr. Harrow nodded, "I only wish every musher was as concerned about their dogs as you."

Bo smiled, leaning down over Jenna, "They're my family and my best friends." She grabbed Jenna's face in her hands, "What do you say? Do you want to run with the team?"

The dog barked excitedly, wagging her tail. Dr. Harrow smiled, "She definitely has the energy. I can't imagine she has anything more than an isolated tumor. I'll want to check the rest of the dogs now."

Bo nodded, "Of course." She turned to Kenzi, "Call Mark and make sure Kurt doesn't leave with the backup dogs. I may need them. That includes Little Jon's dogs."

Kenzi nodded, pulling out her satellite phone.

Dr. Harrow asked, "Who's next?"

Bo's eyes flooded with tears as she scanned the beds of hay, her eyes landing heavily on her veteran dogs who had been put in new homes just after Harper was put in hers.

"You'll have to check all of the females, Nike, Diana, Aphrodite, Hera, Demeter, Nemesis, Artemis, Hestia, Iris and Gaea. The males all received houses that were built in Talkeetna right near the kennels."

Mark approached just as Bo spoke, "I built those kennels myself. There's no asbestos in them, guaranteed. I'm so sorry, Bo."

Bo nodded, "It's not your fault, Mark. You never could have known." She turned to Little Jon, "What's the longest distance you've run your dogs all out?"

"They just hit the four hundred mile mark last week." He replied, "They ran well, but three are clearly at the top of the heap. I changed the lineup and we ran much faster."

"Any health issues?" Bo asked.

"They're certified to run. They were checked with the other dogs on Thursday just in case." Little Jon held up a stack of medical records, "Files are here."

Bo nodded, "Thanks, Little Jon."

He smiled, "You helped train them, Bo. I'd be honored if you used any of them, but I'm hoping you won't need to if it means your dogs are sick like Harper."

Bo gave him a tight smile, unable to muster anything else as she waited for the Vet to finish checking Diana while Lauren started on Nike. Bo waited patiently as they checked, double checked, talked and scribbled notes until finally, they were all finished. The pair approached Bo, Dr. Harrow delivering the news,

"Hestia, Nemesis and Iris all have tumors. The others do not have any noticeable tumors, but we'll do full body scans to verify that for sure at the hospital in Nome. We recommend replacing Hestia and Iris as theirs are quite large."

Bo's eyes moved to Lauren who gave her a nod, "I'm sorry Bo, but I concur."

The musher turned to her human team, "Do I drop out of the race? Is this crazy that I'm taking a team of dogs out there who have very little experience in the Iditarod?"

Mark smiled, "The first year you won it, only four of your dogs had experience. It didn't seem so crazy then."

Bo smiled, "You're right. I can't panic here. I've just got to trust the dogs."

Everyone nodded their agreement, so Bo pulled out her notebook and started reviewing how she could realign her dogs,

"Well, I'm going to have to scrap my plan to use only twelve dogs. I think I definitely have to go with fourteen to have the same speed. I'll lose the maneuverability I wanted to have, but it's a chance I'll have to take."

Everyone watched as she paced back and forth, back and forth, "How long do we have?"

Mark looked at his watch, "Four hours to the race start."

Bo nodded, "And they all still need Vet checks." She turned to Dr. Harrow, "Can I have an hour to decide?"

"Take two if you need it." The Vet smiled, "I'll be back to check in soon."

"Thank you, Doc."

"You're welcome, Bo." She replied.

"So, how can we help, Bo?" Mark asked, quietly sharing glances with everyone in the room. He could see the expressions on each face while he waited for Bo's reply. Frustration, hopelessness, anger – a whirlwind of emotions – until he set his eyes on Lauren and he saw… confidence… confidence in Bo. Her eyes were set firmly on the musher, jaw clenched as she watched Bo read her notebook.

Lauren decided it was time to clear the room, "Why don't we all grab a dog and take them to the truck for transport back to either their haybed or the truck for transport to Nome?"

Everyone nodded, Mark and Little Jim taking Hestia and Iris. Lauren reached up and grabbed Little Jon's hand before he could pick up a dog,

"Do you have a notebook like Bo's?"

"Of course." He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a small notebook identical to Bo's. He handed it to Lauren, "Everything she needs to know about any of my dogs is in there. Bert and Ernie are just pups, so it's nothing but birth information, feeding schedules… well… you get the picture. All of the three year olds are strong, but Elektra is my overall top pick for a race like this. She won't let you down, Bo."

He turned to leave the area, but stopped and turned back, "I'm really sorry, Bo. I would give any of my dogs for you to have your varsity team out there."

Bo looked up and gave him a weak smile, "I know you would, Jon. I appreciate it. I only wish now that I had not been such a loner. I should have taken the help you offered. Lesson learned, I suppose. If you had been running my back up dogs, you would have something to compare Elektra to, but because I was my typical stubborn, isolated, self, I have to try to figure this out on my own. I'm the one who's sorry, Jon. But thanks for offering your dogs to me at registration. You did the right thing, pushing me to register them just in case. If you hadn't, I'd have no team right now."

Little Jon nodded, "You called me Jon. Just Jon."

Bo smiled and gave him a wink, "There's nothing little about you anymore. You're a grown man who is wise beyond his years and twice the man that Big Jon is. Sorry, but after hearing all that they've known and that they did nothing about it, I'm struggling a bit with your dad and uncle."

Little Jon went to speak, but Bo stopped him, "There will be time to talk about that later. Right now, I've got to figure out this team and be at the starting line in just under four hours. You'll see to my team? Since you have dogs registered and I have a medical emergency, they should allow it."

Little Jon nodded, "I've got your back, Bo. I won't let you down."

He turned and walked away leaving Bo and Lauren in his wake. The blonde turned back to Bo, "I guess I'm going to…"

"Stay, please?"

"Bo, there's really nothing I can do to help you here. I can, however, help the Vets with the other dogs."

Bo shook her head, "You calm me, Lauren. Just being here, you calm me."

Lauren smiled, "You don't need me to calm you, Bo. You just need me to be your cheerleader out there. To know that I'm on your side and I am. You've got this, Bo. Yes, you've had more setbacks than any musher should have to deal with before the most grueling race in America, but you know mushing, Bo. Having Kyle as a teacher has taught me that much. You are one of the most respected drivers in the field and given that you're a woman, that's not easy feat."

The doctor ran a firm hand down her lover's arm, "Now use that Bo Dennis determined, I'm gonna kick your ass mindset and go after this bastard with the best team you can muster. Speed, agility, smarts, teamwork and longevity… that's what you look for in a dog team… or that's what you told me. Pick the team and demand their best out there while you give them your best. Get your head in the game, Dennis. I'll be with the Vets setting up testing for all of your dogs in Nome. I'm sure Mark is already redirecting Kurt so he doesn't take the dogs back to Talkeetna. I'll see you soon."

Bo nodded, turning back to her notebook. She took a deep breath and set her mind to the task at hand. First, she would put together the strongest team she could. Then, she was going to beat the odds and win this thing by outsmarting the field and Big Jim.

 _ **NINETY MINUTES LATER…**_

"So what do you think, Dr. Harrow?" Bo asked, approaching the vet who was now surrounded by Bo's new team.

"They all look good. Young, strong and a bit hyperactive, but healthy for sure. Are you sure about this one?" Dr. Harrow asked.

Bo laughed, "Sure, why do you ask?"

"Well, your trainer, Jon…" Jon shrugged, lifting his outstretched palms up. Bo caught on quickly that Jon had been forced to classify himself as something with the team to be able to care for the dogs, "…said this dog just turned three and hasn't had much time on the line. You know your entire team can be disqualified if even one dog is deemed uncontrollable."

"Shadow is young, but she'll do what she's told. She's surrounded by my more seasoned athletes, so they'll keep her in line. Have faith, Doc."

Bo smiled, walking away from the doctor, satisfied that she had a healthy team. Everyone had cautioned Bo about using Shadow. She was very hyper, but Bo knew that when things got serious out there, Shadow would pull her weight. She was strong and more than hyper, she was hypervigilant. If something was snooping around out there, Shadow would alert her."

Jon strolled up, coming to stand beside her, "All watered and fed."

"Thanks, Jon. I couldn't have gotten this all together if it weren't for you."

Jon nodded, "I was surprised at how quickly you picked the group."

Bo nodded, "Well, that was the easy part. Now, I have to figure out the line."

"Are you really going to take Shadow?"

"For the millionth time, yes, I'm sure about Shadow."

"You know, I named her that because…"

Bo turned back to Jon, "I was there, Jon. She used to run from her own shadow, bark at her own shadow… hell, she even fought her own shadow. It's a great name for a great dog."

"Are you going to pair her with Elektra? Because she sort of annoys the hell of out her and…"

"Jon… can I use your dogs or not?"

"OF course, Bo. I'm just saying that…"

"Jon, let me show you what your dogs can do, okay?"

Jon smiled, "It's just… I know them… have worked with them…"

"And you're afraid they're going to let me down." Bo smiled, placing a hand on Jon's shoulder as he nodded his head, "My pick, my loss if they screw up."

Bo walked the distance to Shadow who was sitting up, tongue hanging from her mouth, tail wagging back and forth in the snow,

"Look closely, Jon. Look in her eyes… deep into her eyes." Bo knelt down, lifting the dogs chin up so that their eyes met, "Shadow, we've got a job to do out there. A dangerous one. I'm counting on your girl. No one around here thinks that you can do this. I think you can. I think you were born for this. You're going to have to listen to the big dogs out there and you have to pull your share of the load. Can you do all that?"

Bo released the dogs jaw and watched as she remained seated and barked three times in response, tail still wagging. Bo looked at Jon,

"Sled dogs don't respond that way, Jon. Only special sled dogs do."

Jon's eyes remained set on his dog, "That's how you talk to Harper."

Bo nodded, "It is. She's something special, Jon and we're going to show you just how special she is."

Jon watched as Bo pulled out her notebook… he noticed it was a new one with a leather cover that was engraved Iditarod 2019. He smiled knowing that two of his dogs would be in one of Bo's Iditarod notebooks. She started the race notebook on official race day each year. Though she'd never allowed him to read any of them, he knew that she started with a summary of events leading up to the race, then details beginning with race day. He hoped that one day he could read the summary of this event… he was sure it was a doozy.

He watched as Bo walked amongst the dogs chosen as her team, pencil at the corner of her mouth when it wasn't busy jotting notes. She laid out the line, hooking each lead to a dog, double checking all of the leads and lines for any imperfections. She attached the fourteen dogs to the center line, then watched them interact. If she didn't like what she saw from any pair, she rearranged them as needed. The only pair that never moved were her champion leads, Nike and Diana as well as her remaining Wheel, Gaea. Those were the dogs that Bo was counting on to keep the children in line.

 _ **NINETY MINUTES TO RACE START…**_

Lauren stood, hands in pockets, watching Bo throw her ax at a tree far away from the crowd. She'd been doing this for about thirty minutes now. Throw, retrieve, sharpen, examine, throw again, over and over. Her dogs were having their last bit of food, water and rest. In thirty minutes, she would be setting up the sled and heading to the race start.

Once she had picked her team, they had gone for a walk and sat below this very tree. Bo was braiding rope, sharpening knives and then her axe before having a final meal. It was a nice, quiet conversation… more personal than any they'd had lately. It was nice. Bo seemed… at peace with what was about to happen over the next nine days… or, if Bo had her way, a record breaking eight days, three hours and thirty-nine minutes or better.

 _ **FLASHBACK…**_

" _The guys have repeatedly told me how I shouldn't expect to break a record this year. With the weather, being on the southern route, my team being so unfamiliar… they said I should just concentrate on finishing in the top five, alive and with all of the dogs healthy. This isn't a trapping trip, it's a race."_

 _Lauren smiled, "Well, I'm the last person to give advice on this race, but I think you just have to remember to just be you. The race isn't about the opinions or advice of anyone else, Bo. Once you're out there, it's about you, the dogs, the trail and the elements. I would think that if you just focus on your connection with the dogs, and your collective fight to the finish, you'll surprise them."_

" _Surprise them, huh?" Bo laughed._

 _Lauren slid her arm around Bo's elbow, "Surprise them."_

" _Let's sit here. It's sort of my pre-race tree." Bo said, guiding Lauren to an old, barren tree, "It's away from everything and everyone, so I can relax and focus on what's ahead._

" _Do you want me to leave? I really don't want to mess with your routine, Bo. That's not why I'm here. I mean, I had planned to be spectating on the other side of the start area by now."_

 _Bo smiled, "And now look at you. You have an official race pass for all of the checkpoints as a Veterinary assistant."_

 _Lauren laughed, "Dr. Harrow insisted. Apparently, they have plenty of Vets, but they're short Vet Techs this year so having me do an initial evaluation of the animals at various checkpoints will help. I'll pass my concerns on to the Vet and they'll take it from there."_

 _Bo nodded, "I think it's great. Bridget is top notch. I've been working with her since I came to Point Siku." Lowering her eyes, Bo pulled her pack between her legs and opened it. She retrieved a sharpening stone and knives wrapped in a thick cloth and set to her task, "I hope you don't mind if I do a little prep while we chat."_

" _Of course not. Can I help with anything?"_

" _Nah. This is just mindless little jobs I do to keep my hands and mind busy before the race. I'll braid this spool of rope to make a stronger single length in case of an emergency, sharpen these knives and my axe and then do a little axe throwing just to make sure I can still hit a target from a distance if necessary."_

" _A target?" Lauren asked._

" _You do realize this race is not on roads and there aren't homes every block, right?"_

 _Lauren laughed, "Of course I know that, silly."_

" _Well, there's wolves, bear, and all sorts of wildlife out there on the trail… not to mention the apparent human threats this year. I've got to be able to defend myself."_

 _Nodding, Lauren replied, "Well, hopefully all of these law enforcement people will be able to hit any target before it comes to that."_

" _Would be nice, wouldn't it?" Bo laughed, "So which checkpoints are you going to be checking dogs?"_

" _Any I'd like, apparently. I'm a last-minute volunteer who isn't a security risk. Having a doctor who can treat humans at any given point along the course is evidently an added bonus. Obviously if I knew where you were going to be sleeping, I'd go there, but since you're playing it by ear, I'll see you when you pass through the ones where I am."_

 _Bo nodded her understanding, then smiled as she joked, "Well, I can probably narrow it down for you if you're one of those obsessive fans who wants to catch a glimpse of me."_

" _Well, why don't you tell me about this very dangerous race. Where are the meanest, toughest parts that will challenge this brilliant musher that I will be fangirling all over?"_

 _Bo giggled as Lauren kissed her cheek, but looked out across the icy field ahead of them, the race start in the distance and began,_

" _Let's see… I'd say the first rough stretch is actually a stretch that covers three checkpoints - Finger Lake to Rainy Pass and Rainy Pass to Rohn. Finger Lake to Rainy Pass pretty much starts with flat, technical trails through forest, rocks and rivers. Rainy Pass to Rohn is a bad-ass climb of over three thousand feet that's probably the most dangerous section of the trail ending with the Dalzell Gorge. The Alaskan Range is a fierce section of the state and it'll be hard on me and the dogs. The nice part is, I doubt Big Jim will come out there. There's too many other places where he'll have better cover and easier access to me."_

" _Sounds harsh."_

 _Bo nodded, "It is and both parts suck. The first section is the Happy River Steps. Personally, I've never been hurt there because I had my Mom's advice, but some people just try to go too fast or they haven't trained the their dogs well. They lose their sleds because they fall and can't hang on to the sled so the dogs take off or they get too close to a tree and break a leg or a hand." Bo shook her head, "I wish people knew better how to prepare for the race – especially the rookies."_

 _Lauren watched as Bo tied off the rope she was braiding and started sharpening her axe. She continued, to talk about the steps,_

" _The steep drops and sharp twists of the Happy River Steps are probably harder on the driver than the dogs. At least mine seem to love running that part of the trail. If you haven't packed your sled well and aren't able to handle your sled well, you're going to flip and the dogs are going to rip the sled right out of your hands. If you're lucky, the sled will get stuck in a tree. If not, you're out on the Alaskan range by yourself with no supplies because they're on the way to the next checkpoint with your dogs… if they make it there."_

" _Why not harness yourself to your sled?" Lauren asked._

" _Because if you fall and the sled is on top of you, you're going to be dragged under the sled until the dogs decide to stop – especially dangerous if you're unconscious."_

 _Lauren nodded as Bo continued,_

" _The second section after Rainy Pass is where I tipped my sled and almost fell right into the Dalzell Gorge, but I've since learned this wonderful thing called pace and patience. The climb will take about four days and the descent only takes about two hours. It's real easy to lose the trail, the snow will likely be deep, the trail is narrow, the land barren… it's just a really rough stretch. If I'm going to lose any of these young dogs, that is where it will happen."_

 _Bo lowered her head and took a deep breath, "So, I guess you'll want to see me get to Rohn."_

 _Bo gave Lauren a wink. The doctor smiled and asked, "Bo, do you know if the agents traveled the course or are they just being told about it?"_

 _Bo shrugged, "Don't know, don't really care, honestly. I'm going to run this as if they're not there. They'll do their thing, but I'm not counting on them, Lauren. They don't live here, so they'll never know all we know. Living this and being told about what to expect are two different things. I think you get that."_

 _Lauren smirked, "I certainly do and that was a simple, straight stretch of land that covered three miles. Maybe they should have practice in my front yard first."_

 _Bo laughed with Lauren, but she could see the growing concern on the doctors' face as she explained more and more about the race. Still, she wanted to be truthful, so she pressed forward, talking about the course… all except the notch in the mountain at the end of the pass. It was always low visibility, windswept snow drifts and a merciless, desolate stretch of trail followed by the rollercoaster section of the course,_

" _So, if mushers make it over Rainy Pass you hit the Gorge before the checkpoint at Rohn, then you head for Nikolai. That section's biggest challenge is the Buffalo Chutes which is all rock and glacial ice. Then comes the Farewell Burn which is more bark than the bite they talk about. It's come back pretty well since the fires, but you still have to watch the feet of the dogs."_

" _That's what the booties that Molly and I made are for?"_

 _Bo nodded, "Yup. If I make it to Nikolai, life is good."_

 _Lauren cringed and Bo stopped what she was doing, "Are you sure you want to hear about all this?"_

" _It worries me, I'm not going to lie, but I want to know because it will help me plan where I want to be and when I want to be there."_

" _You'll have Kenzi to explain things to you as well and Pops will be there – he's run the race fourteen times in his day."_

" _Wow. I didn't know." Lauren replied._

 _Bo nodded, "His sons too. It's in the blood. That's why Little Jon is training."_

" _And Jon's cousin?"_

" _He's training. He's just not sure if he wants to run it or not. No pressure." Bo shrugged._

" _So when everyone else rests, you keep running? When do you sleep?"_

 _Bo smiled, "We don't sleep. We nap. We run, then nap, run, then nap. If they sleep too long, they get stiff just like we did if we worked out super hard and then tried to get up the next day."_

" _Lactic acid."_

" _They may be canine, but their muscle physiology is very similar when you compare them to us. They're basically Olympic athletes and I treat them that way from the way they eat to the way they work out or compete."_

 _Lauren nodded, "That's a good piece of insight. Why is it that they have all of these Vets and Vet Techs, but only one human physican for some sixty mushers?"_

 _Bo shrugged, "I guess they figure most of us know emergency first aid. If it's something worse than that, we'll probably need a flight out."_

" _How do they find you if someone gets seriously injured?"_

" _Personally, I'd send my dogs back… keep one with me so they can track me."_

" _Track you?"_

 _Bo nodded, "Remember those microchips we put in your dogs? All of them are required to have them. They keep the records in one place and the race officials can access our location through the dogs. As long as I have one with me, they'll find me if they know I'm in trouble."_

 _Lauren smiled, "That actually makes me feel a whole lot better."_

" _Well, I'm glad I can reassure you."_

" _So, what's the next stretch you have concerns about?"_

" _I'd say Nikolai to McGrath. I had a gangline snap on that stretch once, so it's more dangerous in my head than in reality. I just wasn't careful, but that's not going to happen again. There's just a lot of open lakes and swamps, so I have to stay aware – especially if I'm forced to run that section at night."_

 _Bo checked her watch. Realizing she was almost out of time, she summarized,_

" _I'm almost out of time, Lauren so let me just say this, Iditarod is a ghost town that I reach by traveling ninety miles from Ophir. It's the place I think Big Jim might strike. There's miles and miles of nothing but miles and miles. After that, I'm on to Shageluk so it's a good thing if I make it there. Then Anvik to Grayling is the first leg on the Yukon. If Jon's dogs don't like their first taste of the big river, chances are they'll refuse to run, so we'll see."_

 _Bo tucked her axe back into her pack,_

" _Grayling to Eagle Island is just windy and miserable, Unalakleet to Shaktoolik is another tough uphill pass and then the final summit is a thousand foot climb at Little McKinley about eight miles past Walla Walla between Elim and Golovin."_

 _Bo took a breath, "White Mountain to Safety is flat out dangerous if there's storms or ground blizzards because the visibility will be near zero and from Safety the home stretch to Nome might be susceptible to heavy snow but I've never had a problem there."_

 _Lauren nodded, "Bo, just please remember that there will be other races. Other chances for records and other chances for first place finishes… if you live. Please don't let this battle with Big Jim over a win or loss in this race lead you to make a poor decision that could cost you or the dogs their lives."_

" _In other words, don't let my emotions lead me to do something impulsive." Bo smiled, "It's my greatest weakness, I know."_

" _And I won't be there to talk you down… not that I've had much success with that."_

 _Bo nodded, "I think you're right about me letting my past dictate my present." She looked up at Lauren, "I'm thinking that maybe I should talk to someone other than Seline about things. I think she's become more of a friend and I'm not sure that she's really qualified to help me."_

 _Lauren nodded, "Are you saying you want to seek counseling?"_

" _You sound surprised."_

" _I am." Lauren laughed, "What made you want to do that?"_

 _Bo looked out across the field, "I don't want to be angry anymore. I don't want to be impulsive. I don't want to be someone that people fear. I want to be someone that people love and respect."_

 _Lauren smiled, "Bo, it sounds like you're ready to do the work and if that's the case, I'll support you in any way that I can. It's your choice."_

 _Bo nodded, "I still really hope I find out what happened to my parents some day."_

 _Lauren hesitated, but then decided she might as well take a chance while Bo was in this frame of mind, "You know, Seline told me that she believes the images you see about Little Jon's accident may have merged with childhood memories of your parents… that maybe there's more that you remember than you believe. What do you think about that?"_

 _Bo shrugged, "I suppose it's possible. She mentioned that to me a long time ago. I didn't realize she still thought that was the case."_

" _Apparently she does."_

" _Would a counselor be able to help me sort all of that out?" Bo asked._

 _Lauren nodded, "Possibly, over time."_

" _Time." Bo replied, "Time is funny, huh? It seems like just yesterday I was running my first Iditarod."_

" _Why do you do it?"_

" _Run the race?" Bo asked._

 _Lauren nodded, her eyes set on Bo's. The brunette smiled, leaning in to kiss her on the cheek, "I don't know, really. I just always have. I like the challenge and I like the relationship that I have with the dogs out there. I like the isolation, the relationship that I feel with the land while I'm out there. If I ever died doing this race, I'd die happy. This land… this wilderness… it's always been a part of me. I feel like I'm home out there. Back in Talkeetna, Point Siku, Anchorage.. I just feel… I don't know… out of place?"_

 _The blonde nodded, "Do you feel that way with me?"_

" _You feel like an anchor to me. You're my connection to the real world… my reason to being there. If it weren't for you, I would spend a lot less time in town." Bo smiled, "Do you want to know my secret?"_

 _Lauren laughed, "You have a secret?"_

" _I do." She smiled, "Back in my apartment at the hotel is a safe that Kenzi had installed for me. It's fireproof just in case of a fire… Kenzi insisted a long time ago when she learned that I don't use banks and credit cards."_

" _Really? Wow."_

 _Bo shrugged, "In there is a deed to a piece of land that I bought with some of the money my mom left me. I've been building a house for just over a year now."_

" _A house? Wow, that's great, Bo. Can I see it?" Lauren asked._

" _Well, obviously not today, but sure. We can take a sled out there one day after we get back. It'll be a good cool down for the dogs."_

 _Lauren smiled, "You mean I get to ride with you on a sled?"_

 _Bo laughed, "You get to drive the sled while my ass takes a much deserved rest in the basket!"_

 _It was Lauren's turn to laugh, "You're not afraid I'll crash or get us lost?"_

" _I'll take my chances, Doctor." Bo replied with a grin, "Hey, speaking of doctoring, have you heard any news on Kyle?"_

" _Nothing new. I just know that she's in the burn unit and she's receiving the best care." Lauren replied, "Tamsin's leg is doing well. She's supposed to be out here at some point this week."_

" _That's good. Real good." Bo replied, "I guess I'll be busy when I get back to town. There's a lot of rebuilding to do between the homes, the businesses, the clinic and the hospital…"_

" _Let's not worry about that right now." Lauren smiled, running a hand down Bo's arm._

" _I wish we had more time… and more privacy." Bo said, shyly._

 _Lauren nodded, "What else do you have to do?"_

" _Take a nap?"_

" _I have broad shoulders." Lauren smiled, pointing to the shoulder closest to Bo._

 _The brunette smiled and leaned into the blonde, closing her eyes, "Every nap I take on the trail, I'll imagine I'm right here with you."_

" _And every nap I take, I'll pretend you're with me." Lauren replied._

 _It was only minutes until the familiar soft sounds of Bo's deep breathing set in and Lauren knew she was asleep. Lauren carefully slipped Bo's notebook from her jacket pocket and opened to a blank page in the middle and wrote,_

' _Bo, I'm not sure where you are right now, but know that I miss you and I'm thinking of you wherever it is. Please stay safe, smart and speedy because I want you back as soon as you can get here….'_

 _Lauren paused for a long moment, looking out across the snowswept fields of a land she was beginning to call home, then looked back to the book,_

'… _I love you. Lauren'._

 _ **END FLASHBACK**_

Lauren sighed, knowing it was time. She let Bo get one more throw in and when she was returning from retrieving the axe, she made her presence known,

"Bo? It's time."

The brunette nodded, picked up her pack and joined Lauren, "Okay then. Let's go face the music."

Lauren smiled, staring into the brunette's eyes for a long moment before diving into her arms and kissing her with all of the passion she could muster. She pulled back, her hands tracing the brunette's lips and cheeks,

"Come back to me, Bo Dennis."

Bo smiled, "Wait for me, Lauren Lewis."

They separated and headed back to the race start where destiny awaited.

 **OFFICIAL RACE START – WILLOW, ALASKA**

Bo pulled up to the starting area, "Bo Dennis."

"Hi Bo. Your bib number?"

"Number one, Ma'am."

"Thank you, dear."

"I need your signature here. You have fourteen dogs?" The woman turned the clipboard towards Bo so she could sign the checkpoint form.

Bo nodded, "Yes Ma'am."

"Good luck, Bo."

"Thank you, Ma'am."

She pulled up to the starting line and waited for the signal to go, taking one last look to her right where Lauren and the gang were all waiting. She gave Kenzi a thumbs up, gave her team a wave and then locked eyes with the woman she loved until the signal to go. She tore her eyes away, closing them for just moment to commit the image of Lauren to memory before calling out,

"Hike! Let's go kids!"

She smiled as her makeshift family cheered from the start area as the dogs happily took off running. There was no turning back now.

Bo called into the wind, "Nome or bust, team! Big Jim, wherever you are, we're coming for you!"

 **A/N: Next up... warning signs ahead!**


	6. Chapter 6: Heart of a Champion

_**A/N:**_ _Slight trigger warning – some not so nice stuff from Bo's past comes up about her mom and dad. Nothing super explicit but might be an issue for some. Another long chapter. Thanks for taking the time to review after the long read. It's appreciated! The race is on! Let's get to it!_

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **Chapter 6: Heart of a Champion**_

"Haw! Haw!"

Bo rounded the corner, snow sweeping up from the banks on either side, stinging her face, but this was no place to let go of the sled handle – especially at this pace and in the middle of the Happy River Steps. She was off her pace by four minutes and had every intention of making it up. The first two checkpoints had been slower than expected. She thought she would be in and out in under a minute, but there was some confusion about the number of dogs she was running, so she had to wait for a call out. Lucky for her, Little Jon had showed up…

 _ **FLASHBACK to Checkpoint at Finger Lakes:**_

" _Bo, we have only 12 dogs on your team. Where'd you pick up the other two?"_

 _Bo was ready to blow. This was the third checkpoint since she's left Willow that had stopped her about her dogs being certified. How in the world was this happening?_

" _I've told every checkpoint this story and I'm about ready to demand a race official come out to this checkpoint. Something is going on – I'm being sabotaged or something. You all know my situation because it was announced to the world at the meeting we were all required to attend. So, I'm gonna say this one last time and I'm leaving it up to you…" Bo checked her volunteer credentials, "…Missy Hartwick to make sure the word gets around. I started with 14 dogs in Willow, not 12. I'm sure it's just a clerical error on your end and I'm sorry you're on the receiving end of my frustration when someone should have fixed this already, but we are permitted to have 14 dogs and I have 14 dogs. Now, can I go? Everyone knows it's best to hit Rainy pass in the morning, so you don't have to run it in darkness. With my situation this year, I'd especially not to run that pass in the dark where someone can take shots at me from above the canyon."_

 _Missy appeared sympathetic as she shook her head, "I'm so sorry and I do understand. I've run the race myself, so understand the importance of keeping to your schedule, but we have only 12 Vet certified dogs on the checkpoint list for your team. We have to either do full checkups of the other two or you have to allow us to call in and verify the mistake."_

" _Fine. Make the call because the checkups will take too long, but please be sure I don't get held up at any other checkpoints for this. When you call, if you can, talk to Dr. Harrow or Dr. Lewis. They can verify. Two of my dogs had tumors… long story. They recommended I switched them out. I was going to run without them, but they gave me 2 hours to decide. I decided to add two rookie dogs in, so I guess they're the ones you're missing to make it a full 14-dog team."_

" _Okay, give me the names of the dogs on your line and I'll check in."_

 _Bo inwardly groaned as she watched Mitch leave the checkpoint ahead of her. He was one of her toughest competitors. Jeffrey went by too and then Annie. Dammit, this wasn't good at all. She sighed,_

" _My leads are Nike and Diana, my swings are Jenna and Muk, my team dogs are Hera, Demeter, Nemesis, Artemis, Atalanta, and Persephone. Hestia and Iris were dropped and replaced by Elektra and Shadow. My wheel dogs are Gaea and Aphrodite."_

" _You're right. Elektra and Shadow are the ones I'm missing. I'll make the call right away. If you need any supplies…"_

" _I'm good. We just started, now please… hurry, Missy."_

 _Bo watched as she nodded and walked away, "So, kids, we're waiting again for them to verify that the new kids on the line are official. Well, really, we're verifying that there is an incompetent ass in the race room who's going to keep me from winning this freakin' race."_

 _She looked up at the sky and then at her watch, "We'll definitely be doing the pass in the dark with two rookie dogs – one who's afraid of his own shadow. Well, you can't say you weren't warned, Bo. Shit."_

 _She dropped her ice hook and stomped it into the ground before taking the opportunity to go and check all of her rigging. She had lost a dog because of a chewed line in the past. With all of the idle time she'd spent at checkpoints so far, it was entirely possible that one of the dogs could have chewed on a line to pass the time. The last thing she needed was to lose a dog. Race rules dictated she would have to find it before she continued or be disqualified._

" _Bo! Bo!"_

 _Bo looked up to see Little Jon running full tilt into the checkpoint from the cabin._

" _Little Jon! What the…"_

" _They sent the wrong lists out to the checkpoints. I'm running them all down with my snow machine as fast as I can… well, me, Uncle Mark, Little Jim and Kurt, that is. We'll get them all out, but… is that why you're still here?"_

" _Yes. Quick – go run that in to the woman calling home base. Hurry, Mark. Mitch, Jeff and Annie already moved ahead of me."_

" _Shit." He turned and ran straight away to the cabin, his footing giving way as he ran in the deep snow._

" _Shit is right." Bo said, talking to her dogs. They would sense her foul mood and refuse to run, so she needed to get positive and fast, "Okay, kids. It's okay. This little delay won't hurt us at all. We're strong and we're smart and we're fast as lightning, right? We're all good!"_

 _The race official yelled down from the cabin, "Burt! Change that log sheet and initial it, then have Bo sign. Get her out of here. It's our mistake! Sorry, Bo!"_

 _Bo didn't wait for the man to make the change. She practically grabbed the clipboard from his hands, scribbled out her signature and handed him back the pen. She spoke as she readied herself to run,_

" _You're adding Elektra with a 'k' and Shadow to my team. Got it?"_

 _She watched as he wrote the dog names and gave her a way, "Go! Go! Sorry!"_

 _Bo gave a wave, resisting the urge to give him the finger as she lifted her ice hook and stepped on to the sled,_

" _Hike! Let's go, kids! We've got some time to make up!"_

 _She looked over her shoulder and yelled out to Little Jon, "Don't leave until you're sure they correct the next checkpoint!"_

" _I've got it, Bo!"_

 _As they went up the slight grade, she pedaled hard, trying to take some of the load off of her dogs as they were coming to a section of the course for which she wanted to have some momentum. The snow was already deeper than she had expected considering the weather reports. They were also entering the first area where she suspected Big Jim or his men might be waiting. Hopefully those sharpshooters were well-hidden and good at their job. They were, after all, going to be shooting with deadly force at a moving target, possibly in whiteout conditions._

 _ **END FLASHBACK**_

Bo loved this part of the course. It was deep powder, wooded on either side of the trail, and much like the thrill of riding a rollercoaster on a dog sled. There were other parts of the trail that were like this as well, but this was one of her favorites because of the speed. Sure, it was a challenge to keep the sled upright and, on the trail, but wasn't that the challenge of the race? If anyone could drive a sled for a thousand miles, everyone would do it.

She smiled at the wagging tails and pep on her team. The dogs looked like they were having a blast. They were in their element. This is what they were bred for and she was giving them free reign to do as they pleased unless it got dangerous for them.

"Gee! Gee!"

They made the right turn perfectly, Bo's eyes going wide for a moment as she realized how steep the next drop was,

"Hmph!" She landed, her breath being pressed from her body by the force of the impact of the sled hitting bottom, "Damn, this is a bit gnarly this year. Sorry, 'bout that kids! I wasn't counting the steps! I think that was number three? Dang, Bo – pay attention!"

She leaned in to the next turn,

"Haw! Haw!"

"Easy kids!" Bo said, stepping on the sled break to slow the dogs down just a bit as they entered a sharp serpentine section of the trail,

"Gee! Gee!"

"Hike, Nike! Hike Diana! Good girls!"

Bo smiled, watching Elektra and Shadow looking at each other, before they started biting at each other, "Elektra, Shadow! No bite! Play nice!"

They both turned their attention ahead again, as Gaea and Aphrodite barked loudly at the pair. Bo laughed, loving how her two veterans were working hard to keep the young rookies in line. So far, the two were holding their own. Jenna and Muk were running well, following the lead of Nike and Diana, just as she'd hoped. Her veteran team dogs Hera, Demeter, Nemesis and Artemis were running just as well as ever. Atalanta and Persephone had never run in this race and Bo had definitely had her doubts, but her idea of putting the two rookie pups behind them and well-trained adults in front of them seemed to clear any ideas they might have had of not falling in line with the others.

Of course, it was still early in the race, so only time would tell. The worst was still ahead, but Bo knew that both she and her team were still running as fresh as when the race began. She was focused and she felt… alive. Being in the open country like this was how she'd spent the first ten years of her life. The Alaska Range was home to her in many ways. She felt at one with the environment – it was in her blood. Best of all, no people and possibly – if the skies were clear and the mountain's weather cooperated, she'd see her old friend Denali. Maybe it was time for a climb again. She'd consider it if she could do it without having to be a guide. Everyone was an adventurer these days and she hated the fact that people were dying because they thought money could buy them a safe climb with guaranteed life at the end.

She saw the trail bend and cross Shirley Lake. It was dark now and she knew that once she reached Long Lake, she was about 11 miles from Rainy Pass Lodge. At that point, she would come to a steep mountainside on the south side of Happy River valley before the checkpoint. The last eight miles would be a gnarly hillside trail and that is where she worried Big Jim would be making his stand.

"Hike! Let's get moving, kids! I know it's dark, but Nike and Diana, you know this trail like you know your own paws! We can do this!"

She turned on her headlamp, thinking now would be a good time for her face to be shielded by the glare of a light. She had set traps through this entire canyon, so anyone who tried to come in on her from the sides would be strung up in the trees. Knowing she was behind schedule; they were likely already hanging and just about in federal custody since they now knew where all of her traps were. Soon, she would be clear of Big Jim and his men – at least for the rest of the night. There's no way he would drag his rickety old ass up and into Rainy Pass and Rohn. If they didn't come after her here or there was more than one place they tried to take her down, it would be the long stretches of open and barren land after Rohn. That area made Bo nervous, so she hoped she was right on his plan.

As she traveled the distance through the winding pass, she noticed the snow growing deeper and deeper by the minute. She'd heard that some of the top mushers were carrying firearms this year because the conditions would be more likely to bring moose, wolves, bear or other fuzzies onto the trail. Bo had never carried a firearm and she wasn't about to start now. Besides, there were apparently plenty of guns pointed at her right now by the feds… that was enough metal. Another point was that guns meant carrying ammo and all of that meant extra weight. Bo prided herself on a well-packed, well-balanced sled of her own design. It was light, maneuverable and slick enough to run faster than any other sled in the race. If it came down to a sprint, Bo was confident in her team, her skills and her equipment to get the job done.

She was now about eleven miles out. She had that sinking feeling in her stomach as she felt, strangely enough, that she was approaching Big Jim territory. But the truth is, if he wanted to kill her himself, he would send men out here to take her and her sled, not kill her. Could a group of men take her? Well, one thing was for sure, she wouldn't go quietly and she had better be more skilled than Bo on a sled if they wanted to get close enough to capture her.

"Whoa! Whoa!" Bo called to her team, stepping hard on the brake as a shot rang out through the mountains, "I hope that was someone hunting bear."

Another shot rang out and Bo heard a bullet ricochet off a nearby tree. The dogs started barking and jumping. They were too exposed here. She quickly looked around and saw what she had hoped to see,

"Hike! Hike!" Bo called out, moving her team down the trail as fast as they could go. She pedaled behind the sled, picking up as much speed as they possibly could, "Hike! Hike! Go Diana! Go Nike! Come on, kids! Go hard or we don't go home!"

Bo heard another shot ring out, hitting a rock behind her. A searing pain shot through her left thigh, causing her to lose her balance and fall from the rails. She pushed with her right leg, trying to stand, but her hands were slipping. In one last ditch attempt to stay with the sled, she threw her arm over the handle, hooking it with her elbow, allowing herself to be dragged behind the sled. She bent her right leg and managed to get it onto a skid, then pulled herself up to a stand. The sled wobbled and almost tipped, but she managed to keep her balance as another shot rang out, missing the target again. Her vision was blurring as the pain shot through her leg, forcing her teeth to clench. She looked up through watery eyes and managed to see the red eye painted on the tree to her left just in time to yell to her team,

"Haw! Haw! Haw!" The sled turned left, but veered back onto the trail once again, "Oh, come on! Please listen to me girls! I know you're scared. Diana, Haw! Haw, Diana!"

As the dog on the right, if Diana followed the command and turned left, she would force Nike to turn into the mountain side with her. As luck would have it, her veteran lead turned and shouldered up against Nike to force her to follow,

"Good girls! Haw! Haw! Go girls! Come on, kids! Faster! Faster!"

The dogs turned into the woods, just as another shot rang out behind Bo, again hitting a tree behind her. She saw the pile of tree branches up ahead and could only hope that Nike and Diana would obey her command,

"Hike! Hike! Hike! Come on, trust me, girls! Don't stop! Don't slow down. Please don't slow down. Hike! Hike!"

The dogs ducked down and ran right through the small opening. Bo watched as the green pine needles grew closer and closer. When the last dog was out of sight, she leaned back and ducked, shielding her face behind the basket and prayed. Snow sprayed into her face as she fell from the sled and skidded along tree roots and ice until she came to a stop against the hard rock surface of the cave wall.

She immediately worked to pull the riggings towards her, trying desperately to settle the dogs down, "Okay, girls and boys. It's okay. Not barking right now would be really great. Shhhh. Please, please. Shhhh. It's okay. Sit! Everyone sit!"

She turned on all four of the extra headlamps she kept mounted to her sled for night running and frowned. The rigging was tangled from the dogs running into the cave at top speed and having to stop short in a crowded space or hit a stone wall. The sled had managed to stop without running over the dogs, so they all looked to be without injury… just scared. She looked for Elektra and Shadow and found the two huddled together, the more emotional pup's eyes were wide with fear. She dragged herself along the cave wall until she was close enough to reach them.

Shadow was immediately on her lap, "Okay, kiddo. It's okay. We're fine, Shadow."

This is the type of incident that could ruin a dog and Bo knew it. She needed to get this team up and running again as soon as she could, or they might throw in the towel and their race would be over. Still, she could give them a few minutes to catch their breath and calm down. Chances were the dogs had no idea they were being shot at. Right now, all they knew is that the woman they trusted most in their world just drove them straight into a rock wall. Not good to lose the trust of your dogs in the middle of nowhere. Luckily, Bo knew how to survive if she had to, but without her dogs, she'd be dead. She was too far from life to walk out of here. The best she could hope for was a ride to the next checkpoint with another musher, but her dogs would die out here if they couldn't track them.

Bo looked around the cave at her other dogs. She had found this cave almost eight years ago in the middle of a bad storm. She'd slept here with her dogs, waiting out the worst of it until she could move on again. That was six of the dogs she currently had with her. The problem was, the cave was very short and not very deep.

"Lay down. Lay down, Nike. Lay down, Diana." Shadow was actually quivering. She continued stroking the heads of her two youngest dogs, "It's okay, kids. We're fine. We're just fine. You're going to stay here with the others while I figure out who's taking shots at us out there."

She turned to Gaea and Aphrodite who were the last ones in and therefore closest to the cave entrance where the sled had landed,

"Nobody leaves, you two. You hear? Nobody leaves. Stay. Stay."

She released the two pups, Shadow trying to follow, but she turned, "Stay. You're okay. Stay."

The youngster obeyed, so Bo dragged herself across the snowy cave floor to the sled and opened up the zipper pouch on the outside of the basket. She pulled out the freeze dried, frozen beef and pork sticks she had for a quick energy treat to give the dogs and tossed one to each of her runners. The salty, high protein snack was perfect for precisely this type of stop. It was chewy like a dog toy because of how thick it was, it was frozen in water and fat so gave them calories and hydration. But the best part right now was that it would keep them busy and distracted for a while.

Bo felt a searing pain shoot through her leg again, "Shit!"

She looked down and saw a long thin blood saturated tear in her white snow pants. Separating the cloth, she saw even more blood draining down her inner nylon layer, "Fuck."

She tore open the material further and pressed her finger into the wound, "Okay, so it's not a hole, but it's definitely a nice long gash. The bullet must have grazed me. At least it's not in there." She looked up at Nike who was staring back at her, "It's okay, girl - they missed. They missed again, girl… sort of… that's good thing."

She gathered up some snow from the cave floor and pushed it firmly into the wound, pulling the nylon inner layer up over the area, she pressed down hard again, "Ahhhrrghh."

Once the nausea and dizziness passed, she reached into the sled and pulled out her special Dr. Lewis first aid kit. She opened up the kit and grabbed gauze, alcohol and one of the compression bandages that Lauren had showed her how to use,

"Okay, so you were right. Thanks, Lauren. I'll owe you at least a dinner for this."

Now, all she had to do was clean, dry and press. She poured some alcohol onto the wound, biting down on her shirt sleeve as it entered the wound. She then opened a pack of sterile gauze and carefully blotted it dry, cringing at the pain caused by the contact. Finally, after wiping the tears from her eyes, she pressed the compression bandage tightly against the wound and pulled the corners tight.

"Hmmm. Check that out, Gaea. It worked! That Dr. Lewis is a smart one, huh? There's some chemical on the bandage that will stop the bleeding. They use it for people who are on blood thinners. Definitely a smart lady. Blood loss is not a good thing where we are."

Bo laughed when Gaea dropped her meat long enough to bark twice in favor of Dr. Lewis before going back to work on her treat.

"Well, hopefully Dr. Lauren will be at the next stop and she can patch it up if I didn't do it right." She reached out to put the supplies back and felt burning on her back, "My jacket came up on my stylish entrance into the cave. I have a feeling my skin is all cut up there, too, but unless one of you can handle performing first aid on me, that's going to have to wait until I have another set of human hands. Lauren is going to be pissed."

She sighed, taking a deep breath and focusing on the next task rather than the discomfort, "Now, let's go see about our company. I'd love to know where those federal agents and their sharpshooters are right now. But it's like they say, sometimes if you want something done, you have to do it yourself."

Bo reached into the side pouch of her sled and pulled out her small axe. Removing the cover, she flipped it over once, then twice in her hand, just to be sure she had a feel for the weight in case she had to use it. She pulled a knife from her left side pocket and then lowered herself to look beneath the branches. She took a deep breath and turned off her head lamp, then turned off the lamps on the sled. The dogs whimpered for a moment,

"Shhh. It's okay, kids. You're okay. Gaea, Aphrodite, stay."

The moon was full. It glanced off the snow and ice-covered trees and rock, reflecting light across the valley despite the late hour. There was no need for a headlamp once her eyes adjusted to the darkness. Her white snow suit would camouflage her to any visitors as long as the bandage held on her leg and didn't leave a trail of blood behind.

She slid on her belly beneath the bundle of branches that were suspended in a fishing line hammock Bo had constructed and mounted here almost a month ago. She slid beneath a massive pine tree and rolled onto her back, surveying the tree line above her. She rolled over, looking out to the trail and whispered to herself,

"Okay, so you were headed west, the shot clearly hit a rock to your left before hitting your left leg. The shot came from the north and definitely south of me."

She looked over in that direction and scanned the creek about fifty yards beyond the trail. It took a moment, but she finally spied a small sled team with a man standing by the handle.

"Hmmm. Both of your hands are on the handle, so you're not the one who fired the shot. So, were you giving Big Jim a ride?" She rolled onto her side and opened her jacket pocket, pulling out the compact binoculars she carried. Pushing the button, they popped open. She held them up in the direction of the creek, scanning the horizon before zooming in on the musher,

"Only six dogs. So, you didn't travel far, and you definitely didn't give anyone a ride. Not in this terrain. The dogs wouldn't be able to haul your two-hundred-pound man-frame in this. That means, you not only have a friend who fired the shot, but your friend as a sled as well."

Bo ducked as she heard another sled come flying down the trail.

"Two, four, six, eight." She tucked her head down, realizing it was another small team, "Iditarod teams have fourteen dogs this year, Sir. You must not have read your rules."

She gripped the axe hard, watching as the visitor anchored the sled then proceeded to walk towards her tracks.

"Shit, Bo. Cover your damn tracks. Stupid, stupid, stupid!" She whispered, slowly moving herself to a stand behind the tree. As he moved closer, she lowered herself, moving towards the hill to keep her white clothing against a backdrop of snow if he or the man below looked her way. She cinched up her hood tighter so none of her black hair would escape and kept her axe and knife behind her legs.

Finally, she heard him call out,

"Come on out, half-breed! I know you're in there! You been the bane of my existence for a long time, Ysabeau Dennis. Big Jim wants you alive so he can do you himself, but I've waited to long for this. I'll have to tell him you got the jump on me, so I had to take you out myself. Time to die, sweetie. You and all your precious little doggies." The voice rang out.

Bo's blood ran cold at the sound of the man's voice. It was not the first time she'd heard that threat from him, though it had been a very long time. She watched as he checked the load in his weapon before the sound of the safety clicking off echoed through the valley. Bo raised her axe to her ear and took a step forward, needing him to turn towards her to expose his chest,

"Hey asshole. Over here."

As he raised his weapon to shoot, a dog came flying through the air, landing squarely on his shoulders. The gun fired into the air, the sound causing an avalanche of snow to cascade down on the mushers head. As her vision cleared, she saw the man turn on the growling dog and called out,

"I warned you, Jacob!"

He turned towards her just as she threw her axe, another shot sounding causing her to drop to the snow as a reflex. She froze as the echo of the gun traveled beyond the mountains, returning silence to the valley amidst the loud barks of her dogs. She looked up to see the man collapsing in the snow, the moonlight showing the look of shock on his face as he looked down at his chest, his legs giving way leaving him face down in the snow. Another shot rang out, causing Bo to look down towards the creek where the other man held his hands over his head. She could recognize Dyson's frame even from here as he walked towards the man who knelt down before him.

The sound of the dog growling got her attention. She looked up to see the dog baring his teeth, ready to latch on to the man's neck,

"SHADOW! Come here, kiddo! Shadow! Come!"

The dog obeyed, running to Bo's embrace, "Good, girl. Good girl, Shadow."

Bo checked the dog for any wounds and found only a scratch on her nose. She grabbed some snow and rubbed it clean, checking to see how deep it was, relieved to see it was only superficial. She looked down at her own body, checking for a bullet wound, but found none. She looked back up at the man to see the white snow changing color before her eyes, reacting only when she heard the snap of a breaking branch. She drew her knife, pulling it to her ear, Shadow growling again but Bo stopped herself and the dog just in time at the sound of the friendly voice,

"Don't throw! Bo, it's me! It's Hale!"

She sat back in the snow, holding tight to Shadow as she looked up at the Deputy Sheriff, "I killed him. I… I killed him. He was going to kill my dogs. He…"

He felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up, "Hale, I…"

"Bo, you didn't kill him. I shot him before your axe hit his chest. Besides, he had you dead to rights – your dogs too. I witnessed the whole thing as I was making my way through the trees to get to you." He pointed behind the man at his sled, "I promise, you killed no one."

Bo blinked twice, "But…" Bo sat down, feeling the sting of the bullet wound as she bent her leg. Brushing the pain aside, she watched as Hale flipped the man over and pulled the axe from his chest. He wiped it clean in the snow and threw it into a nearby tree.

"I don't recognize this guy." He took a picture with his phone, pocketed the device and then looked back at Bo, "You're free to go… I mean… if you want to continue in the race."

Bo sat, blinking, her mind racing as she stared at the man's face. She turned on her headlamp and got up to her feet. Walking to the body, she looked down, illuminating his features. Her shoulders slumping as she looked down at the familiar face,

"His name is Jacob Turner." Bo's hand moved to her mouth, "I'm not sure where he's actually living now, but I know that he was First Nations… from the Yukon Territory in Canada. Ross River tribe, more specifically."

"How could you possibly know that?" Hale asked.

Bo's eyes moved slowly to Hale's, the moonlight reflecting the curiosity on his face. Bo shrugged, "Seline said my past would come back to me in its own time."

She turned and reached for the bundle of branches covering the cave entrance. She used her knife to cut the fishing line that attached it to a nearby tree, allowing the bundle to fall to the snow. She pulled the net towards her, covering the body completely,

"That should keep the wolves and the bears off of him long enough to get someone in here to recover the body. Don't wait too long or they will take him." Bo said, slipping her knife back into her side pocket.

"We have a sled for the body." Hale replied.

Bo stopped short of heading in to get her dogs, "You aren't seriously going to try to sled him across the Alaska Range, are you?"

"The Feds are."

"Hale, they cannot tow a body and you know it. It's too much weight for a team of dogs."

"We told them. In the end, it's not my call."

"They're not Alaskan's Hale. I wouldn't haul a body out of here and I've done that pass at least twenty times between the race and training. It's suicide for those guys. Use the Iditarod Air Force. They have helicopters for situations just like this. Another mile down the trail, there's a clearing. They can hoist the body and the feds out then."

"The feds aren't going anywhere and some of them are Alaskan's Bo. This thing isn't over. They're going to stay until the job is done. Now who is this guy?"

"I've got to go, Hale. I'm way behind schedule."

"Bo, stop! This is getting way out of hand. You have to scratch, Bo. You're gonna get yourself killed if you stay out here. Now who is this guy?"

"I'm not scratching. I'm racing. I haven't violated any race rules and you just told me I could leave."

"I didn't think you actually would." Hale said, moving towards the dogs, but Bo swept his legs and put him on his back, the sound of scraping metal echoing through the air as her cold blade left its sheath and landed at his neck,

"Touch those dogs and I will put you down. I am racing and that's the end of it. You guys are the ones that have made this situation unsafe. Bringing in all of these feds with guns. I can't imagine how the mushers feel out here. I know I'm worried they're going to shoot at a bad guy and hit me or my dogs. You didn't need to bring them into this. Exhibit A – look who took these guys out? You and Dyson. Where are the sharpshooters who are supposed to be in the canyon?"

Hale relaxed, "Fine. Can I have my neck back, please?"

Bo stood, "Hands off my dogs. Stay out of my way on the trail. I'm here to race, Hale and I'm going to race. If you guys didn't want me to race, then you should have pulled me out back in Anchorage or Willow."

"We tried."

"What?"

"Dyson and I, we tried. The feds decided they wanted to use you as bait. Once they heard all that Big Jim has done, they put him at the top of the most wanted list in our state."

"All that he's done?" Bo asked.

"He's wanted, Bo… in the Yukon Valley, up North, in Canada and in three states in the Lower 48. Big Jim has history that none of us knew about."

"His sons?"

Hale shook his head, "The feds started questioning family about his past just after you left the start line. That's why Little Jon was late getting the adjusted checkpoint information to them."

Hale looked down at the man buried beneath the branches, pointing the tip of his rifle in his direction as he spoke, "And that's why I asked how you know this guy. Now, please, Bo. Let me help you. Who is this guy."

Bo scowled, shaking her head, she relented and sat down on a rock,

"I'm not sure. Really. I know his name. I know I grew up with him and we have been crossing paths ever since. When I left home to find my mother, I headed east into Canada to try to find out about my Dad… you know, if I really was the half-breed everyone claimed I was since my mom never told me. While I was there, I decided I'd do the Yukon Crossing and some other trails because I'd decided I was going to do the Iditarod as soon as I was old enough."

"You said you grew up with him?"

"I think so, yes. I mean… it's vague, but I have a feeling I knew him when I was just a kid… that we played together. He's always seemed familiar to me, but he swore he'd never met me until Canada."

"Canada?"

Bo nodded, "I left home when my mom disappeared. and I got wind that she and my dad might still be alive, I set out on my own to find them… or find the truth. For years I thought Jacob was following me. He showed up in several places where I stopped in the Yukon – the Crossing, Carmacks and Ross River. He told me that was where he was born and raised. Now I'm not so sure."

"Now as in…"

"As in right now. I don't know why, but when he was calling out to me, the things he said… I just feel like I knew him when I was young. I can't explain it."

"Well, what the hell were you doing in Canada?"

"Following the rumor mill." Bo laughed, "I know it was idiotic, but I was alone, and I was a sixteen-year-old girl wo was desperate for answers. When nothing panned out, I eventually crossed over their southern border and headed to Navajo Country in Arizona. When I got there, Jacob was in town. I was stonewalled when I asked the elders about my father. I even searched the public records, but it was the same as Canada."

"What was that?"

"The problem with First Nations and Native American societies is that a lot of the history is passed on through stories and the spoken word. If you don't talk to the right people – or people who are willing to share – you can't learn anything about people."

Bo stood, stretching her legs and back. She decided that this was now going to count as a rest stop, so she let the dogs rest before the big climb over the pass. She pulled out her journal and began jotting notes, checking maps and recalculating her plan of attack. She'll have to tell Hale what she was changing since Kenzi would freak when she dropped off of her planned schedule.

"Bo?"

She looked up at Hale, "Sorry, I'm going to have to recalculate my race. Be sure to tell Kenzi that I'm taking a 90-minute rest here, so will be blowing through the checkpoint after the pass."

"And about Jacob?"

"Oh. Right. Well, after Arizona was a dead end, I headed back up into the Yukon to try a few more First Nations villages to see if anyone knew my father. I had an old picture that, oddly enough, Jacob took off of me in a drunken fit saying that man was not my father. I tried to ask him how he knew that, but he was so gone, there was no talking to him."

Bo folded up her maps, slipping them back into the waterproof sleeve before tucking her notebook back into her pocket,

"I ran into him again once at Ross River. I talked to some guys in a bar about him and they told me he was born there. I asked how he got up to Utqiaġvik and they said his Dad had met a woman up there. Jacob walked into the conversation and all hell broke loose between him and the guy talking to me. He called the guy a liar and eventually, we all quieted down and played some cards."

Bo sighed, "During the game, I was winning, he accused me of cheating and started a legit bar brawl. I won, he lost. Bar owner made him pay for damages. That was when I headed back up north. I was tired of traveling and was ready to go home."

Bo laughed, "But, the joke was on me because when I arrived back at my 'home', I found another family living there. The state had taken over, saying I'd abandoned the property. I fought to get it back. It was paid for and I still held the deed… that is, until I found my lockbox that I'd buried in our cache – empty. Someone stole the deed and I couldn't prove the guy living there hadn't bought the home from me for cash like he said. I had no bank account, so no written records of the transaction."

"You'd think you would have learned a lesson and opened a bank account by now."

Bo shrugged, "Still don't trust banks. They knew my Mom and they knew the house was paid off. They also knew she left the property to me. They stole my home from me and I'll never trust a bank again."

Hale sighed knowing that now was not the time to explain how bank records could have prevented the loss of her family home, "So you ran into Jacob again?"

Bo nodded, "He was back home when I got there, then was in Wainwright, Point Lay, Wevok and Point Hope. I didn't see him again until about a year later in Noorvik. He told the guys on a job I was working that I had cheated him at a card game. We fought, I won – left him lying on the bar floor and headed out of town the next day. I flew into Sitka about two years later to work on a construction job. Another coincidence – he was working on the same crew. It was late at night when I left a local bar. He was waiting outside, grabbed me and turned into a super perve. I grabbed his nuts and shoved them threw his skull, dropping him to the ground like a dead moose. I told him if he ever tried to lay a hand on me again, I'd kill him. Guess you did the favor for me."

"That's why you shouted you had warned him."

Bo nodded, staring down at the pile of branches. The moonlight glistened off the wet boots sticking out from beneath the boughs of pine,

"Why would he wear leather boots out here?" Bo asked in a whisper.

Hale looked down at the man's feet, "Unusual for sure. Especially if your account of his history is accurate."

Hale sighed, "Look, Bo, the guy was scum, that's for sure. He's got a rap sheet a mile long. Still shorter than Big Jim's but long nonetheless."

"So, what's going on that I don't know, Hale. Maybe if the feds leveled with me, I could help."

Hale sighed, knowing that she was right. No one knew this country the way Bo Dennis did – not even the village elders themselves. He looked up at Bo,

"Look, you didn't hear this from me, Bo but they think Big Jim went and found himself some out of state hired guns."

"Like assassins?"

"That's the type."

"Great."

Bo looked into the cave at her dogs. They were a tangled mess among the rigging, but they were all sound asleep in one big furry clump, Shadow half on top of and half between Gaea and Aphrodite. Their collective body heat would keep them all warm, despite the ground cover being snow.

"Look, Hale. I've got to get back on the trail. I've counted at least ten sleds pass me while we've been sitting here. Mitch has got a massive lead on me…"

"Actually, Mitch is out. I heard that at the last checkpoint."

"What? What happened?"

"His sled broke. There's no way for him to fix it. He bottomed out on a drop somewhere up in the pass, landed on a rock or trunk and busted a rail clean in half. They're working on fishing him out of there."

Bo nodded, "Good to know, I suppose."

"He's camped out and safe. I heard mushers were dropping supplies for him and his dogs, so anything you have to spare…"

"Absolutely. Thanks for the heads up. Looks like the ancestors may not favor the favorites this year."

Hale smiled, "Get back out there and figure it out, Bo. We all know you have what it takes to win even if you have to come from behind. You've done it before."

Bo nodded, heading into the cave, "Watch yourself out there, Hale."

He nodded, "Will do. We've got your back… just not through the pass."

"On my own, huh?" Bo laughed, untangling Jenna and Muk from the team so she could get to Elektra and figure out what Shadow had done to their part of the line to break free. Bo was pleasantly surprised by the instinct to protect, the courage and intelligence she had shown when she was under attack.

Hale shook his head, "Trust me when I say these guys can't handle what's waiting for them up there if they try to go after you, Bo."

Bo shook her head, "I saw one earlier just past the Happy River Steps. They didn't look too well hidden to me."

"Those were local police. The guys that are up there are military recruits and federal snipers."

Bo spun on Hale, her face filled with anger, leading him to take a few steps back, "What? What the hell have you gotten us into here, Hale? What are we, the expendable Alaskans? Why didn't they hunt this guy down when he was in the Lower 48? Why do it here where there are innocent men, women and dogs just trying to win or complete a challenge?"

Hale was quiet, telling Bo all she needed to know, "Oh, I get it. The half breed is expendable, and my team is just a bunch of dogs. In town are many valuable human lives. Out here, they may only hit a few dogs are one or two mushers. Acceptable losses, right? I saw it in a movie once."

"Bo…"

"No, Hale. You and Dyson made your choice. I knew that Tamsin coming back here was bad news."

"She was following orders, Bo."

"Right. You're all doing what you had to do." She stepped up close to Hale, putting her finger in his face, "Now, I'll do what I have to do and so help me God, you and Dyson better have my back when Big Jim and his men are all dead. If I go down for this, I'm taking all of you with me… the Morton sons included. Make sure they know it. Now, how do I identify these prized gunmen?"

Bo turned her back to Hale and continued pulling new lines from her bag for Shadow.

"Look for polar bears laying in the snow."

"What?" Bo asked, stopping what she was doing.

"They listened to you, Bo. They listened. They brought in military who have experience in these conditions. They're extreme athletes and snow country residents with a background in military search and rescue. Some are top secret military assets or intelligence. There's about one hundred of them through the pass and beyond. Once you're past them, they're air lifted out and placed further down the trail. You're covered to the end."

Bo laughed, cutting a piece of rope and then pointing her knife towards the body on the ground, "Covered, huh? Like I was when this guy tried to kill me and my dogs?"

"Like I said, Dyson and I were covering you through here."

"Well, thank God for small favors." She shook her head. There was no need for her to get nasty with Hale. He had just saved her life, after all, "Okay then. Hopefully they know not to shoot the good guys… or girls as it is."

"They know and they all know your team – especially your leads."

Bo looked at Nike and Diana, "Hear that, Ladies? You're famous!"

"They're smart is what they are. I never saw a team run blindly into a covered opening like that."

"Yea, well be impressed while you can. I don't know if they're going to trust me again after I almost ran them right into a stone wall."

Hale bent down and looked inside the opening, "I didn't know there was a cave here."

Bo nodded, "Found it a while back and decided to use it as a foxhole of sorts. Just in case."

"Good idea." Hale replied, "But then again, I guess that's why you've got the reputation you have."

Bo nodded, "Get out of here, Hale. Next thing you know, someone will be saying I got assistance in the race."

"Later Bo. Good luck going through the pass."

"Thanks."

Bo set back to the task of getting her dogs up and ready to go again. She hated that they'd gotten all comfy and cozy at this point in the race. They were likely to be tired from falling into a deep sleep and she needed them up and ready for the section of the course that would require the most effort from them,

"Okay, kids. Coming up next is a three-thousand-foot climb… three-thousand and a lot of change. Who wants to go run? Huh? Who wants to run? Are we gonna win, kids? Are we? Huh? Come on girls!" She looked at Muk, "Sorry… and boy. It's a habit."

She fluffed his head and laughed as all of the dogs seemed to be up and ready to go. Tails were wagging and eyes were surveying the land. It was time to find out if she'd done any permanent damage to their bond. She led them out of the cave and turned the sled around. It was no easy task considering her leg, the weight of the sled and the deep snow, but she managed.

She looked down at her thigh to check the bandage and noticed some blood had seeped through. Opening the first aid kid, she tore open two packs of gauze and another pressure bandage. She placed the gauze pads over the first bandage and then added the second one on top. For good measure, she took out a roll of duct tape and tore off a length. She dropped her outer pants and wrapped the duct tape around the entire leg, pulling the bandage tight with a groan.

While she was stripped down, she figured now was as good a time as any to empty her bladder, so she pulled out her urination device, positioned it and relieved herself. She double checked her sled gear, flipped it on its side and checked the runners to make sure they weren't damaged when she left the trail, then flipped it back upright and checked her personal gear. Realizing she had torn outer pants; she grabbed the duct tape again and patched her pants.

She flipped on her headlamp again before moving to talk to Nike and Diana at the head of the team,

"Okay, Ladies. The moon is full, so we're going to run silent and dark." She rubbed the muzzle of each dog, then rubbed behind their ears as she whispered in her native Athabascan tongue, _"Run like the wind, my children. Run like the wind."_

Spying her binoculars in the snow, she picked them up and brushed them off before pressing the two sides closed and slipping them back into her jacket pocket. She then remembered Hale had planted her axe in a tree, so she walked back to retrieve it, leaving it out of its sheath in the side pocket of the sled basket. She wanted it ready at a moment's notice.

Mounting the sled, she bent her knees and rocked it from side to side. She could feel the wound pulling beneath the bandage, but the duct tape seemed to be doing its job in not allowing it to tear further. She would just have to grit her teeth and bear the pain. After the climb was a steep descent that would allow her to rest her leg except for using the sled brake. It was time to see what she had left of her team. Hopefully, they would all cooperate and work together,

"Hike! Hike! Let's go kids. We're still playing catch up!"

For the first time in her life, she felt nervous on this trail. She had felt certain that the section through this pass would be safe for her. Now that she knew that Big Jim had hired guns waiting for her along just about any section of this course, she could no longer let down her guard. She would need to be vigilante the rest of the way. She also didn't want to get shot by any of the people who were also sent to 'save' her.

She thought for a moment of how easily Lauren was able to get race credentials just because she was a doctor. These hired hands may have done the same. She would have to be careful about any supplies she accepted at checkpoints as well. She would tell her team that at the next stop. The new security camera plan may help, but she wasn't sure if the cameras were being monitors all day and night.

She checked the sky to be sure they were headed in the right direction. It was easy to stray here at night. Most mushers admitted to having no idea where they were until they reached a checkpoint. As long as the trail was well-groomed, they just followed it. But this year, the wind had swept the snow across the trails, so despite the trails being cut for them, fresh powder was always going to make it difficult to navigate in the dark.

Still, Bo loved the quiet out here on the range. The hushed sound of the sled being pulled through the snow, the rhythmic breathing from a team of dogs working in unison, the occasional thunder of a strong wind across the material of your clothing and the sparkle of the white blanket beneath the full moon. This was why she loved her homeland. This was true beauty and she hoped that one day, she would be able to show this to Lauren. Maybe then she'd understand why there was nothing to fear. Maybe then she would understand why this was her home.

Out here, there was food, shelter and beauty. Growing up, she'd been taught that all that a person could need was provided by the land. Having lived in an area where there was no shelter unless you built it, the Alaska Range was like an east coast town to Bo. Most people would see a tree, boulder, river, cave and bear but Bo saw the trees as shelter, the boulders as tables, the river as holding both water and food, a cave as a hiding place and a bear as the Rockstar you watch from afar.

She smiled as she watched Gaea sniff at the air as she ran. The seven-year-old was known for her love of the sky at night. She was always looking up while the other dogs were looking out,

"The stars are very bright despite the full moon tonight, huh Gaea? Good scenery, good run, right? Let's hope so. Here we go, Nike! Diana! Hike! Hike! Let's climb this baby! We've got twelve hours to Rohn with a couple of water, snack and pee breaks in there. We've got this!"

 _ **Rohn Checkpoint – Two Hours Later**_

"What do you mean she was bleeding, Hale?" Lauren asked, her hands waving at the Deputy Sheriff.

"There was blood on the side of her leg. She had it bandaged. I don't know what happened – didn't ask. She was up and walking around on it, so she's obviously fine."

Lauren blew out a hard breath, "You do know we're talking about Bo Dennis, right? Bo 'feel no pain' Dennis? Bo 'a little infection won't hurt me' Dennis?"

"Bo 'grown ass adult' Dennis. Yes, I know who we're talking about, Dr. Lewis." Hale replied.

"Ugh." Lauren groaned, pushing back her hair and stepping back behind Kenzi, pacing.

"Look, Kenzi, Bo wanted me to tell you her schedule will be off now because of that little side trip into the cave and the hold ups at the checkpoints over the dogs."

"Little side trip?" Kenzi asked, "She was shot at, Hale! You shot and killed a man who was about to shoot and kill her!"

"Nah, Bo had it down, Kenz. She hit him square in the chest with her axe, I just happened to hit him with a bullet just before her axe landed."

"Hale!"

"What? Relax, 'lil Mama. The girl headed into the pass at full tilt. There's all sorts of traps and sharpshooters that can hit a target from 2500 yards out. Do you realize how far away they can be? That's some serious shootin'."

"Yea, but will they know _who_ they're shooting? I want to know that they won't hit Bo or her dogs!"

"Kenzi, her sled and clothes are tagged. She doesn't know it, but they are. They know exactly who she is, where she is, and they don't even need to see her. The dogs are chipped and they're tracking them as well."

"Wow. They really are using my best friend as bait!"

"Hale, we never would have agreed to this." Lauren said.

"Well, it's out of my hands, ladies. Bo knows, the choice was in her hands and she's running."

"Dammit Bo! When are you going to stop running!" Kenzi said, slamming her fists into her thighs.

Lauren took a deep breath, looking out across the snow-covered land. As bad as things were, she was sure Bo would only see the beauty of the land she called home. She loved the snow, trees and the sky whether sunny, cloudy or dark and filled with stars. To Bo, being out there was true freedom… only she wasn't free, and she knew it. She wouldn't be free until this part of her past was behind her,

"No, Kenzi. Bo isn't running. Well, not in the sense that most people usually think of Bo around here. She's not running away from her problems this time." Lauren looked out over the vast wilderness, "She's running right into the problem… head on." She looked back to Kenzi, "And she'll come back free of the problem or free of the world that created the problem no matter what. She's running from her past the only way she knows how – by doing whatever it takes to put it behind her so she can finally look ahead and see her future – a bright, exciting, future that is free of all that held her back in life until now. She's refusing to live her life the way she's been forced to live it – in constant fear of what he would do next. Bo will take back her life on her own terms…" She pointed to the wilderness, "…and on her own turf – out there where she feels most at home."

"But… I'm her home! She can't leave me!" Kenzi cried, her voice straining and eyes filling with tears.

Lauren smiled, placing a gentle hand on the younger woman's shoulder, "Bo's home lies in the heart of everyone she loves, Kenzi. She'll always be with you, no matter where she goes."

Kenzi nodded turning to Hale,

"Hale…"

"We'll talk. Later."

Hale walked away, tired of being verbally assaulted for choices that he'd had absolutely nothing to do with. What he had done was helped the committee to add security cameras to all 28 checkpoints this year. Sure, some people weren't happy about it, but mushers had accused people of drugging and sabotaging their dogs and more. The Great Race was meant to be an open space race with open access, but the world was changing and there was a lot a cash on the line for the top finishers. These days, there were bound to be people who wouldn't play fair…. or play dirty, at that.

What he would do now, was to go back to the job and do what he could to keep Bo safe. But first, he was going to get the secretaries back at the home office on a search for Jacob's family history and backstory. There had to be more to this guy, and it was sounding more and more like he was a key connection to Bo's past.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

Finger Lake, Rainy Pass and Rohn were Bo's favorite spots along the Iditarod Trail because there was always a challenge, always strategy and always weather. You could always count on unpredictable weather and this year was no different. It was snowing and the fresh powder was deep, the trail fast. To Bo, it just added to the fun. To outsiders, it meant complaining to the race officials about how bad the trail is in various spots. Anyone that complained to Bo got her Mom's line,

" _If you want perfectly predictable and groomed trails, find another race. There's a reason they call this the Last Great Race. If you can't handle the heat, get out of the kitchen."_

Bo's Mom always wanted her to run the Iditarod, but she was never easy on her when it came to running a sled, training or bumps and bruises. When it came to the dogs, she always made sure that Bo took care of their needs before her own. Bo smiled as she thought of her Mom's words,

" _You've got children of your own now, Ysabeau. That means you have to take care of all of their needs before your own. You need the money to feed, shelter and clothe them and you need to make sure they behave like proper ladies should… in the dog world."_

Her Mom always gave her a hug and a tickle when she said that last part, reminding her that while talking back and being loud in the human world wasn't acceptable to the Elders, barking was perfectly acceptable in the dog world as long as their bark was always worse than their bite.

The narrow, snaking trail was tremendous fun to navigate. She loved the unpredictable nature of these sections of the race and the sense of adventure it provided for the team. The best part, though, was the six or seven thousand-foot peaks that surrounded them on both sides throughout much of this stretch. It was always a reminder of how much bigger the world is than the small problems she has in her life. Everyone has their struggles and she really needed to learn to live in the moment and move beyond her past.

As she looked up at the massive mountains, she realized how big they were in comparison to her tiny dog sled team. She always felt the power of their pull as they ran the trail and felt inspired by the will of her team… of any team, really. But looking up at those mountains, she saw real power… real inspiration. It was like the mountains were looking down at her and the dogs and cradling them in their hands. She suddenly remembered something her Mom had told her as a child,

" _Ysabeau, when you feel too big for your britches, go to the mountains with your team. Run among them and listen to what they have to say. Listen to the stories they tell and the lessons they have for you to learn. Allow them to become a part of you and they will always show you the way."_

She felt a cold sting on her cheeks and realized she was crying. She chuckled, "Now that's not good for the skin out here, is it, kids? I'll get frostbite for sure and go back to Lauren looking like the grim reaper."

She tugged her inner shirt collar up and wiped her cheeks, clearing her throat and refocusing on the task at hand.

What she hated about Rainy Pass was an area just before the checkpoint. All of the teams were still bunched up this early in the race and this particular spot was like a resort. Everyone stopped there and if she did, it would guarantee those awkward social moments that Bo loathed so much. If she continued on, people would say she wasn't taking proper care of her dogs, but it didn't mean she wasn't taking care of them. It just meant that she was choosing to do her 24-hour layover somewhere else… anywhere else. Still, she'd promised Lauren she would stop, so she was going to do what she had to so as not to make the doctor worry. She had enough patients to worry about. She didn't need to add herself to the pile.

It had taken her only three and a half hours to arrive at the summit. Now came the steep and twisting downhills that led to the Dalzell Gorge. She had maybe an hour to go, so she was ahead of the planned five hours the entire leg would take. She may even be able to knock some time off of that hour if the dogs kept up their pace. However, this was another of the course roller coasters, so she had to be careful. There was a lot of race left and safer places to make up time. The steep downhills where there was water on both sides could easily find her flipped over in some water. In addition, tree roots and bushes provided lots of challenges for the adventurous team for both dogs and human.

Bo grinned as even her rookies performed well through the downhill run into the gorge. They did the work while she watched the hills on either side for signs of trouble from humans. A glint of black steel caught her eye up ahead,

"Whoa. Whooooaaa, kids." She slowed until she realized that this was one of the marksmen that Hale had mentioned. She smiled, "Hike! Hike!"

She gave her team free rein again, looking to her right as she passed the fake mass of snow, "Peekaboo! I see you!"

"Wh-what?"

Bo looked back over her shoulder, "Do better, my sniper friend!"

She laughed, turning her gaze back to the trail where her dogs were hitting a section of ice along the river. She gripped the rail more tightly and prepared for the numerous skids that were likely to come over the next section of trail. It reminded her of those race car stunts she saw in movies that she watched with Kenzi in her hotel apartment. She had often wondered what it would be like to do a 360 on a dog sled, but alas with the dogs attached, it wouldn't be a safe thing to try. She'd never risk the safety of her dogs.

The sun was just skirting above the trees. The sky was clearing, so despite the snow falling around her from the trees, it looked like she might have a relatively calm day ahead of her. As she approached the Rainy Pass checkpoint, she eyed the crowd for anyone who looked the least bit out of place. Then, she saw Kenzi running towards the checkpoint. She rolled her eyes, hoping this wouldn't take long. She really didn't have time to hang out.

She felt her heart grow heavy when she saw Lauren. She hadn't even realized how much she missed her until right now. It would be such a relief to just throw herself into her arms and ask her to hold her, but she couldn't let those emotions out right now. That was stuff that would cost her the race. Instead, she stepped up to the checkpoint,

"Name?"

"Bo Dennis."

"Hi, Bo. Bib number?"

"Number one, Ma'am."

"Sign in here, please and are you staying or moving through?" The woman watched as Bo signed the clipboard.

"I'm moving through."

"How are your dogs?"

"One has a small cut on her nose that I would take someone to take a quick peek at, but otherwise, they're fine."

"And, how are you?"

Bo hesitated, but saw Lauren out of the corner of her eye, "I have a few scrapes, so would like to have those checked."

"We just happen to have a human doctor here as well as a Vet, so I'll let them know." The woman turned and waved Lauren and another vet down to the checkpoint area. A volunteer waved Bo forward clear of the check in and Bo dropped her ice hook, kicking it into the ground.

Lauren moved to Bo's side, but Bo was quick to start the conversation, "This has to be quick. I'm sure Hale already told you…"

"You're hurt, yes. I'll make it quick. Where is it?"

"Left thigh and my back."

Lauren nodded, "Kenzi, can you help me, please? I'll need some sort of shelter to do this."

"I'll stay with the sled. You guys should head into the lodge."

"Thanks, Kenzi. I'm okay, really. Don't worry, okay?"

"Right. You were just shot at and axed a guy, but I won't worry."

Bo walked gingerly up the hill with Lauren, trying not to let her mind stray to the incredibly sexy ass that was walking up the hill ahead of her. When they were finally inside, Bo dropped her outer pants and laid down on a sofa, pointing to the duct tape.

"Nice compression bandage. I thought I showed you how…"

"Under the duct tape, it's perfect, but there wasn't enough pressure. I could feel the wound opening up under the bandage."

When Lauren reached the bottom of the dressing, she cringed at all of the blood. She flooded the area with Normal Saline and then used a magnifier to check the wound for debris. She found several fibers of cloth, likely from Bo's clothing,

"You have fabric fibers in here and what looks like small slivers of… stone or rock?"

Bo sighed, knowing she needed to be honest, "Bullet ricocheted off a rock and grazed my leg."

Lauren dropped a bottle of solution, her eyes landing on Bo as she froze. They remained, eyes locked, for a long moment before Lauren went back to work in silence.

"I'm going to use glue and tape to hold this together. If I stitch it right now, it will just come apart. I mean, I'm assuming you're not dropping out of the race over this?"

"No way."

Lauren nodded, "As I thought. Okay, roll over and let me see your back."

Bo pulled off her coat and nylon jacket before laying back down. Lauren pulled up the shirt and gasped, "Geezus, Bo. It looks like someone took a giant cheese grater to your back. What happened?"

"I skidded across ice and my clothes came up, exposing my skin. Well, the ice was over rock, so I'm guessing I hit jagged ice and rock."

"But how did your clothing…"

"We were going really, really fast."

"You didn't brake?"

"Lauren, I'd really rather not discuss it right now. I need to get back out there. I'm almost two full hours off of the leader. I've got so much time to make up and every few minutes I'm here, they're covering another mile."

"Right. Shut up and play doctor." Lauren smiled tightly.

"I don't mean it like that, Lauren. I just…"

"It's okay, Bo. You have a job to do and I promised to be here to help you and the other mushers do that job."

Lauren finished cleaning all of the wounds, then covered each of them with compression dressings before pulling Bo's layers back down,

"You're good to go."

She stood up, removing her gloves and tossing them into the trash before pushing her hair behind her ears and shoving her hands into her pockets,

"Good luck."

Bo leaned in and gave Lauren a kiss on her cheek, "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Be safe."

"I'll do my best." Bo replied before turning and walking away. She gritted her teeth, willing herself not to turn and look back or she might run back and never leave. The feel of her gentle, caring touch on her body was a feeling she would savor until she saw her at the next checkpoint. She might even consider another injury.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

The trip from Rohn to Nikolai was an eighty-mile leg and would take anywhere from ten to fifteen hours depending on wind and weather. The first twenty miles had some real rough patches and Bo needed to be vigilant. Those twenty included the South Fork section of Kuskokwim from Rohn to Farewell Lakes and then on to the infamous Farewell Burn. The burn really wasn't as bad as it had been a decade ago, but there was still areas of the forest floor that could do damage to the pads of her dogs, so it was just before the burn that Bo decided to stop and switch to the new booties that Lauren and Molly had made for them.

She laid down the emergency blankets for each pair of dogs to use and then began the fifteen-minute task of switching out the footwear while each dog worked on another snack. She then pulled out the paper bags of food that she had packed for each dog and laid them out in the snow. Next, she pulled out some Heet to melt some snow. When that was all finished, she poured a little water in each bag, gave it a shake and then folded down the sides to form a bowl. She slid a bag under each dog and then sat down to feed herself.

A bag of her homemade trail mix would give her carbs and healthy fats, then sixteen ounces of water would replenish some of what she'd lost in fluids. She would end her meal with the salmon and beef jerky she had made for a high protein addition to her trail diet.

With the booties changed, the dogs rested for about thirty minutes and everyone fed and watered, Bo began to pack everything up and continue on to the second leg of the Rohn to Nokolai trail. There would be another forty-five to sixty-minute rest in thirty-five miles when she reached the other side of the Burn at Sullivan Creek. Then another forty-five-minute rest after the twenty miles from Sullivan to Salmon River and on to Nikolai.

As expected, the first twenty miles had been a challenge. She was sure race officials would be receiving an earful for the poorly groomed trail and portions that were lacking snow all together. Honestly, she didn't know what was up with people. It wasn't like the race officials had a weather machine and this was, after all, the Alaska Range. It is well known that doing this section with a partner is advisable if you don't really know what you're doing, but unfortunately, a lot of people think they're better than they are. Those would be the people complaining or having to be rescued. Unfortunately, it was also a section where the Iditarod Air Force pilots did not want to fly.

She was happy to have made it out of the area without damage because the downriver winds in this section could reach forty miles an hour, making it very difficult to keep your team going in the right direction. Honestly, she admired the Iditarod Air Force pilots for even attempting to navigate a helicopter in this area. She would stick to flying planes. She'd learned from the best bush pilots when she's arrived in Point Siku. She needed money and there was plenty of jobs flying. But those whirlybirds were never her thing. She didn't trust them to stay in the air. When it came right down to it, this is how Bo preferred to travel… by adorable, fluffball express.

Now, Bo had just worked her way through the wind and snowswept banks along the South Fork of the Kuskokwim River. She dodged piles of tangled driftwood, while wary of sandbars buried beneath the frozen ground. She'd done a power slide over some ice and hit a scary section of overflow before the dogs pulled her right through some water-soaked shallows. It seemed that Diana and Nike were going to punish Bo for the incident on Rainy Pass. None of it was helping the pain in her leg. She looked down to see that she had bled through the bandage again.

While they were on a semi-flat surface, she wrapped her elbow over the handle and reached into her inside jacket pocket to pull out another stack of gauze. She ripped them open with her teeth and pulled them out, stacking them together and sticking the trash into her pocket. At the last stop, she had decided to go with two bungee cords wrapped around her leg. They were tight enough to add gauze and stay on her thigh, but not so tight that they were going to cut off her circulation. The last thing she needed was a numb foot while trying to steer or brake.

She reached into her pants and forced the stack of gauze under the first and then the second bungee cord before readjusting the spacing between the two. Satisfied that it would do the trick for now, she pulled her hand back out, adjusted her pants and jacket and pressed on down the trail,

"Gee! Gee!" The sharp right turn had her finding another piece of ice. She skidded left, catching the edge of the trail and tipping up onto a single rail of her sled, but her quick reaction leaning back right and lowering her center of gravity found her staying upright through the curve.

"Woohooooo! Let's go girls and boy! Hike!"

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **Two Hours Later in Nikolai, Municipal Building, Game Room**_

Little Jon and Kurt had just returned from Nome where they had dropped off the dogs at the animal hospital. Bo wouldn't be happy about paying boarding fees for the dogs that weren't sick and she'd be even less happy that they were being groomed by a professional, but Little Jon had picked up all of the costs but tapping a bit of money out of his college fund. The State covered his tuition, room and board if he went to Fairfield or Alaska, so it was really more of a slush fund. His Mom had insisted on it and had set up regular payments into the fund using his state stipends and his Dad had never stopped making his share of the payments.

Now that he knew what had happened between his Dad, Grandfather and Great Grandfather, he though just maybe his Dad was trying to make sure he wasn't put out on his own without a penny like he and his brother were by their Dad and Grandfather.

While he was at the animal hospital, he'd met Penny. She was an attractive blonde who was just accepted to the University of Alaska for Veterinary Medicine and Animal Behavior. She had lived with her Mom in Minnesota until she died of breast cancer, so now she was living full time with her Dad in Nome. For now, she had a job as a groomer at the hospital while finishing off high school. Her job gave her something to do since she didn't really have any friends here. She enjoyed grooming the dogs. It gave them comfort at the same time it gave her the companionship she'd lost when she'd left her friends and all she knew behind.

It wasn't that she didn't love her Dad – she did – she just only spent summers with him, so she was new to the cold and snow that stuck around for months. She'd grown accustomed to long summer daylight, but the winter darkness had been rough. She was already depressed about her Mom and without sunlight, things had been hard. Now that the sun was out again, she'd said she felt better and was looking forward to seeing the finish of the Iditarod.

They'd talked about Bo, one of Little Jon's favorite topics. Even better, he was able to tell her that two of his dogs that he had trained with Bo's help were actually out there running in the race right now. Penny had told him that she would give them a free groom if they won. Little Jon had invited her to dinner with the team if they won so she could meet a real Iditarod musher. At that invitation, Kenzi and Lauren had shared a glance, not too sure if Bo would be happy about that impromptu meet and greet, but they'd worry about that later.

Little Jon was so taken with her, he'd decided that since he had a whole bunch of dogs with him, if he got them groomed, he'd be able to spend more time with them. Besides, Bo would be gone another five days or so and their hair would grow out by then. Of course, he'd have to remove the ribbons and bow ties. She definitely wouldn't go for those although Kenzi thought it was adorable.

Right now, Lauren and Kenzi were worried about Bo's whereabouts. They hadn't been able to get to Rohn to meet her there, so they had been waiting in Nikolai. They knew it was a long run, but they also knew that since she blew through the Rohn checkpoint – something no one else did – that her rest periods would be in the area where Big Jim was expected to set his traps for her.

"Kenzi, all I'm saying is that there are federal agents everywhere out there. I think the chances of Big Jim or his men hurting her are slim to none. I'm more worried about the elements and her wounds. All of the reports about Rainy Pass through to here were severe weather and rough trail."

"And I'm telling you that those feds aren't worth the paper the government is paying them. Bo has run this race in subzero, thirty-degree slush and mush, ice, hail, snow and blizzards. The elements are not something we have to worry about, but guns? Guns are a whole different ball game. You do realize that the only thing Bo has in the case of a gun fight is a knife, right?"

"You forgot the axe." Lauren quipped, but Kenzi scowled back at the doctor.

"I'm going to get food."

"You've already eaten three times." Lauren reasoned.

Kenzi threw her hands up, "I'm stress eating! I'm just going to have a burger with a burger on top."

Lauren shook her head. She really hoped that Bo would come through soon if for no other reason than to prove to Kenzi she was still alive... something Lauren was hoping for as well.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

A few hours ago, Bo was dealing with exceptional winds and her dogs were getting blown towards the river. She could hear that their breathing had become labored. They were working hard, and Bo knew it. They weren't just pulling her and the sled, they were also fighting to move in a straight line against the strong gusts. So, for all of the times they'd put her in water and dragged her through rough terrain, she had to be forgiving. She thought they'd all had just about enough of ice, icy ravines and icy rivers so she was happy to be entering a section where they would be tackling some speed and skill runs for the next forty-mile stretch. This section would not disappoint. They could lay up in a bush cabin that was in this area to do a change of clothes, booties, get some water and food and a catch some Z's.

As she ran, she watched for the 'polar bears' lying flat in the snow. So far, she hadn't found any accept the one back before the checkpoint where she'd seen Lauren and Kenzi just before Rainy Pass. Either the sharpshooters were as good as Hale claimed or there weren't enough of them to cover the entire trail. Bo couldn't worry about that now, she just needed to run her race and let the feds deal with the threat.

She caught the marker on the tree and headed towards the bush cabin. A rest would be great right now,

"Gee! Gee!" She called, turning the team into the area in front of the cabin as close as they could get.

Bo stepped gingerly off the sled onto her left leg. It was stiff from the work, but she couldn't worry about that right now. The dogs had to come first. She set the sled's ice hook and added the snub line just to be sure the dogs couldn't take off without her, then pulled out the blankets that Lauren had given her and a baggie of treats. After handing them all out, she took a walk up behind the cabin and smiled when she found her old bucket there.

Heading back down to the dogs, she poured their food into the bucket, pulled some Heet from her sled and melted some snow. She sat down on the bench of her sled and took out some beef jerky for herself, biting a piece off before starting with replacing the dog's booties. They still had rough terrain ahead, so she stuck with the ones that Lauren and Molly had made. She checked Diana and Nike first and saw that their little socks had held up very well,

"Score one for the doctor! Great work, Lauren. You should really market these."

She moved from dog to dog, switching out booties and giving each one a little love and conversation. When she was finished, she dug into her bag and pulled out three t-shirts. One for Shadow, one for Elektra and one for Jenna. They all seemed to be on the chilly side, so she pulled out some of the extra hay she had grabbed at the last stop and tossed that down around them as well.

She then turned back to the bucket filled with food, opened a bag of frozen meat scraps, frozen fish scraps and pieces of whale blubber and added it to the bucket. She stirred for a few minutes before pulling out the dog's bowls and putting one in front of each dog. She then walked around with the bucket and scoop and gave each dog and equal amount with a little extra for Diana and Nike. She might as well try to make peace.

Once finished, she created her planned perimeter around the sled exactly as she had explained to the feds and headed inside. She ran the wires back to the sled and tucked the high-voltage machine into the sled. She turned to the team,

"Obey. Stay." She put out the flexible white markers around the sled, setting them low where the dogs could see them against the snow, but unsuspecting humans would not. Hopefully the feds all paid attention and didn't get dead trying to approach her dogs and sled. She knew Big Jim all too well. If he was out here, he would definitely go for her team not only to kill the dogs, but to strand her out here if she got away from him. He would bust her sled into a million people. If he wasn't out here, he would definitely have instructed his team to go after the sled. All bets were off if they tried. Bo was done playing nice. She was playing for her future.

She turned and headed inside, satisfied that the dogs were protected. She slid her sleeve back and set her watch for twenty-four hours. It was her turn to set a trap. The longer she stayed here, the more likelihood they would come to her. Hopefully, the feds were surrounding the house and her sled at this very moment, ready to take out whoever came.

She entered the cabin and closed the door, making sure the latch set in case a bear decided to come and check her out. When she turned to head for the sofa, she shook her head and laughed,

"Well, hello there. Fancy meeting you here."

"Well, I didn't want to be predictable, darlin'."

"I'm not your darlin'."

"No, you definitely are not and seeing as you're about to die, I suppose I can tell you that you're my biggest mistake… ever."

Bo stared into the dark eyes of the man who had made her life hell for almost a decade. He sat resting his gun hand on the side arm of the chair next to the sofa, his feet up as he chewed on a piece of bread,

"You know, carbs aren't really good for you. I'd think you'd be trying to watch your waistline at your age."

He laughed, "Don't you know that seventy is the new forty?"

Bo smirked, "Actually, I'd heard that forty is the new forty and seventy is where you start making dumb mistakes – like letting your past catch up with you."

"Darlin', my past caught up with me long ago. The problem is that I failed to put it down like I did her dogs."

Bo scowled, "You missed one."

"Well, don't worry. I'll take care of that Harper once I've taken care of you. I'll also make sure I take care of…" he pulled out a piece of paper that Bo happened to notice had the official race logo at the top, "… let's see… the wheels Gaea and Aphrodite, team Hera, Demeter, Nemesis, Artemis, Atalanta, Persephone, swing dogs Jenna and Muk and lead dogs, Nike and Diana… ooohhh, two of the champions."

Bo smirked, crossing her arms over her chest, her finger tips feeling for the knife she kept at her waist, "Actually, eight of them are champions."

"Scraping the bottom of the barrel using my great grandson's dogs." He read the list, "Let's see, I guess they're Elektra and Shadow." He laughed, "Well, Shadow won't be any great loss. No spunk, no strength, no speed and no courage."

Bo laughed, "Funny, because she took down your man up at the pass easy enough."

"I heard it was Bo, in the snow, with an axe."

"What? Are we playing clue now?"

"Why not?"

"Okay, I'll play. How about it's Bo, in the cabin, with a knife!" She side-armed the knife from her waist hitting Big Jim in the left side of his chest, leaving his gun hand free to move. He grabbed his chest, then extended his arm to shoot. Bo dove out of the way, scrambling out the back door of the cabin.

She stumbled down the tight hallway, grabbing the axe and the rake from the mount on the wall as she ran. She reached for the door, but it was locked. She tried to raise her leg, but her bad leg couldn't support her weight, so she took the axe to the door frame. It took three swings, but she busted the door open and headed into the woods.

She ignored the sound of screams coming from in front of the cabin. Hopefully she'd taken down everyone who had tried to get to her sled. She ran through the woods as fast as she could, her leg straining to do its best. Finally, she stopped, unable to stand the pain any longer. She looked around, quickly trying to get her bearings.

She gathered her thoughts. It would do not good to panic. She slowed her breathing, the scanned the landscape before her. She finally recognized north.

"Okay, tree line to the east…" she then at the trails and landscape, "… okay, we have three Dr. Lauren specials around the cabin and one each to the north, south and east of the cabin along the trees. We have four line-traps to each, the north, south and east. We have two pit traps and smoke cover behind me to the north and there are two illegal bear snares south and east." She looked over her shoulder, "There's nothing west because it's down the trail and may take out the other mushers."

She looked north, east and south, "Okay, so which one can my dead leg make it to?"

Bo heard a shot at the front of the cabin and cringed. A voice rang out,

"That's one of your dogs, dead, Bo! Come out or I'll kill them all!"

Bo's eyes welled with tears. One of her dogs was dead. He would pay. She settled her breathing and stilled her will. She thought about what he'd said. She was his biggest regret from his past. If he had her, maybe the dogs would be spared… at least Little Jon's dogs. Where the hell were the feds?

She called out, "How do I know you won't kill them all anyway?"

"You have my word."

Bo laughed out loud, "Your word? What good is your word to me? You've never kept your word to me!"

"That is true, but if you don't come out, they all die."

"Why kill champion dogs when you can sell the lot of them for an easy fifty grand?"

Big Jim laughed, "Forty grand now that you're down a dog."

Bo shook her head, her anger growing by the moment. She knew that the more she talked, the more any guys that were with him would be able to track her. She scanned the area and moved quickly to the cluster of trees to her east, then moved south behind the cabin again. She would get one shot at this, but if it worked, she would be able to pull their attention away from the sled and hopefully get out of dodge. At the very least, the feds would definitely know where she was and come running… finally.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

Dyson and Hale had fallen behind on their schedule due to a strategy meeting with the team of agents. They had determined there were seven suspects in the group that had been hired after finally gaining access to Big Jim's phone records. That means five remained in addition to their prime suspect.

The feds had been zeroing in on their movements and had ordered everyone to the leg between Rainy Pass and Rohn. When they realized how big the search area was, they had called in Dyson and Hale to help them narrow down the possible locations. Bo was off of the planned schedule, so it put them all at a disadvantage. The icy trails had prevented the agents from keeping pace with her, so most were either too far ahead or too far behind to be of assistance.

This was the precise scenario that Bo had been concerned about. Now, she was out there on her own with six men tracking her – all armed with guns. Dyson and Hale had been held up in the meeting, so had switched to snow machines. Stealth was no longer a priority, though the federal agents felt differently. As they'd approached the marker for the bush cabin, they had heard gun shots but were still too far away to do much good with shotguns and sidearms. They could only hope that a sharpshooter was close enough to take out at least a few of the men to give Bo a better chance.

Hale cupped the microphone attached to his helmet so Dyson could hear him in the wind, "We need to take a chance here, Dyson. What do you say? A little off-roading?" Hale asked, turning on the headlamps of his snow machine, "It'll bring us through to the back entrance of the cabin."

"You think she's there?" Dyson asked.

Hale nodded, "She's been running too long, and she still hasn't taken her twenty-four hour. That's the first mandatory rest and this would be the perfect, out of the way place to take it. She's counting on fed sharpshooters and she's far enough away from the other mushers to protect them and their dogs, so…"

"You're right. That is how Bo would be thinking."

They turned off the groomed trail and made one of their own. They'd be there in three minutes going this direction, but the terrain was rough. Both men were very experienced riders, so they were handling it well enough. When they were about a minute out, a massive explosion rocked the cabin. It was so bright, that both men had to shield their eyes despite having face shields on their helmets.

They stopped their snow machines, both men ripping their helmets off,

"Gods, no." Dyson said, putting his helmet back on and driving towards the flames.

Hale followed, the two speeding forward, dismounting quickly with shotguns in hand and mounted to their cheeks as the approached.

"GEE!" Dyson called out, causing Hale to swing right and fire, taking down a man approaching. He quickly swung his head around when he heard Dyson fire, taking down another man.

On the ground, one man burned, rolling on the ground to put out the flames. The two men ran forward, kicking snow onto the man as he rolled. When the flames were finally out, they rolled him over just in time to watch him take three short gasps before closing his eyes. Dyson reached down and checked his carotid,

"No pulse. He's gone."

"That's three down of six."

They heard a rustle in bush to the left of the cabin and looked at each other. Dyson nodded for Hale to go right while he moved left. They walked forward slowly guns drawn until they found a man hiding in the middle of the dried out growth,

"Well, well, well. Look who we have here. Number four of six." Hale used his foot to roll the man onto his back, Dyson's rifle coming to bear on the man's face. The pair looked at each other and grinned before Dyson spoke,

"James P. Morton, by order of multiple law enforcement agencies, you are under arrest."

"I'm injured! I need a hospital!" Big Jim spat.

Hale laughed, looking at Dyson, "Yea, we'll get right on that, right, Dyson?"

"Right, Partner. I'll hurry up and grab my satellite phone, call the Iditarod Air Force and get them right out here for a pick up."

"Too bad he's not actually an Iditarod participant. The Air Force won't come out here to get him. We'll have to wait for one of our bush pilots to be available. Do you know who's on call?"

Hale smirked, "I guess we'll have to make some calls to find out. May take a while. I hope he doesn't get hypothermia while he's waiting."

"Yea, that would be a horrible way to go… kind of like his first wife, huh?" Dyson shook his head.

Hale nodded, "Or that nice young girl back in – what was it – 1958?"

Dyson cocked his head, "I think it was '62, right?"

"Right, that's it. The employee was in '58. Gosh, there's so many of them, it's hard to keep track."

"You saying I'm the criminal? That bitch Bo Dennis attacked me! I have the evidence right here!"

He pulled a knife from his jacket pocket, wrapped in a piece of cloth, blood up to the hilt. Dyson bent down and pulled back Jim's coat. Sure enough, he was bleeding badly, but not badly enough,

He looked up at Hale, "You know that Bo doesn't miss, right?"

Hale nodded, leaning over to whisper to Dyson, "She lost her nerve."

Dyson nodded, "You said when she thought she'd killed the guy back at the pass she lost it."

"She doesn't want to kill… not even this evil son of a bitch."

They turned back to Jim who was gripping his chest. Dyson asked Hale,

"So, what do we do with him?"

Hale aimed his rifle at Big Jim's head, "I say we give him a little good old-fashioned Alaska Range justice."

Dyson nodded raising his weapon as well, "I agree."

"You wouldn't dare! You're from the sheriff's office!"

"Yea, and our jail cells are filling up fast!" Hale laughed.

Dyson heard a snow machine coming in the distance. He turned and watched as a single rider came towards them. He raised his rifle, not knowing if it was one of the men who were still on the loose or not. A hand waved, so he held his fire until the machine came to a stop. The figure was clearly female, but that didn't mean it wasn't one of Jim's.

He smiled when he finally recognized the walk and lowered his weapon as she removed her helmet,

"I can't believe you guys ditched me!"

"Tamsin." Hale sighed in relief.

"So, you caught the Big Dildo?"

"Yup and three of his men are down."

"So, what's left?"

"Three if our count is accurate."

"We took down one who was trying to look like one of the race mushers. I guess he couldn't count to fourteen." Tamsin quipped, crossing her arms over her chest, "So what are we doin' with this guy?"

"Well, first we were thinking of two self-defense bullets to the chest would match nicely with the knife wound Bo put in his chest." Dyson said, raising his weapon to Jim once again.

"You can't let them do this! You're a Federal Agent! You're sworn to protect and serve the constitution!"

"Oh, so now you want federal and state protection? I thought you were all 'village law supersedes state and federal law' last week? What's the matter? Worried that the elders will no longer back your sorry ass? I think that the penalty for killing one of your own tribe is banishment, right?" She turned to Dyson, "So why not just do the banishing right here? We can get an elder out here and he can try to walk home from the Alaska Range. What do you think? Could he make it to Nikolai on foot with that parka and those boots while losing blood?"

Dyson poked his rifle into his stomach, "Of course, water could be a problem… not to mention he has no weapons and… well, let's face it… he's seventy and I don't see any of his lackies around anymore."

Tamsin looked over her shoulder, "Well, there are the two dead guys back there… and this toasty dude here. Maybe they could help?"

"I demand a…"

Tamsin walked forward, "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" She screamed, planting her foot firmly between his legs, her heel digging into the snow as she applied pressure until he begged for mercy, "Where's Bo?"

"I don't know. I swear!"

"Second chance, where. Is. Bo?" She pressed a little harder.

"I… don't… I… swear… I… don't… know." He groaned in agony as Hale now pressed the tip of his rifle into the, knife wound on his chest,

"You don't seem to get it. She dies, you die!"

"Okay! Okay! She took off on her sled. She set the explosion and came around. Before we knew it, she was off on her sled. They shot at her, I don't know if they hit her or not."

"How many?" Tamsin asked.

He shook his head and Hale pressed the tip of his weapon in deeper.

"How many of your men are after her!" Tamsin demanded.

"Uuggharrghh! One! One!"

"We took down one of your men at the pass, one after the explosion and these three. Besides the one chasing Bo, how many more are there and remember, your life depends on it." Tamsin said, pressing down harder with her foot.

"Aaarrrgghhh! God! Please!"

"God can't help you now, not that he ever would if there is a God! How many!"

"Just the one! The other one fell into the river back at South Fork."

"You sure?" Tamsin asked, easing up on the pressure so Jim could speak.

"Yes. It's his brother that's chasing Bo. He won't stop until she's dead."

"Why not?" Tamsin asked, but Big Jim only shook his head.

Tamsin jammed her foot into his crotch, "Last chance. Dyson shoot on three, that's an order. Three, two…"

"He's my son! Jacob…" he turned on Hale, "He was my son and you killed him, you bastard!"

"What does that have to do with the guy chasing Bo and the guy at South Fork?" Dyson asked.

But Big Jim didn't have to answer, "All three of them are his sons." He turned to Jim, "That's it, isn't it? Jacob was your son and the guys who drowned were his brothers. He was chasing down Bo just after where we got Jacob and went into the river. His name must be Murphy, right?"

All three turned to look at Hale, "After I killed Jacob, Bo gave me a little more background. I did some research about him and found out that Jacob had two brothers with the same mother - an Athabascan woman. The brothers were Murphy and Mike. I guess Murphy died in the river, so Mike is still out there looking for Bo."

Dyson looked at Hale who shook his head, not wanting to discuss the matter any further. Tamsin looked down at Big Jim,

"How do you give your orders?"

"It's no use. He won't stop. You killed his brothers and he's got a vendetta against Bo." Big Jim replied.

"Why? What did she ever do to him?" Tamsin asked.

When Jim didn't reply, Hale moved his rifle tip back towards the wound, "No! No, please no more! It was a long time ago. She was an embarrassment to all three of my sons!"

Tamsin laughed, "That's it? She embarrassed your sons, so they all try to kill her?"

Hale cleared his throat, "Bar fight with Jacob – three times. He tried to get… inappropriate so she told him she would kill him if he ever touched her again."

"So, those apples didn't fall far from his shitty tree." Tamsin said, kicking Big Jim squarely in the balls, "Just to make sure you can never reproduce again."

Tamsin walked back to her snow machine. Dyson turned, "Where are you going?"

"I'm going after the guy who's after Bo. I won't leave her alone."

Big Jim laughed, laying back in the snow, "I win."

Dyson turned to him, "Oh really? And how's that?"

"She's dragging a dead dog and she's been shot. She and her dogs have yet to have any significant rest. She'll never make it the forty miles to the next checkpoint." He laughed louder.

Tamsin lifted up her seat and pulled out a line of rope. She carried it over and wrapped it around his torso, then walked it back to her snow machine and tied it to the hitch. She then sat down and put on her helmet, but Dyson protested,

"Tamsin, you can't!"

She turned to him, raising her face shield, "This is for Bo. This is for Bo's dogs. This is for all of the other people he's killed. This is for Kyle."

"Tamsin!" Dyson called out, but Tamsin gunned the engine and took off down the trail, Big Jim screaming behind her.

"We'd better follow her." Dyson said to Hale who nodded.

It was three or four minutes before they caught up to her, both men shouting her name. They watched as she reached behind her with a knife and cut the rope, leaving Big Jim to toss and roll until he came to a stop in deep snow. The two men ran up to him, checking to see if he was still alive.

"He has a pulse." Dyson said.

"Unconscious." Hale added, "What do we do?"

"Call it in. Flip you for the wait?"

"Nah. I'll stay." Hale replied, "You're better at controlling that crazy ass chick than I am."

Dyson nodded, jogging back to his machine and heading off down the trail. Hale looked down at Jim, "What a cluster fuck."

He pulled out his radio and made the call.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **FLASHBACK…**_

 _Taking a page out of Big Jim's book, Bo had unbraided and cut a stretch of lead line, running it from the propane tank behind the cabin out to the side where she was hiding. Beneath the fuel tank at the end of the line she'd put At the end of the line beneath the fuel tank, she had used one of the bungee cords from her leg to bundle together every combustible item she'd had in her gear – a bottle of hand sanitizer, a bottle of rubbing alcohol and a bottle of cooking spray that she would use for her skids in an emergency. She could only hope they would create the explosion she needed. She'd managed to sneak back into the cabin and turn on the propane stove, placing a gas can and all but one container of Heet at the door._

 _Just to be sure, she'd run a streak of Heet down the hallway and out of the house, soaking the lead line all the way to the tree line. She lit the lead line and ran through the trees, back out to the trail where she'd driven in and waited…_

" _Come on… come on… please work… I need a break here… please work." She watched the small flame disappear around the cabin and pulled up her hood, cinching the draw string and pulling on her gloves. It might by her a few more seconds of invisibility._

" _Remember to flip off the electricity, pick up the copper line and pick up the dog." Her eyes welled with tears which she quickly pushed back down. There would time to grieve for whoever it was later. For now, she needed to get down the mountain. If she was followed, it would be okay. She had a lot of traps set up in this section because it's where she thought Big Jim would be likely to try again after the pass. She never thought he would come up here. They must have come by snow machine. This trail was too difficult for him at his age…"_

 _BOOOMMM!_

 _The explosion almost knocked Bo off her feet. She was shocked to see all of the men go down, "Shit! It worked!"_

 _She ran for the sled, staying as low as she could. She followed her footprints into the gap in the electrical current, reached down and flipped the switch to turn off the electric. She wound the copper wire around a side rail so it would come with her and then ducked down behind the sled to cut her dog free. It was Muk. Poor boy. She carefully grabbed him under the front shoulders and pulled him back on top of her, then peeked around the sled to see Big Jim yelling at to the three men that he was on fire._

 _The sound of snow machines could be heard in the distance. Bo didn't want to stick around long enough to see who it was. It could be more of Big Jim's hired guns, so she wasn't taking any chances. While they were all distracted, she reached up and unzipped the basket completely, then tucked Muk inside. When she went to zip the basket shut, she heard a soft whimper._

" _Geezus! You're alive! Ohmagosh, you're alive! Good boy. Stay quiet, Muk. I'll get you out of here."_

 _There was no time to check him now. She zipped the bag shut and took another peek. Big Jim was down and hurt. She should put a knife right through his skull, but if she missed, he'd alert them to her escape. Instead, she slid quietly onto the back of the sled in a squat, hanging off to the left side where Nike was. When she was a pup, Bo used to whisper to her. She hoped it would work now,_

" _Pssst. Pssst."_

 _Nike looked back to see Bo who whispered, "Line out. Line out, Girl. Line out."_

 _The lead dog stood and stepped forward, causing the other dogs to do the same. Bo reached around the sled and tapped Gaea's hind quarters, drawing her attention as well. As luck would have it, Hera looked back as well and Bo whispered, "Hike! Hike!"_

 _The dogs pulled, the others resisting, so Bo swung to the other side, pain shooting down her leg as she shifted her weight to the other side and whispered, "Hike! Hike!"_

 _Finally, the sled moved, Bo leaning back out to the left to shield herself until she needed to stand to stay on the sled. She heard Big Jim call out to the three men and seconds later, a flurry of shots rang out. Bo felt the searing pain she'd felt before only this time it was her right side. She let go with her right arm for a moment, but managed to hold on with her left, pulling herself back on and hooking her arm around the handle,_

" _Hike! Hike! Go girls! Go!"_

 _Thankfully, they were on a steep descent and the sled quickly picked up speed. Bo looked back to see the men running from the woods towards Big Jim, but no signs of the snow machines yet. Big Jim was waving in her direction, so she knew it was only a matter of time before they would have a team up and running, though the teams weren't in front of the cabin, so they would have to run to where they had hidden them. Of course, if they were on snow machines, Bo would be out of luck._

 _Still, if she didn't stop and Muk was bleeding, she would lose him before they got to help. She needed to check on him. She could tuck off to the side right now. They would not expect her to stop right after she started to run, but then again, there might be more of them nearby._

" _Decision made. We run. We run tired, but we run. Just a little while longer." Bo whispered, "Hike! Go girls! Haw! Haw!"_

 _She followed the curve of the trail to the left, leaning into the turn, but suddenly feeling a sharp pain on her right side._

" _Geezus, what now?" She reached down and felt her side, her hand coming up red, "Shit. I don't have time for this!"_

 _She looked over her shoulder and saw that no one was behind her. A quick stop to check on Muk. If she had time, she'd deal with herself._

" _Whoa! Whoa!" She applied the foot break and dropped the ice hook. Peeking into the basket, she saw Muk turn his head, looking up at her. She opened the basket fully and turned on her headlamp so she could examine the dog more closely. There was a bullet wound through his torso on the right, so Bo would have to put a compression bandage on it and get him to the next checkpoint as soon as possible. She went to open the first aid kit when she saw blood on her left hand. How was there blood on her left hand?_

 _She reached into the basket again and checked Muk's left side and saw another bullet hole._

" _Okay, so you were either shot twice or the bullet went all the way through. Let's get you bandaged up and back to the Vets, huh?"_

 _Bo pulled out the razor in the first aid kit, shaved the two areas cleaned, swabbed the two areas clean and put compression bandages over them before wrapping roller gauze all the way around his torso, applying as much pressure as possible. She waited a moment to be sure that Muk could still breath, then rearranged the contents of the basket to put her own sleep sac beneath the dog to make the ride softer. She moved the emergency blankets and her extra clothes on either side of him and then laid him down on the slats. She zipped the basket closed leaving it open enough for air to flow freely and then mounted the sled and headed out._

 _Looking over her shoulder, she didn't see anyone coming, but she knew it was only a matter of time. She'd heard Big Jim yell to some guy named Mike to go after her. She thought back to Jacob and the man down by the creek. She hadn't seen a snow machine yet and their sled teams were only six dogs. If they stuck true to form, he wouldn't be as fast, but he would be able to maneuver more freely… until they hit the ice. She had traps set from Post River to Nikolai. A lot of traps. If she could manage to lure anyone who was chasing her into one of those, she could finally focus on the race._

 _The dogs had been watered and fed, booties changed, but they were in desperate need of sleep. Bo was running on a few bites of jerky and an hour of sleep. Pushing them this hard at this moment was dangerous – for all of them. Their health was crucial, but if they stopped, their lives could be in jeopardy. They'd already shot one of her dogs. No, she decided, she had to keep running. She had to at least make it to Egypt Mountain and the Buffalo Chutes. She could lose any tail there and then hopefully make camp at Farewell Lake Lodge. It was closed during the winter, but there was a caretaker there. Hopefully, she could make camp on the property._

 _For now, she just needed to stay ahead of Big Jim's men. She heard a voice and knew she was running out of time,_

" _Hike! Hike!"_

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

Tamsin knew a snow machine on this trail was a bad idea… a very, very bad idea. If she didn't catch this guy before Post River, she would be driving a snow machine across a major river and then continuing on water-covered ice. There was a quick left turn that went uphill and if she missed that turn, she'd be in trouble.

Finally, she saw a back blow of snow coming in her direction. That was a fast-moving dog sled. She picked up the speed, thinking it must be Mike. She heard another snow machine behind her and looked back. They weren't visible yet, but hopefully it was Dyson or Hale and not another one of Big Jim's goons. She was about over this whole mess and was ready to put this case to bed.

Looking up, she saw a man on a sled. She looked closely, shotgun slung over his shoulder, small gear bag, no seat on the sled. This was not a musher. It must be Mike. Tamsin watched as he pulled his gun from behind him, bringing it to his side. She moved to the left to look around him and saw the all-white gear of Bo. He was almost in range to fire and she had no room to move left or right.

They were at an area called Post River Glacier and it was known to be a quarter mile of pure horror even if the weather was good. Things didn't get much better beyond this either, so even if Bo made it through this section, his smaller team and greater maneuverability would put her at a disadvantage. She needed to take this guy down now, or Bo was in big trouble.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

Bo looked over her shoulder to see the man behind her trying to shoulder a shot gun. She smiled, snickering to herself as she entered the worst of this section.

"Ignore the pain, drive the sled. Ignore the pain, drive the sled. You can whine later. Right now, your dogs are counting on you to stay alive and not flip this sled."

If this guy wasn't behind her and she was rested, this would actually be a fun challenge. Most people complained about the next mile – it was dangerous, they'd say. To Bo, it was just another nature challenge and Mother Nature sure did know how to build the adventure into this race.

As suspected, she heard the man behind her yelling 'whoa' to his team followed by a long string of expletives. She looked back, seeing the man on his side, his sled tipped over. Behind him, he saw the snow machine skidding sideways as it tried to slow down to avoid hitting the sled. The sled was upright and moving quickly with the snow machine close behind.

For a moment, Bo thought to herself, _'Maybe I should pull over and let these two duke it out?'_

"Gee! Gee! Hard, Girls! Gee!" A shot rang out just as Bo cut the sharp right turn. She could hear the bullet whiz by her head, "That was way too close. Shit just got real, girls."

Bo went up the icy ravine, taking the opportunity to look down at the sled, the throwing the gun over his shoulder as he made the turn. A shot rang out. Bo looked down to see the person on the snow machine had fired two shots at the man, missing both.

"Okay, so you're on my side, but it would be really nice if you would hit the damn target!" Looking ahead, Bo saw the spot where one of her traps was set. This wouldn't be pretty, but it was him or her. If he had the skills, he would survive. If not, Alaska would claim him for daring to run her trails.

She came to the crest of the hill, a large ice expanse the size of a football field in the canyon below. A cascade of ice hung from the ravine on the other side flanked by sharp rock on both sides. This was the downhill Bo had to navigate. She would make the turn at the very last second and with any luck, get him going too fast to stop. If he did make the turn, she would spring her trap. She pulled out her ski poles, knowing that she never had a chance to put on her sharp spikes to pedal this section.

She navigated the steep decline, making the sharp right turn at the bottom and avoiding the icy ravine on the far side of the pass. The near-vertical fifty foot climb up the ice began almost immediately,

"Hike! Hike! Go girls! Go!" She called out as she pushed hard with her ski poles, her side screaming at her to stop, but she pushed through it, keeping the pace. Just before the left turn at the top, she leaned down and pulled out her axe from the side and looked back over her shoulder. The timing had to be perfect,

"Whoa, whoa…" the dogs slowed, allowing Bo to pull the man in closer, then…

"Hike! Hike!" The sled came back up to speed as she raced her sled across the crest of the hill, narrowly staying on the trail as she pulled back her axe and threw, severing the fishing line. She ducked as a hammock of firewood was released onto the trail behind her just as the man reached the ridge.

"Whoa! Whoa!"

She watched as his sled skidded out to the side, the rails hanging out over the edge of the ravine. Pulling out her knife, she carefully eyed her target and threw. It felt like days before the knife landed, severing the tow line from the sled. The dogs felt forward as the sled slid over crest and down into wall of ice and rock. She watched the man reach and grab, desperately trying to grip onto anything that would prevent his demise, but the only thing he had to grab was ice and a sled that was headed into the depths of the chasm.

The snow machine turned the corner just as the second rail lost its hold on solid ground. The rider dismounted followed by the arrival of a second snow machine. Bo pulled her larger axe from her sled pocket, pulling it to her ear before she heard Dyson call out,

"Bo! Stop! It's me!"

Heaving a sigh of relief, Bo set the ice hook on her sled and turned to her team, "Sit! Sit! Stay!"

Bo moved forward and cautiously approached the dogs from the other sled, holding onto their towline. She called out to Dyson,

"I don't suppose you have a picket or snub line under that seat, do you?"

Dyson smiled, "Actually, I do since I've been switching between machine and sled."

He opened the seat and pulled out the line. Tamsin removed her helmet and looked up at Bo.

"Tamsin? How are you out of the hospital?"

"Nice to see you too."

"No, believe me. I'm grateful for the pressure you put on him to go faster. That wouldn't have happened if he wasn't going as fast as he was."

Tamsin shrugged, "People should know better than to try to chase down Bo Dennis on a sled."

Bo lifted her arm revealing her side, "Yea, well apparently Bo Dennis isn't quick enough."

"My gosh, Bo! You need to…"

"Get back on my sled and continue the race?" Bo asked, pointing to the other man's dogs, "You guys will have to handle these convicts." She looked down at the dogs, "Shame on you all for helping murderers do their job."

"Speaking of job, where the hell were the snipers?" Tamsin asked.

Bo shrugged, "Dunno. Haven't seen one this entire leg of the race."

"Well, they are camouflaged." Dyson defended.

"Right. They suck. Period. Our tax dollars at work, eh?"

The pair of officers laughed.

"Bo, are you sure you can continue?" Dyson asked.

She nodded, "Do I still have people chasing me?"

Dyson shook his head, "We'll see you through until the end of the race, but no, you shouldn't. We think we have everyone."

Bo sighed, "Okay then. I'm going to head straight into Nikolai then. I'll need a Vet and Lauren there. Muk's been shot. He's in the basket."

Bo lifted her shirt and looked down at her side. It wasn't as deep as the gash on her side, but it was definitely a bullet graze. Tamsin came around and looked,

"Look, don't touch. You're not permitted to help me."

"Just a flesh wound. A nasty one, but a flesh wound." Tamsin diagnosed.

Dyson asked, "We can't even Muk?"

Bo shrugged, "I have to give him up at a checkpoint. She's bandaged and seems to be holding his own. You guys are on snow machines, so if you go ahead and give them a heads up, if it's okay they can send a chopper down for him."

The pair nodded, "Okay. I've gotta go. We have to make Nikolai as soon as possible. We all need sleep."

"Okay. Be safe."

"That will be at the top of our list now." Bo replied.

Tamsin added, "I'll be right nearby the rest of the trip. The feds lost you and that's not cool. I'm not trusting your well-being to anyone else."

Bo wasn't sure why Tamsin was suddenly being so nice to her, but she wasn't going to question it right now. She needed to get to Nikolai, plain and simple.

"Thanks, T."

"You bet. Now go on, get a head start. I'll be right behind you and you'll be in my sights." Tamsin said, holding up her binoculars.

Bo smiled, stepping onto her sled and pulling out her ice hook, "Line out! Hike! Hike!"

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **Nikolai Checkpoint…**_

"DOC! We need a doctor over here!"

Lauren got up out of her chair and switched on her headlamp, running to the checkpoint officials.

"Anyone know who this is?" The official asked.

Lauren's hands went to her mouth, "Yes. That's Bo Dennis, Bib #1."

"Do you know how many dogs she had?"

"Yes… uh, 14."

"Are you sure?"

Lauren replied, "Yes. I'm sure."

They recounted the dogs, but when Lauren saw the odd pair, she knew, "Muk. Muk's missing."

"Check the basket." The race official told the volunteer who unzipped the compartment, "We need a Vet. WE NEED A VET HERE!"

Lauren turned around, "Dr. Harrow!"

The Vet came running to tend to Muk as Lauren reached out to handle Bo. Little Jon and Kenzi came rushing to the checkpoint,

"Whoa. Whoa, girls." Little Jon said, holding the team steady.

"Bo?" Lauren said, tapping Bo on the shoulder, "Bo?"

The musher opened her eyes, looking at the blonde, "Lauren?"

"Yes, Bo. It's me."

"Where are we?"

"You just got to Nikolai, Bo. We were so worried."

Bo sat up, "Dyson. Tamsin. Did they talk to you?"

Lauren nodded, "Yes."

"Muk. He was shot. Big Jim…"

"We know, Bo. The Director is here waiting to talk to you."

"I've gotta finish."

"They're going to let you finish, Bo, but they're demanding you do your 24-hour rest here."

"No arguments there. We're cooked."

Lauren smiled.

"Lauren?"

"Yes, Bo?"

"I got shot again,"

"What?"

Bo pointed to her right side, "But he missed again, too."

"Bo."

"I'm gonna pass out now."

Bo fell into Lauren's chest, her breathing quiet and even. Lauren shook her head, grateful Big Jim and his men were either in custody or dead.

"A little help here?" Lauren called out.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **TWELVE HOURS LATER… NIKOLAI**_

Bo sat up with a groan, her side reminding her that she'd been shot. She looked down, pulling up her… wait… how did she get into a long-sleeved T-shirt? Whose shirt was this? She looked at her side and saw a nice, neat bandage. She was wearing loose fitting sweat pants and thick wool socks. She didn't remember changing, but then again, the last thing she remembered was the look on that assassins' face as he went over the ravine.

She stood, taking a moment to let a slight dizzy spell last. Finally, she recognized this place. It was the village public works building. She stood and made her way down to the boiler room. Sure enough, her clothes were all laying out to dry. She decided to stick with what she had on for now. She needed food. She needed to feed her dogs. Shit! Her dogs! Where were her dogs! Muk!

She ran through the building, stopping at every human she saw who might be able to tell her anything, but no one knew anything. She left the building and headed to the school. Rushing through the doors, she immediately saw Lauren standing vigil over Muk who was laying on his side, an I.V. in his leg and a large bandage wrapped around his midsection.

She moved to his side across from Lauren, "Is he…"

"He's alive, Bo. The bullet went right through, but it hit his liver and nicked his lung." She ran her hand through his thick fur, scratching behind his ear.

Bo smiled at the love and care the Lauren always showed her dogs, "So I take it he'll be out for a little longer, then?"

Lauren nodded, "A little bit. You look tired."

"I'm fine. Where are my dogs?"

Lauren smiled, "Being cared for by your most trusted and prized student."

Nodding, Bo smiled, "Little Jon. How's he doing with all of this?"

The doctor shrugged, "Angry, sad, betrayed, then angry again. His great grandfather tried to kill the woman he admires most in the world next to his deceased mother. He's confused, Bo and doing everything he can for you to try to make amends for his family."

"He doesn't…" Bo began, but Lauren shook her head and waved her off,

"He knows he doesn't have to, Bo… not for you. He knows you don't think he owes you anything, but in his heart, as a member of the Morton family and your village, his conscience is telling him something completely different."

Bo nodded, "Yea, a conscience is a terrible thing and a good thing."

"You're feeling guilty? That man was going to kill you, Bo. He tried to kill you and Tamsin said he was about to fire the shot that would have killed you, but his sled skidding made him drop his shot gun."

Bo smiled, "I guess I'm glad it worked, but… never mind." She looked up at Lauren, "You look tired. I take it they've been keeping you busy around here?"

"Yea, well I had a late-night patient come in who needed two wounds stitched. It was the craziest thing. She was running in the Iditarod and apparently got shot by a rock and a tree."

"Oh really?" Bo asked.

Lauren laughed, "When I was removing debris from your wounds, I found tiny pieces of gravel in the one on your leg and even smaller pieces of wood on the one on your torso. Apparently both bullets rebounded before they hit you."

"Lucky me." Bo said, sarcastically, "But… thank you, for taking care of me when I felt like the whole world was against me. Those federal agents that were so concerned about protecting me? It turns out they were using me as bait. Oh, and then there's the news flash that Big Jim had three illegitimate sons up north with some Athabascan woman. I wonder if my Mom knew. I wonder if my Mom knew Big Jim and that's why he's been after me all this time. Maybe something happened between them like it did between me and his son Jacob."

Lauren shrugged, her eyes moving back to Muk as she continued to stroke his fur "Tamsin told us what happened out there, and Hale filled in the details about Big Jim's history."

Everyone was looking to Lauren to give Bo all of the news about what they'd learned, but was it the right thing to do? To tell her now while she was in the middle of this race and injured?

The door opened, revealing Dyson and Hale. It was the Deputy Sheriff who spoke first, "Good Afternoon, Ladies."

Bo looked at Lauren, "Afternoon?"

Lauren nodded, "You rolled in at two a.m., it's twelve-thirty now."

Bo ran her hand over her stomach, "Wow. Good sleep. So, I haven't eaten anything since lunch yesterday except a few bites of jerky just before my run in with Big Jim. That's why I'm starving." She looked up at the two men, "So what happened with Big Jim? Is he alive?"

Hale laughed, "Alive, but hurtin' for certain. He won't be making anymore babies, that's for sure."

Dyson laughed along with him, the two covering their mouths to keep their voices down amidst the sleeping Muk and a few other race officials and volunteers.

"What am I missing?" Bo asked, her eyes surveying the room, all eyes turning to Lauren who turned back to Muk.

"Lauren?" Bo asked.

She looked up at Hale and Dyson, deciding to leave the big news until later. She hoped the two men would understand that she didn't think it was the appropriate time and not open any new wounds while Bo still had a race to run,

"Apparently, Tamsin used a… unique… method of questioning to find out where you were." Lauren smiled, looking up at Bo, "As a doctor, I believe it's a bit extreme, but as a member of your team, I wish I had been there to see it." She cocked her head, closing her eyes, "Actually, that's not true." She corrected, "I wish it had been my boot applying the pressure to get the answers."

Hale laughed, "Applying pressure. Good one, Doc."

She smiled as Bo looked at the two laughing men, still not understanding what had happened, they all turned as the door opened and Tamsin walked in,

"What uuup!"

Bo looked at Tamsin, "Okay, since I'm getting nothing but cryptic here, what exactly did you do to Big Jim?"

Tamsin hopped up on the table next to Muk and started stroking his fur. Bo scowled. Tamsin never bet her dogs before. Hell, Tamsin never pet anyone's dogs before. She was not exactly the warm and fuzzy type, but Bo was all ears as the blonde explained,

"I laid a little Boot-ist philosophy on him."

"And that philosophy is?" Bo asked.

"Man who hides secrets of his past usually hides them in his balls. Back then he had them, now he don't." She popped a Swedish Fish into her mouth, offering one to Bo.

"No thanks. I still don't get it."

Tamsin hopped off the table, "Damn girl, do I have to spell it out for you? He had information that we needed. I couldn't just shoot him in cold blood – although I think the boys here might have done just that had I not rolled up when I did…"

"Too bad." Bo mumbled.

"I applied pressure to his ball sac until he talked. Oh, and Hale helped by reminding him of that nice little knife wound you gave him."

Bo smiled, "I should have put it right through his rotten heart. I lost my nerve."

They all went silent, knowing that is exactly what had happened.

"Well, it held the tip of Hale's rifle perfectly."

Bo looked at Hale, "Good one."

"I got skills." Hale smirked, "Anyway, that man sung like a bird. Told us his whole life story and he's still singing now."

"Why?" Bo asked.

"What do you mean, why?" Hale asked.

"Why is he talking now? What does he have to gain?" Bo asked.

The three law enforcement officials looked at each other, suddenly silent. Finally, Hale and Dyson were looking to Tamsin to break the news. She was, after all, FBI.

"Tamsin?" Bo asked, "What does he have to gain by talking?"

"The elders went in to meet with the FBI… well, two of them. The feds listed his crimes and asked how he would be punished. They explained village banishment. So, the feds offered him a deal. In exchange for a full confession, he would be punished by the state and federal laws."

Bo n down, "Life in prison with the possibility of parole."

Tamsin nodded, but Bo was already throwing things around the room. Those who were asleep, woke up, some grumbling, some just leaving the room to find quiet elsewhere.

"Bo, he'll never get parole. He'll die before then. He'll have at least two consecutive life sentences. I can't imagine him getting anything less."

Bo turned on Tamsin, slamming her palm into her chest and pushing her back, "You can't imagine! You can't imagine? Well, I couldn't imagine the federal government using me as bait for ten men who were trying to kill me! Where were they, Tamsin? Where were the sharpshooters out there? HE ALMOST KILLED ME! Do you know how close he came? Do you have any idea how close he came in that cabin?"

"Bo, I understand…"

"You understand, NOTHING about my life, Tamsin! You understand absolutely nothing! You have NEVER been willing to listen! You were NEVER willing to intervene! There has to be evidence, Bo! Dyson had the evidence and you and the rest of the feds said it wasn't enough!"

She turned, pulling the stray hairs back off of her face, she stared out the window into the forest below, "That man has done things to me that you can only imagine! You live in your perfect little legal world where there are rules. Out here, there are no rules – only Big Jim's rules. He owns everything!" She turned to face Tamsin, a twisted smile on her face as she leaned back against the windowsill,

"Tell me, Tamsin? Have you ever had a rope tied around your neck? Were you ever bound and gagged and left to watch, helpless, as a man shot every dog you owned?" Tears flowed freely down Bo's face as the memory that had long haunted her was set free, "He said each name, then fired into their head. He loaded one bullet at a time. He made it as slow and torturous as possible. Then he came to Harper. She was all that I had left of my Mom. He held the gun to her head and then told me he needed a good working dog. He took her for his own and they threw me in jail."

Bo turned sideways, her shoulder against the window, unable to look at the group anymore, "Every day the Sheriff let him come into my cell with a whip or stick in hand. When he left, the Sheriff would hand me a wet rag and tell me to clean myself up."

She looked up at Dyson, "Thank you. I'd probably already be dead if you hadn't come to town."

Dyson smiled, "Just doing my job."

Bo sat in the chair by the window. She looked up at Tamsin, "There's nothing you can say that will make this alright. I am way out of the loop on all of the evidence you have found, but I know that he took life and so he should sacrifice a life according to the village law that he brought to Point Siku."

Tamsin sighed, quietly dropping another truth from the investigation, "Well, apparently the village elders have agreed to return to the traditional laws of their native roots."

Bo laughed, "Of course they are."

She stood, heading for the door, but Lauren called out to her, "Bo."

The brunette gripped the door handle, "I'm going to head down to the boiler room. I saw my clothes there earlier. I just want to go out and check on the dogs and get some food out of the sled." She turned and looked at the blonde, "You'll let me know if he wakes up?"

Lauren nodded, smiled, "Of course."

Bo smiled, "Thanks. I'll be back with my lunch."

"I'll be here."

Bo turned back to the door, but Tamsin's voice stopped her, "Bo, they want to interview you about what happened."

"You were there. You saw the whole thing."

Tamsin nodded, "They need you to confirm my statement."

"Consider it confirmed."

"None of us are witness to what happened in the cabin. A man has a knife wound in his chest and a cabin blew up, burning several men."

"I stopped at the cabin to sleep. I set up my dogs, set the sled just as I'd told you all. I walked into the cabin to sleep on the sofa, but Big Jim was sitting in the chair next to it holding a gun on me. We chatted, he explained why he was going to kill me and my dogs, he turned away for a second and I threw the knife, aiming for his chest just to the right of his heart so I wouldn't kill him. I just needed him distracted long enough to run. I hit my mark, I ran. I heard a group of men come to his aid and him shouting at them to find me and kill me. I ran as far as I could, but the leg I'd been shot in earlier was making it tough to run. I got to the trees, planning to lead them through a series of traps, but he told me to come out or he would shoot my dogs."

She looked at Muk, "He's a man of his word. He got quiet, barking orders at his men to try to flank me or something, but by then I was back inside the cabin gathering supplies to create a big enough distraction to make it to my sled and down the trail. I was outnumbered. My best chance was to outrun them. I found everything explosive I could think of in the cabin, used some lead line from the supply closest to make a wick that I coated with Heet. Slid out through the back door and into the woods on the east side, then set the fire. The cabin blew, I grabbed Muk, cut his line, threw him in the basket and ran. You know the rest. I'm done. They want to hear more from me, they can arrest me, but not until after the race or I will go public with how they used me as bait. They don't want that trouble."

She turned to leave but stopped. She turned and looked back to Tamsin, "You know, I actually thought you had changed. I guess it's like they say. In times like these, you learn who your real friends are."

She left the room, leaving the group silent behind her.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

"So, how are my girls?" Bo asked Little Jon who was playing with Shadow.

He stood up, Shadow biting down on his glove and ripping it from his hand before running as far as his lead would allow. Little Jon called out,

"Shadow! Come!"

Jon knew she wasn't actually a puppy in any way other than sled dog terms, but she still acted like one every day. He called her again, but she continued to hold the glove, now using it as a chew toy.

Bo laughed, from her place to the left of the young dog and yelled, "Shadow, Haw!"

The dog turned to Bo and ran right to her arms, dropping the glove and licking her face. Bo picked up the glove and tossed it to Little Jon who pouted,

"Traitor."

Bo laughed, "Good girl. Good girl."

The pup cried out as Bo hit her rib cage, "Whoa. What's the matter, girl?"

"Doc says it's bruised ribs." Little Jon replied.

"How did she get bruised ribs?" Bo asked, checking the area more closely.

Jon shrugged, "I was hoping you would know."

Bo thought about it for a moment, then looked up at Jon, "Big Jim or one of his guys."

Little Jon shook his head, "Of course."

"Sorry, Jon. He was alone with my team for about three or four minutes. Did they find bruises on the others?"

He nodded, "Hera, Diana and Nike."

"That must have been the sharp cries I heard. I thought they were crying over Muk."

"You thought he was dead."

Bo hung her head, "I did."

"He can't hurt us anymore, Bo."

She looked out down the trail, "We'll see about that."

"I guess you weren't too happy about the news."

"That he's not dead?" Bo pouted, "No, I wasn't."

Shit.

"Jon, I'm sorry. He's your Great Grandfather. I shouldn't say that in front of you."

Jon shrugged, "He's your blood too." He looked out across the snow, "Guess we're just going to have to be the better part of our family."

Bo laughed, "He's not…" pausing, she started to connect the dots, "He's what?"

"You said they told you." Little Jon said, suddenly nervous.

"Told me what, Jon?" Bo's eyes grew dark, her brow angry.

"I… I can't… They want Lauren to…"

"They want Lauren to what?"

"I… Bo, please. I'm not supposed to tell."

Bo stood, walking to the younger man, gripping his jacket at the collar, "I'm going to ask you want more time, then I start making things painful."

"You know, you look like him… when you get like that."

Bo dropped Little Jon, turning to face his Dad, "Look like who?"

Big Jon looked at his son, "Run inside and get the rest… 'specially Dr. Lauren. Go."

Little Jon took off running to gather the rest, his Dad stepping closer to Bo,

"Our Father."

"Our…Our what?" Bo asked, her face twisting with confusion.

"Our Father. Yours and mine."

Bo stumbled back as the realization hit her. She spun around, suddenly unable to breathe. She ran a few feet before dropping to her knees as the memories came rushing back.

 _ **FLASHBACK…**_

 _ **Utqiaġvik, Alaska**_

"Bo, your Daddy's back. Go and help him with the dogs. Tell him dinner's ready."

Bo ran out to the barn, excited to help with the dogs, "Daddy! Daddy! Mommy told me to help you with the dogs! What do I do? What do I do? Do I brush their fur?"

The large man turned and looked down at his young daughter, groaning, "Your brothers will handle the dogs. Get out from under my feet. Go cook dinner with your Ma."

"But I wanna help you, Daddy."

"YSABEAU! Mind me or you'll get a whoopin'!"

The young girl lowered her head, her bottom lip quivering as she turned and ran back inside, hearing his words as she ran,

"Good for nothin' half breed. Murphy, go help Jacob and Mike mix the feed for the dogs. Send them in here when they're fed."

Bo ran into the house, "Mommy! Daddy doesn't want me to help."

"Well, you can just help me then."

"But I wanna help. I always help when Daddy's away. I do good with the dogs, don't I?"

"You are amazing with the dogs, Ysabeau. One day, you are going to be a great sled dog racer."

"And I'll run the Iditarod, right, Mommy? Just like Daddy."

"You'll be a legend, Ysabeau. There's something special about your connection with those dogs. You're going to do great things together."

"Mommy, what's a half-breed?"

The Mother turned to her daughter, shocked, "Where did you hear that word, Ysabeau?"

"Daddy said I'm a half-breed."

She pulled her daughter into her arms, "You're no such thing. You never mind your Daddy. He's grumpy after a long run."

Bo ran behind her Mom's back as her Dad came into the house, "Dinner ready?"

Her Mom replied, "On the stove. You scared her again."

He shrugged.

"You gotta stop calling her a half-breed. I won't have it."

He laughed, "Okay, how 'bout I call her my bastard offspring?"

"Don't you dare."

He stood, gripping Bo's Mom by the hair, "I'll do what I want, woman or you won't have a penny to your name."

"Jim, you're hurting me."

He released her hair, "Builds character. Woman has to learn her place."

"And a Man should learn more about how to treat a woman properly."

His hand was so quick, she never saw it coming.

"Mommy!" Bo ran to her Mom, laying over her, "Don't you hurt my Mommy!"

"I'll do worse than that." He laughed, walking to the cabinet and pulling out a tin box. He opened it, pulling out all of the cash.

"That money is MINE!" Bo's Mom snapped, standing up and trying to take it from him, but he pushed her to the floor.

"Mommy!"

"You touch me again and I beat the girl." He warned.

The woman pulled Bo behind her, watching as the man took a sack from the bottom drawer of the stove. He threw it on the table. Bo could tell that whatever was inside was heavy and loud. She watched as he inhaled deeply from the cloth bag,

"Mmmm. The smell of gold nuggets. I can start my own town with this."

He moved through the house, taking clothes, boots and papers before moving to the refrigerator and practically clearing it out,

"I see you, you die. I'm taking the boys."

"NOOOOO! You cannot have my sons!" She screamed.

He laughed, "You gonna stop me?"

She sat, holding tightly to Bo, looking around for anything she could use to stop him. Finally, she spied the shot gun on the mantle above the fire. She went to move, but in two of his long steps, Big Jim had it in his hand. He held the double barrel beneath her chin, lifting her to his feet with it,

"Now, look in these eyes so you know I'm serious. You ever come looking for me. You ever tell anyone I'm here. You ever tell anyone she's my blood, I kill you and her. You understand?"

She nodded, slowly before he released her. She watched as he turned and walked away. With Bo holding tightly to her hip, she looked out the window, watching as the boys argued with their dad. Each one earned a smack before they each turned to look their Mother. Their heads turned towards their Dad before they all came running inside.

Murphy was first to speak, "Mom! Where is he taking us?"

She gathered all three of her teenage sons into her arms, her hand going to Jacob's face. He was her youngest and barely fourteen,

"I don't know, and I can't stop him. I just know that I'm not allowed to contact you and I'm not permitted to tell him Bo's his blood. You've got to go with him, boys. I'm afraid of what he'll do to us all if you don't. Go, mind your father. Remember I taught you right from wrong. Stay out of trouble and when you're old enough, go out on your own and find your way. I'll be here waiting for you. I'll always wait for you."

"Me too." Bo said, her eyes red and swollen from crying.

Jacob looked down at Bo, "I'll come back for you."

"You promise?"

"I promise."

 _ **End Flashback**_

"He never came back." Bo whispered, swaying back and forth.

"Bo!"

She heard a voice.

"Bo! Look at me."

She felt a hand on her chin, then eyes… concerned eyes. She saw lips moving.

"Bo! It's me, Lauren. Come back to me."

"Huh?" Bo said, the doctors' face coming into view.

"Bo, It's Lauren. Can you see me?"

"Lauren?" She asked, confused.

"Bo, please say something."

The musher looked around seeing snow everywhere.

"Utqiaġvik. I'm home."

Lauren shook her head, "No, no, no. Bo, You're not home. You're here with me. You're in Nikolai, running the Iditarod. Bo!"

"Lauren?"

"Yes, Bo. You're in Nikolai at your 24-hour rest stop."

"Right." She looked at the dogs, "Are the dogs okay?"

"A few bruised ribs on a few, but all okay."

"Muk."

"Muk had surgery. He's out for the rest of the race."

Bo nodded, "Thirteen dogs. I've gotta go. We'll run slower now."

Lauren shook her head, gripping Bo's face in her mittens, "You're not allowed to leave yet, Bo. The rules. You have to stay for 24 hours. You can't leave until two in the morning."

Lauren decided to let Bo lead the conversation. She was truly concerned for her mind right now. While she would love to scold Little Jon for letting this slip and his father for breaking the news the way he did, this was bound to happen sooner or later. Bo was never going to be able to accept this information.

"What time is it now?" Bo asked, looking down at her wrist, but seeing no watch, "My watch? Where's my watch? My watch?"

Lauren turned to Little Jon who waved her off and was already running for the watch,

"Little Jon is getting it. The band was wet, so we set it out to dry. You'll have your watch in a moment."

Bo sat rubbing her wrist as she looked around, seeing all of the familiar faces. She singled out Kurt, "How's Kyle? She was badly burned, right?"

Kurt smiled, "She's still alive, Bo. She's getting proper care in Seattle."

"Good. That's good. Good." She looked down at her wrist, then back up at the group, "Molly, those booties you and Lauren made were great. They were great, right?" She looked at Lauren, "The dogs? Their feet are good?"

Lauren smiled, "Not a scratch."

"You two should go into business." She looked at Kurt, "You could see them at Kyle's store."

Kurt hesitated, but after a nudge from Kenzi, went along with the conversation, "Good idea, Bo. We can do that if they want to make them."

"Kenzi! Kenzi, you wouldn't believe the race I've had. There are people out there shooting guns and going over cliffs. It's like the wild, wild west out there… only we're in Alaska. We're in Alaska, right?"

Kenzi nodded, "No place like home, BoBo."

The young girl walked up to her friend, "You all right, sweet cheeks?"

"Super." Bo replied, "I think maybe I should sleep some more. I'm kind of hungry. I haven't eaten in a really long time."

"Sure thing, BoBo."

The brunette stood and walked to her sled. She stared down at the contents, her eyes traveling along the outer cover until it saw blood on the rail,

"Mark, do you have anything to clean the blood off of my sled? All I need is an animal catching that scent. Am I right?"

"You're absolutely right, Bo. Anything else I can do to help?"

Bo kept her eyes down, "The cops should probably leave. They're making me uncomfortable."

Tamsin stepped forward, "Bo, I'm sorry."

"They should leave now." Bo said to Lauren, nervously rubbing at her wrist.

Little Jon came running out and gave Bo her watch, "Here ya go, Bo. It's still ticking."

Bo took the watch and wrapped it over her wrist, fastening it tightly. She stared down at it for a long moment before she looked up at Jon,

"My Mom gave me this."

He smiled, "I know."

She pulled on a piece of his long hair, "You need a haircut."

Laughing, he nodded, "Whenever you're ready."

Lauren laughed, "You cut hair?"

Bo smiled, "Only Jon's. He's special."

She looked at Jon, "You've always been special to me."

"We're special to each other, Bo."

She hung her head, "You always stick for me – even when the rest of the world seem to be against me – even though I'm the one that should be sticking up for you." She twisted the hair and moved her hand to cover his heart, "You're the little brother I never had. I love you, Jon."

The young man's eyes welled with tears and he covered Bo's hand, "And I love you, Bo. You've always been the big sister I never had – even when I forced you to be my mother because I was being an idiot."

Bo laughed, "You do have your moments."

"So do you." Little Jon laughed, looking at Lauren, "We're blood, Bo. No matter where we came from, no one can ever change that."

Bo stood staring at him for a moment, her eyes traveling to Lauren who smiled and nodded before she looked at Jon again,

"You're my great nephew."

He nodded, "I guess that's why we always had this connection."

She smiled, "I guess so."

She looked past Little Jon to see the rest of the Morton men, "So, you're my…"

Mark stepped forward, "Much older nephew, yes." His eyes welled with tears, "We didn't know, Bo."

Bo nodded, her eyes moving back to Lauren, "This is a whole lot to process."

Lauren moved forward, wrapping her arms around Bo, "The beauty of it all is that you don't have to process it all right now."

She pulled back, keeping her hands firmly planted on Bo's shoulders, "You can take little pieces of information and process it a little bit at a time."

Bo smiled, "Kind of like the way you eat a pizza?"

"Hey! Picking on my pizza eating habits is of limits, remember?"

Bo laughed, "I'm sorry, but you must be the only person in the world who eats the pepperoni off the pizza slice before you actually eat the slice."

"It is pretty weird, Doc." Kenzi said, adding her two sense.

"I can't believe you're taking her side." Lauren said.

"She's my best friend!" Kenzi countered.

"But you eat the toppings off of your pizza too!"

"But that's only until the cheese cools."

"You still eat the toppings first." Lauren smirked, leading Kenzi to mouth the words the doctor had just spoken.

Bo suddenly realized, "Okay, I still haven't eaten. No more talk about pizza until we're back home and can actually have pizza!"

She moved back to her sled, again seeing the blood, "I really have to clean the blood off of my sled. Any critters get a whiff of that on the trail and my dogs will become their breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert."

"I've got it, Bo." Mark said, pulling a rag out of his back pocket, "Little Jon, when are the dogs due for some food and water again?"

"About thirty more minutes if Bo is planning to leave at two in the morning." Jon replied, looking at Bo.

"Sounds good to me. Most of the remaining stages are just long and boring. Doesn't much matter if I run in the dark or daylight. It's just going to be long, cold, windy and wet."

Lauren laughed, "Sounds like fun."

Bo shook her head, "The fun was Willow to Nikolai. Of course, I would have done without the extracurriculars."

"I'm sure." Lauren replied, watching Bo's eyes go down again. She waited her out, watching as she stuck a piece of jerky in her mouth and chewed, seemingly without thought. Finally, she raised her eyes to Lauren again,

"I threw an axe into my brother Jacob's chest."

Lauren nodded and waited, giving Bo a moment to process the memory. The brunette nodded, "I have this memory of when we were young. The day Big Jim took them away from us, he let them say goodbye. Jacob promised me he would come back for me. I don't remember him ever coming back for me."

She looked at Little Jon, "We were best friends growing up. We used to play with the pups when they were born… take care of them until they were able to pull a log for a mile by themselves." Bo smiled, "I didn't see him again until I went looking for my Dad, the Navajo Indian." Bo laughed, "Jim made all of that up so no one would know he had a whole other family out there… to draw the attention to me rather than to himself."

"I guess that's why he was always so nasty to you." Little Jon suggested.

Bo shook her head, "That started from the time I was born. He had no use for a daughter. It's more likely that I had something to prove. That a daughter could do everything a brother could do. I just never knew my motivation… until now. I just wish I knew what happened with Jacob. Why he never came back. Why he never told me who he was when I saw him as a teenager in Canada. Why he followed me. Was he trying to reconnect with me? Did Big Jim give him a kill order? If so, why didn't he do it?"

Lauren sighed, "Bo, you're going to have to find a way to accept that you may never know."

Nodding, Bo walked to the sled and took a seat on the bench, patting the space next to her for Lauren to sit. She then reached into the baggie and pulled out a separate bag of her special trail mix. She popped it in her mouth and chewed,

"I really love this stuff." Bo smiled, holding the bag out towards Lauren, "Want to try my secret recipe trail mix?"

Little Jon laughed, "Don't let her fool you. The secret in the recipe is pieces of dark chocolate."

Big Jon walked up to Bo, hands deep in his jacket pockets, "Bo… uh… look… I'm sorry for dropping that bomb like that. It's just that…"

"I had my hands on your son and you were right… I'm sure I looked exactly like Big Jim. I now know where I saw that look before. I saw it when he would hit my Mom." Bo grew quiet for a moment before coming back to the moment with her nephew, "That's why I'm promising you right here, right now, that I'm going to get counseling as soon as the race is over."

"Bo, I'm not saying you have to…"

He began, but Bo waved him off and Lauren spoke on her behalf, "She'd already discussed it with me before the race began, Jon."

Bo smiled, "I do find it ironic that no one trusted me with Little Jon all those years because Big Jim projected the image of himself on to me within the community. He was everything he accused me of being."

She shook her head, "Well, I guess we'll all have plenty of time to process all of this after the race."

Everyone shook their heads in agreement. She looked up at Mark and Jon, "Did you tell Pops yet?"

Jon laughed, "Tell him what? That his Dad fathered a child with another woman? That he cheated on his Mom? That we might have to worry if there's even more siblings out there?"

"Wait, what?" Bo asked,

Big Jon shrugged, "Would it surprise you after all of this?"

Bo chuckled, "Guess not."

Silence overcame the conversation until Mark spoke, "Snow's melted. Okay I clean this sled now?"

Bo nodded, "We'll talk later."

She looked at Lauren, "Shall we?"

Lauren nodded, sliding out of the seat and moving towards the school.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **School Hallway – 6pm**_

Bo strolled the hallways of the school, wanting to get her legs moving again. As she walked, she admired everything from the Kindergarten art that was hanging in the elementary school wing to the high school poems hanging outside of the English classrooms. Bo's educational experience was limited to age sixteen. She had always enjoyed school as a young child, but when her mother disappeared, her priorities changed. She set out to find her, assuming she would come back in a matter of months to find her. Little did she know that when she finally returned home, that everything she'd had would be gone.

She was stuck on the memory of Big Jim taking all of the cash and gold that her mother had stashed in their house. For some reason, it kept playing over and over again in her head. She was focused on age. Why had her mom taken up with such an old coot? Sure, maybe her memories of her mom were a bit distorted. She was her hero. But still, Bo could remember her long black hair, her soft skin and her kind eyes, but she didn't remember her as old. As a matter of fact, she was quite young.

Bo had never thought herself to born of a loving marriage. Rumors that her dad was a Navajo native who ran off and left them alone were engrained in her memory by the other members of the village. It was a mark of shame that she'd always carried. None of that screamed love. But she had the love of her mother. They had been inseparable as a child. Bo remembered that most of all. She just couldn't shake the image of their family of four and a father who was always away on long trips by sled or by plane. When he took the plane, he almost always took the dogs and sled.

Bo rounded the corner and saw musical symbols in the hallway. She smiled when she saw a massive tuba. It triggered another memory of a time with her mom,

" _Mommy! Mommy!"_

 _Young Ysabeau ran into the kitchen, throwing her arms around her mother's waist._

" _My Ysabeau! How are you sweetie?" the woman smiled, "Go grab your snack and sit at the table while I clean the rest of the salmon for dinner. You can tell me all about your day."_

 _Bo did as she was told. She always did as she was told. She opened the cookie jar and pulled out an oatmeal raisin cookie. Her mom baked them fresh on Wednesdays. Bo loved Wednesdays because she loved her mom's fresh baked cookies. She sat down and pulled her school bag up on the table. She opened the snap and pulled out all of her work from the day._

" _Start your homework, Ysabeau."_

" _Yes, Mommy." She pulled out her math. She loved math. She loved solving problems. They were learning fractions now and she was very good as fractions._

" _Mommy, did you know that if you bake a pie and cut it into eight pieces and I eat one, that I ate one eighth of a pie?"_

 _Her mom laughed, "I did! And what do you have left if I eat a slice of the pie too?"_

" _Ummm…" Bo took out her pencil and a piece of paper, setting to the task of figuring out the answer to her mom's questions while her mom finished up with the salmon._

" _We ate two eighths, so there's still six eighths left. Six eighths are reduced to… uh… mmmm… three-fourths! Right, Mommy?"_

 _Bo's Mom turned and wrapped her arms around her daughter, "That's right! You are so smart!"_

 _She wiped her hands dry on her apron and sat down next to the young girl, "Tell me all about your day. Don't leave anything out!"_

" _I gotta tell you. The best thing today was we all got to pick an instrument in music! There are so many!"_

" _Really? How many are there?"_

 _Bo thought for a moment, then looked at her mom and smiled, "I dunno! But there were trumpets and violins and flutes and clarinets and sexy phones."_

" _I think you mean saxophones."_

" _That's what I said! But do you know what I picked?"_

" _The flute?" Her mom asked._

" _Uh-uh. Nope! Guess again!" Bo said, excitedly._

" _The trumpet?"_

" _Nope! I picked the tuba!"_

" _Oh, Ysabeau! The tuba? It's bigger than you are!"_

" _I know! So, I can't carry it home. You'll have to come see me play it at school! Will you come? Huh? Will you come? My teacher said no one ever picks the tuba! She's so excited that I picked it! It makes my lips tickle when I play it! But Suzie Gordon says I'm weird for wanting to play the tuba and Beth Light called me a freak."_

 _Bo's Mom waved if off, "Oh, Ysabeau! Forget those horrible girls. Your teacher told you no one ever picks the tuba. She's happy that you picked it. That makes you very, very special. You are so special, my darling!"_

 _She wrapped her arms around the little girl, holding her tight._

Hugs. Bo remember hugs. Lots and lots of hugs and… when her father wasn't around… love. There was so much love. She wished she could remember how things were with her brothers when her Dad wasn't home but sadly, those memories were still lost to her.

She ran her fingers over the metal of the instrument, smiling. She missed her mother every day. Having Lauren in her life now helped. Mark, Molly and Little Jon had always felt like family to her, now they actually were. Big Jon had always looked out for her and advised her. Their relationship had never been as relaxed, but then again, her interactions with him had always been… supervised… by Big Jim. He was always in the store when Bo came in, even though her visits were always random.

Then there was Pops. A man who always felt like a father-figure to her was actually her brother. She guessed that he would have been having kids of his own when she and her siblings were born. He was old enough to be her father by adult standards. He was her brother and Big Jim was her father. How had she never seen it? Honestly, it made her sick to her stomach. Even more, it made her feel dirty.

Her eyes filled with tears at the thought of what that man had done to her mother. Right now, she could only remember the incident of the day he'd left. How many other times had she been hit? Her mind flashed to the times he would come into her jail cell with a whip. Had her mom suffered that as well? All that he had done and yet he had been free to continue living his life a free man.

She was sure there was more to the story. She was sure there was more that the feds had dug up on him. She was sure that Hale knew. She could see it in his eyes. The problem was, Hale was a good man and he would not be telling Bo anything until after the race. When he did tell her, it would be in a quiet room with Kenzi present. He would tell her slowly, giving her all of the facts. He would use that kind, mellow, calm and pleasant voice of his, his caring eyes set on hers the entire time. Then, he would answer her questions to the best of his ability and hold her while she cried.

Bo hung her head, the tears falling freely once more. She hadn't cried this much since she'd woken up to find her mother gone from her life. The day she'd left home was the day she had decided to put on a tough exterior… to focus on the fight to find the truth behind her mother's disappearance. She wasn't dead. She couldn't be dead. Bo cried harder. She cried for all that she'd lost, and she cried for the blood that would forever flow through her veins as a reminder of the cruel man that was a part of her.

Even if they handed him off to the elders and they banished him to the Alaska Range to die in the cold, he would always be alive inside of her. She would never escape him.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **Public Works Building**_

"Hey, Doc. What's up?"

Lauren looked down at the young woman, "You're eating again?"

"This food ain't gonna eat itself!"

The doctor shook her head, "Have you seen Bo?"

Kenzi shrugged, "I had dinner with her and then I had dinner with Hale. She left sometime during Hale's dinner…. Said she needed to start using her legs again or she would cramp on the sled."

Lauren nodded, "Muk's awake. She'll want to know."

Kenzi held up a finger, "I'll tell her if I see her."

"Thank you, Kenzi." Lauren said, rolling her eyes. She'd hoped that Kenzi would help her to find Bo, but she guessed she was on her own.

She left the building, pulling her parka closed and lifting the hood. The weather had taken a turn, so it looked like Bo would be exiting the checkpoint into a snowy night run. She'd been told that it was largely lakes and swamps, but because of the winds, there would likely be snow drifts. She had been worried about clearing Bo to race after her slight mental break, but then she had her map lesson.

 _ **Flashback, School Gymnasium**_

" _I want to review my maps. Want to hang with me?"_

 _Lauren smiled, "So you're saying I could get a map reading lesson from the legendary musher, Bo Dennis?"_

 _Grinning, Bo replied, "If you promise sexual favors later."_

 _Lauren slapped the woman on the shoulder, "Shhh… someone will hear you."_

 _Bo looked around, "Are you worried that someone will learn about our horrid affair?"_

" _Affair?"_

" _Relationship?" Bo offered._

" _Are you saying this is a relationship?" Lauren asked._

 _Bo smiled, "I certainly hope so… one for the record books, if I'm lucky."_

" _If you're lucky?" Lauren asked._

" _Well, you could get lucky too, if you'd let me."_

 _Bo leaned in playfully, but Lauren palmed her face and pushed her away, "Map reading."_

" _You're no fun." Bo pouted, "Okay, map reading 101."_

" _Wow. Taking me to college level map reading so fast?"_

 _Bo smiled, "Oh, honey. Didn't you hear? I skipped high school and went right to college."_

" _Oh? And what college was that?"_

" _The University of the Alaska Range. You've never heard of it?" Bo laughed._

" _I'm sure it was a fine college."_

 _Bo nodded, "It really was. I got my Bachelorette of Environmental Sciences there."_

 _Lauren laughed until tears were streaming down her face. Bo just watched. She loved making Lauren laughed. She loved it even more when they were laughing together. Her heart pounded in her chest. God, she loved this woman. She only hoped that she could strain the Big Jim from her soul so that she would never, ever be like him._

 _She pulled her topographical map from its waterproof plastic pouch. Of course, waterproof only worked if the map itself wasn't snowed on or her gloves weren't wet when she was handling it. Neither of those were likely when racing the Iditarod, so Kenzi always laminated her updated maps before the race._

" _Now, this is a topographical map. Down here is the key. So, can you use the key to show me an example of each of these?"_

 _Lauren smiled, "I've actually seen a topographical map before."_

" _Really? Why would you use one of these?" Bo asked, nodding towards the map._

" _Afghanistan?"_

 _Bo nodded, "Right. Sorry. I guess I just imagined you in a tent standing over broken bodies with blood everywhere."_

 _Lauren gave a slight cock of the head with a tight smile, "There was a lot of that, too. But when I first started out, I didn't have my license. I was a medic with a forward unit in the mountains. I did some time with search and rescue."_

" _Wow. That must have been…"_

" _The past." Lauren sighed, wiping her hands back and forth on her thighs, "So, show me your route."_

 _Lauren paid close attention as Bo mapped out the mostly flat route with the occasional river, swamp and forested areas. It was nothing like the roller coaster trails she'd described thus far in the race. There was one spot that Bo said she was always concerned about because if she missed the turn, the trail would take her all the way back to Rohn._

 _Lauren noticed her face light up, the old Bo coming back when she talked about her search for the light atop the Air Force radar station that would signal Tatalina Mountain._

" _The mountain is about 3200 feet. It's no Denali, but it's beautiful and signals another milestone in the race." Bo pointed at the map, "This is Guitar Lake. It's about two miles wide and I usually see a Moose or Bear around there. It's always cool to see wildlife."_

" _Cool? I saw a polar bear and it was terrifying." Lauren replied._

" _We don't bug them, they don't bug us. Sneak up on them like you guys did that day, they tend to get aggressive. I mean, how do you feel about uninvited guests who just show up before you have a chance to get cleaned up?"_

" _What? Polar bears have bow ties?"_

 _Bo laughed, "Funny."_

" _Yes, I am." Lauren replied._

" _And beautiful." Bo said, leaning in and kissing Lauren on the cheek. She pulled back, sharing a moment with the blonde before turning back to the map, "Wow. You are a total distraction to my map review sessions."_

" _I can go." Lauren suggested._

" _Oh no you don't. Class isn't dismissed yet."_

" _Of course, Dr. Dennis." Lauren smiled._

" _I'm Ms. Dennis. While I was pursuing my doctorate, I never actually finished. Duty called on the Iditarod Trail, so I had to drop out."_

" _Tragic."_

" _Totally." Bo laughed, "But I did receive an honorary doctorate…" Bo pointed to the map, "… from the University of Nome at the Buried Arch."_

 _They laughed together before Bo continued, "Okay. Now, get serious, Lewis. This is important prep. I'll be leaving in a few hours."_

" _Right. Serious."_

 _Bo laughed at Lauren as she crossed her eyes and stuck out her tongue._

" _The key to this section is all mental. When I get to Guitar Lake, I'm half way to Big River which is half way to the check point at McGrath. So, I mark each of these little landmarks on the map so that if I start feeling like I'll never get to the next check point, I can reverse that in my head and make it so that I feel I'm closer. Does that make any sense?"_

 _Lauren chuckled, "I feel like that little kid in the back of the car on vacation saying 'are we there yet'."_

 _Bo looked confused, "What?"_

 _It took as second, but then Lauren realized that Bo had never had a backseat vacation experience. Her life had been about the day to day task of surviving. There were no cars in her young life up north. Only sleds, snow shoes and snow machines,_

" _Nothing. I get it."_

 _Bo nodded, "Right. So, after Big River, I mark the Kuskokwim, the old Big River Roadhouse, the cross-country shortcut through the woods and the spot on the river where the shortcut ends. That puts me six miles from a cabin that I can stop in if I need to at that point." She tapped the map at the cabin, "At that point, I'm just thirteen miles from McGrath. But the trick is to not get too excited."_

 _Bo adjusted the map, putting it on the floor and leaning forward onto her elbows,_

" _This is the Stewart Bend cutoff area. This is a rough stretch including a very steep climb up a wooded ridge. The downhill is an easy descent compared to the other ones on the trail. Then, you rejoin the main river again and you follow along this river about three miles, then you see this bank, 'HAW! HAW!' you go up the left bank, shortcut, 'GEE! GEE!' four miles across another big oxbow sweeping north across the swamps, sloughs, beaver dams and up narrow creek channels. You hit this crop of trees, 'Haw!', ten, nine, eight, seven, 'Gee!', five, four, 'Haw! Haw!', one and breathe. Get cocky and you get ditches on those turns. Pay attention. Stay focused…"_

 _Lauren could see the brunette go into full musher mode. It was amazing, really. She was actually doing the run in her mind. It was incredible to watch her process. It was the first time Lauren had seen anything like it. Her body leaning into each turn, closing her eyes to count out the straightaways through the course, timing each turn to the count._

 _It was in this moment that all of Lauren's fears fell away. This race course was a part of Bo Dennis and Bo Dennis, a part of this course. For as terrifying as the map was to Lauren due to her fear of the unknown, it was just one more challenge to Bo, much like the challenge of fixing something inside a patient was to Lauren. Bo used a sled to take on her challenge, Lauren used a scalpel._

" _By now I'm pretty much bored out of my freakin' skull and completely over rivers of any kind, let along the bendy ones. But I still have 150 miles on the Yukon after I get to Anvik. As soon as the river bends northwest, I'll see McGrath on the left bank. The checkpoint is on a twenty-foot-high bank and the parking is super crowded, so I have to let the checkers know right away if I'm staying or going."_

 _She looked up at Lauren, "I usually stop here because McGrath is a 500-person town. It's a major hub. I can get near-boiling water there and they have some well-stocked stores where I can pick up stuff I've forgotten or fix my sled. The people of the town will help you with everything from a home-cooked meal to sled repairs before you crash in one of their sleeping rooms. There's a coin-operated shower in the laundromat in the municipal building which I usually use because by now, even my dogs are offended by my smell."_

 _Bo took a deep breath, "But, since I'm taking my 24-hour stop here, I won't be taking advantage of the kindness of McGrath this year. Of course, this is where Mark shipped my back up sled, so if I have any problems or concerns with my number one sled, I'll switch to the backup sled in McGrath as well."_

 _She frowned, "Besides, word is probably out about what happened and I'm sure the feds have released an arrest report, so I'd like to blow right past the media."_

" _We can handle the media for you, Bo."_

" _Oh really? And how will you do that?" Bo asked._

" _Uh, you have met Evony, haven't you? We can fly her into McGrath, explain everything and she'll handle them. Bo, she has a vested interest in both you and me. I've seen her survive many a scandal. She can do this."_

 _Bo shrugged, "Fine. Let her take a shot at them. She can't make it any worse than it's been being shunned from the community my entire life."_

 _Lauren nodded, "So how did Mark and Little Jon become your handlers for the Iditarod?"_

" _Well, Mark was working for another team. He handled all of their equipment and supplies. That team switched to Kyle's company, so Mark was sort of out of the race for a while. When Little Jon decided he wanted to start training to race, his Dad asked me to train him. I think it was just to get to Big Jim, but it was his call. I needed the money, so I agreed to train him."_

" _So, becoming a handler was part of his training?"_

 _Bo nodded, "You have to know the inner workings of the race. You have to know the officials, the rules, the mandatory stuff and the optional stuff. He needed to see and meet the mushers, learn their language and how they live." She lowered her eyes, "He needed to see the tragedies as well as the triumphs. You don't see the bad stuff at the finish line. You see if on the course. He needed to know that it wasn't all glory."_

" _Reality check."_

 _Bo nodded, "Exactly. Plus, he needed to see how the mood of the dogs changed throughout the race. He needed to learn how to handle those changes not to mention general care, health checks and preparation. For example, from here to probably the end, most of the dogs will be wearing T-shirts or coats."_

" _Really?"_

 _Bo nodded, "Nike and Diana are in the front, so despite them being mixed Siberian Husky breeds, they take all of the snow and essentially shield the team from the worst of it in some spots. I made them waterproof rain jackets a few years back and they seem to like them."_

" _I've heard that a lot of dogs go down during this stretch."_

" _It's cold, windy and wet. Perfect conditions for pneumonia considering how hard they're breathing from exertion." Bo nodded, "I've only ever lost one dog because of that and I'd like for that to never happen again."_

" _I'm sorry to hear that. We'll keep a close eye on your dogs, Bo. Promise." Lauren smiled, "Speaking of, I'd better go check on your little boy, Muk."_

 _Bo nodded, "This little surgery you had to perform, does it change the outcome?"_

 _Lauren shook her head, "I swear, Bo. It was just a minor infection on the exit side of the wound. There was likely internal debris, but now that is all cleared out. He's on antibiotics, I.V. fluids and a nutrient drip. His fever is down, so that's a good sign as well. He'll be awake again soon."_

" _Okay."_

" _I'm going to head over. Are you coming?"_

 _Shaking her head, Bo smiled, "I'm going to stretch my legs. I'll be cramping like crazy on the sled if I don't get some exercise in before I leave. I'll walk, eat, check on the dogs, take a nap and then head out."_

" _Okay. Stop by and you can check on Muk before you leave."_

 _Lauren gave her a kiss on the cheek and then headed out of the gym, leaving Bo behind._

 _ **END FLASHBACK**_

Lauren had checked everywhere for Bo, but there was no sign of her. With all other options exhausted, she decided to go back to the school to see if she was still walking to loosen her legs. She's never driven a sled for hundreds of miles, but she did know that staying in that position for extended periods of time during her lessons with Kyle had definitely made her legs and core tighten up.

She walked through the gymnasium and, not seeing any signs of her there, continued out into the hallway,

"Okay, so right or left?"

She decided on a right and began her journey. Lauren had learned that schools in Alaska were often used as community meeting places for large events since it allowed for everyone in a village or town to gather in one place with plenty of room to move.

She smiled, seeing the hallways and classrooms decorated with the work of the children. Lauren loved school growing up and at one time even contemplated becoming a teacher. Her college professors had begged her to consider education, telling her that if her tutoring skills were any indication, she would be an excellent biology professor.

When she rounded the next corner, she heard a woman crying. She paused for a moment, wondering if there was another way around. She didn't want to interrupt anyone's personal time, but… well, she was a doctor and she did have some psych courses, so she should probably at least offer some support.

She slowly walked to the turn and stepped gingerly around the corner, stopping short when she saw that it was Bo. Her heart broke seeing her weeping uncontrollably, but Bo was a proud woman. She wasn't sure if her company would be welcome. She stepped back around the corner and waited for a moment until she just couldn't take it anymore. With a deep breath, she stepped towards Bo once more,

"Bo? Sweetie, what's the matter?"

The brunette looked up at Lauren, her eyes swollen, her cheeks stained with tears,

"I'm just like him, Lauren. All these years… people are afraid of me, just like they're afraid of him. I pushed people away from me just like he pushed everyone away from him. I'm angry and impulsive just like him. I… I've put my hands on you in anger, yelled at you in anger… just like he did to me and my Mom… just like he did with his sons, his grandsons and his great grandsons. I'm a monster… just like him. Even though he didn't raise me, I turned out just like him. His blood is evil and it's in my veins."

Lauren watched as she looked down at her arms, rubbing at the skin. She ran to Bo's side, kneeling in front of her and grabbing her hands,

"Those veins also have the blood of the most wonderful, supportive, beautiful and caring woman you've ever known, Bo. Your mother. You're her blood too, Bo."

The tears stopped as Bo stared down at the veins while Lauren wrapped her arms around the musher and pulled her towards her, holding her tight,

"You've lived a life of solitude, Bo. That wasn't because of Big Jim. It was because every person you've ever trusted… let in… has let you down. You're working hard to change that by slowly, but surely, letting in all of the wonderful people who have been part of your life here. I've seen such an amazing change in your relationship with Little Jon. Who's growing and maturing and that is because of your example, Bo."

Lauren lowered eyes, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear, "You know, if it were twenty years ago, I would be sitting here like you just because I left a classroom to go to the bathroom. I was bullied for being smart – for being a geek. When I went to college, I wasn't the only geek anymore. It was cool to be smart and I found my groove, but it was still very hard for me to stand up for myself if it wasn't in a classroom. The military was where I learned to toughen up. I gained confidence, I found myself and came to accept my sexuality. When I got out and met Nadia, she fell in love with that confident, strong, intelligent Marine Captain."

Lauren chuckled, "But after we married, she changed. It was like the ring gave her permission to be someone else… I suppose the someone she was all along but never let me see until she felt she could let down her guard. I tried… boy, did I try… to please her, but it was never good enough. Slowly, she chipped away at my confidence because I allowed myself to believe all of the nonsense she spewed at me."

She smiled, looking up at Bo, "Believe it or not, I'm grateful for Evony. She didn't allow me to have a pity party for myself. She forced me to look at who I had become and when I finally stood up for myself, I realized that Nadia was never going to accept me for who I truly was… she was never going to be satisfied with me if I wasn't meeting her needs and to hell with her meeting any of mine. So I ended it. I became who I am today. I make my own choices and I never let fear hold me back."

She cupped Bo's face, "I see and admire that same courage in you. A courage that your mother taught you. When you saved Little Jon all of those years ago, you showed compassion. Something Big Jim has never shown according to the stories that I've heard. You could have run from the fire that Big Jim had set, despite knowing full well that people may have blamed you for bringing his wrath down upon the town, but you didn't run. You came back and helped in every way you could. I know that you will work your ass off to rebuild everything that was lost."

Lauren leaned in and placed a soft kiss on her lips, "Don't you see, Bo? You are everything the stories of your mother embodied and none of what Big Jim represents. Sure, you have your moments of anger, but it's anger that is because of what was done to you, not because of what's inside of you. Tell me something… do you ever recall a time when you saw your mother angry?"

Bo shook her head, "Never. Even when she was upset with me, she never yelled or hit… not like him."

Lauren nodded, "Do you remember being angry when you were young?"

She shrugged, "I never had reason to be. I was either happy because I was with my mom or sad and afraid when my dad was around."

"You see, anger is a foreign emotion to you. Because you had no adult role model to show you a proper way to release anger, you regress to what you learned. Your dad, bar fights and what you've seen in your travels."

Bo nodded, "I never thought of it that way."

"Bo, please be patient with yourself. Big Jim is a vengeful, spiteful, angry, greedy, manipulative human being. Please don't label yourself or compare yourself to him just because you happen to share some of his DNA. You are nothing like him. You've become all that you despite who your father is, Bo."

Lauren paused, cupping Bo's face once again and thumbing away her tears. She leaned in and kissed her gently on the lips, pouring all of the love she could convey into the gesture. When she pulled back, she smiled,

"Now, what do you say you go show everyone out there what Bo Dennis is made of?"

Bo smiled, "I'll try."

Lauren shrugged, "I know you'll do great. Once you get out there in the middle of the land you love, you'll do great things. I believe in you, Bo Dennis."

Bo nodded, taking Lauren's hand and getting to her feet. They walked quietly back to the gymnasium, Bo now ready to move forward on the path that lay ahead for her.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

Bo had been moving along at a good clip through the last three checkpoints. Now she was working her way through the ghost town of Iditarod. It was a full ninety miles of the loneliest country there was in the United States. The trail always seemed endless to the mushers and Bo was no exception.

Year after year, she had worked her way through this section of the race, encountering every imaginable form of terrain Alaska had to offer. She always made it through… always. As she had told Lauren, it was miles and miles of nothing but nothing... it was boring as hell. She usually handled it with her word a day calendar or singing a song over and over again. This year was different. This year, she was having a very difficult time turning off her past. For every memory that resurfaced, more questions came to mind.

So now, she had taken to writing down all of the questions she had during each stop. She'd done one of her required 8-hour stops during this leg and had one more to do. She was going to do the second one after this stretch. It looked like she was on target to do this section in about thirteen hours… one hour behind her time from last year.

After her last pee stop, she decided she would pass some of the time going through this town by telling the dogs its history,

"You know, steamboats used to be docked right in front of these old buildings during the summers in 1909 and 1910. The history books say this place was rocking back then – about ten thousand people lived here. Can you believe that? The boats would come in here after spending weeks traveling from the Bering Sea, up the Yukon, the Innoko and finally the Iditarod River."

She pointed at a structure to the east, "That's one of the old cabins that's still standing today. Okay, so it's not really standing… more like… leaning… barely, but it's a cabin, nonetheless. There's an old house near the checkpoint. A trapper used to use it until not too long ago. That's right, the town went from 10,000 people to just one." Bo smiled, "One of these days, we'll have a new house in the woods outside of Talkeetna with a new kennel for all of you. A kennel that has fire escape routes for every one of you."

She smiled, "Would you ladies like Lauren to come and live with us?" Diana barked twice, "That a girl. You know a good one when you see her. Of course, I'm not so sure she'll be able to give up that city life of hers, but maybe she'll come and see us once in a while."

The thought of Lauren leaving tugged at Bo's heart. She looked around, realizing that even this barren trail would be hard for her to give up in favor of a city home in the Lower 48. What would happen when Lauren's year was up?

"Okay, that type of thinking isn't going to help me win this race. What were we talking about before?" Bo asked, the dogs, "Oh, right. The trapper. Well, no one except him has lived in Iditarod since the 1930's. They had electricity, telephones, newspapers, banks, and even hotels. Fortunes were made here… and I'm sure those same fortunes were lost here! I'm sure there were a lot of saloons and card games back then. Now, just broken-down buildings and a lot of wolves. They never have a problem telling you that you're sleeping in their bed if you stay here. Damn wolves howl all night long."

Bo's eyes scanned her surroundings, "Can you imagine living out here all by yourself? I mean, I've always considered myself a loner, but this gives that term a whole different meaning. Even out trail running on our own like we have, we were always going to a town that had people. We were always out searching for clues about my mom."

She smiled, "Well, there is the bustling metropolis of Flat about eight miles away. They have a population of about six or so. Oh, and they have a runway, too. There's not much of a road to get to it, but if you can get there, you can hop a flight."

Bo reached into her pocket and pulled out her small calendar, "Okay, let's get the word of the day." She flipped through the calendar to find March seventh, "Our word, Ladies, is 'insatiable'. It means 'impossible to satisfy'. A sample sentence is 'Sam had an insatiable demand for old buildings to restore'."

Bo put the calendar away and smiled, "I guess Sam worked in construction like me, only Bo Dennis also has an insatiable demand for trapping as well… and my dogs… and mushing… and Lauren Lewis." Bo laughed, "I have an insatiable need for Lauren Lewis."

She thought about the doctor for a long while, an ache surging through her chest as she thought about the last time they'd shared a bed together. It had been much too long. She missed her terribly. It had been a shock to realize that she actually enjoyed cuddling with her in the morning. All of the chaos had interfered with their time together and it felt like their relationship had been put on hold. But still, in some ways, they were continuing to learn more and more about each other.

Sighing, Bo returned to her word for the day. While she had an insatiable need to finish this leg to Iditarod and move on to the next boring leg of sixty-five miles to Shageluk, she needed the distraction for her mind.

"George had an insatiable need for chocolate ice cream. Nike had an insatiable need to run the Iditarod…"

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **Checkpoint at Shageluk**_

"Welcome to Shageluk. Name please?"

"Bo Dennis."

"Big number?"

"Number one."

"How are the dogs?"

"I'd like the vet to look at my girl, Hera, please."

"We can take care of that. How are you?"

Bo nodded, "Happy to be out of spooky town, thank you."

The woman laughed, "Yea, that forest fire years ago did change the landscape out there."

"It sure did."

"Okay, is your handler here?"

"I'm here, Bo!"

Bo smiled, "Apparently he is."

"He can follow Ned to a parking place, and we'll send the vet right over."

Bo nodded and rode the sled over to the stop. As promised the Vet came down quickly. Shortly after he arrived, Kenzi and Lauren arrived as well,

"Hey, BoBo. Whas up, bestie?"

Bo smiled, "Oh, hey Kenz. Hera was limping, so I'm having the Vet check her out."

Kenzi nodded while Lauren told Bo she would go talk to the Vet. Bo watched as the blonde walked away. She wanted nothing more than to hold her. But she couldn't. She needed to get cleaned up, take a quick nap and head out again,

"So, where do I stand?" Bo asked Kenzi.

"You're moving up quick, BoBo. Just Mitch, Pete and Jeff in front of you."

"How far?" Bo asked.

"They both have mandatory eights left to do, just like you."

"Where are they now?"

Kenzi threw a thumb over her shoulder, "Inside. They're not saying, but I think they're taking their eights now. What's your plan?"

"Do they know I'm here?"

Kenzi shook her head, "Nope. Lauren and I snuck out the side door."

Bo looked down the trail into the darkness as she spoke, "Anvik is only two hours if we haul ass. I tried something a little different over the long stretches. We ran three hours, rested thirty minutes for twelve hours then rested for four hours before getting back into the routine. I thought was behind, but I actually made up two and a half hours doing that. The dogs are still pretty fresh, but now I may be down another dog."

"Well, Mitch and Jeff are both down two. Pete is down one, maybe two so you're still good." Kenzi replied.

Bo nodded, "Thanks for the intel. I need to jump ahead while I can. It's my only shot considering I still have another eight to do. I'd rather they think I'm still way behind them. What's the report?"

"Village had out the snow machines, so the trail is well groomed."

"Perfect. I'm hauling out then."

Kenzi pulled out a tin foil package, "Hot towel?"

"Oh yes! I love you so much right now."

"You love me all the time." Kenzi smirked, watching Bo open the towel and wipe down as much of her face and body as she could.

Moments later, Lauren came over, "How are you?"

"Better now that's I've wiped off with a hot towel. Kenzi will fill you in. What's the news on Hera?"

"She's good to go. If you have any problems, the Vet said…"

"Put her in the basket. Got it. Okay, Ladies, I'm gonna need a decoy. What do you say we plan to meet at Eagle Island three checkpoints from now? I've got three hours tops to Anvik, about two and a half hours tops to Grayling and, depending on the wind, it'll be six to eight hours to Eagle Island. I'll sandwich my final mandatory eight-hour rest in there somewhere, so I should see you at Eagle Island in about twenty-one hours."

Lauren asked, "I'm not questioning your wisdom here, but are you sure you don't need to rest longer here?"

Bo smiled, leaning in and giving the blonde a kiss on the cheek, "I promise you I'm okay. Kenzi will explain. I'm using a new rest strategy and it seems to be working."

Lauren nodded, "Okay. Good luck. Stay safe."

"Will do. Let's get these dogs watered and fed so I can get out of here before those guys see me."

Kenzi motioned towards Little Jon, "Looks like your lead handler is already on top of it."

"I love that boy. Let me take a few minutes with each of my dogs then before we go. Thanks, Ladies."

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 **Eagle Island Checkpoint, 20 hours later**

Bo pulled in and ran the usual checkpoint drill with the officials. She had begun rotating the dogs into the basket to keep fresh legs through the rest of the race. She'd rested Diana and Nike first and was now rearranging the dogs again to put her two best dogs back in the lead together.

Little Jon arrived moments after Bo, "Hey, Bo. You're early!"

Bo smiled, "The dogs are running well and the wind wasn't bad at all. How am I doing?"

"Pete is right on your heels with Mitch not far behind. Jeff has dropped way back. He's running on twelve dogs, but two of them are fighting. I think he might be done."

"Wow, that's a switch."

Little Jon nodded, "You stayin' or goin'?"

"I'm heading out as soon as we water and feed these little Ladies. How's Muk?"

"He's doing alright, Bo. They shipped him off to Nome this morning."

"Good, good." Bo replied, pulling out the bucket to mix her food.

"We're good on supplies. How's everything else?"

"I want to change out my sled rails."

"Okay, let's get that done after we feed the dogs."

Bo nodded, "Are Kenzi and Lauren on their way?"

"Actually, Lauren got called to a medical emergency… of the human kind. One of the rookie mushers got dumped into one of the lakes. He was hypothermic when he arrived in Anvik with four frostbitten toes and three frostbitten fingers. He was barely responsive to questions."

"Well that doesn't sound good." Bo replied, "Is he trained?"

Little Jon shrugged, "I don't really know."

Bo nodded, "Okay, let's get this done. Let's go over my next plan so you have it just in case I'm gone before one of them gets here."

"Okay."

"I've got six to nine hours to Kaltag, ten to thirteen to Unalakleet as long as the weather holds so listen for reports. If the weather turns to shit, I'll need eighteen to twenty hours. Let's see… then, I need four to five hours to Shaktoolik – again with bad weather, add an hour or two. So, let's plan on thirty-two hours."

"Then the stretch to Koyuk."

"What do you remember about it?" Bo asked.

Little Jon smiled, "It's all run on sea ice, so it's fast unless the wind is blowing."

Bo nodded, "That's pretty much the case for every leg from here to Nome."

"Got it. So, what is your thinking?"

"I'll probably be running all out until the end now. A few half-hour stops to close my eyes, but I'll keep rotating dogs into the basket for sleep."

"Sounds like a plan."

"Okay, let's finish this up and get you out of here."

"I'm with you there."

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **Checkpoint at Kovuk**_

Lauren and Kenzi ran down the hill to Little Jon who was cleaning up the trash from Bo's last stop.

"Where are they?" Lauren asked.

Little Jon smiled, "She blew right through the checkpoint on her way to Elim. She just threw all of her trash at me. She's a woman of her word, you can't say she's not."

Lauren sighed, "Well, okay then. On to Elim."

Kenzi shook her head, "Let's just wait and see where the competition is before we go. She's going to ask and that will allow us to give her the most accurate report."

Little Jon nodded, "Good plan."

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **Checkpoint at Elim**_

"Bo, Pete is about an hour behind you and Mitch about twenty minutes behind him. Jeff is running on eight dogs, so he's dropping back big time."

"Okay, same routine. I feel good, dogs are running well. Water, food, moving on for each of the last stops. This rotation is working well. I think I can finish this."

"Okay, I'll get you going." Little Jon said, starting on the feed mixture.

"What's next?" Lauren asked.

Bo looked down the trail, "Golovin. What's the report on the sea ice here?"

Kenzi replied, "You've got water down there. Go overland on the Old Elim Mail Trail."

Bo nodded, "We've got some hard grades here with the final summit to Little McKinley before Golovin. Time to put our game faces on, girls!" Bo called out to the dogs before turning back to her team, "Should be there in three hours and White Mountain in another two."

Kenzi nodded, "Got it. Let's get these dogs ready to go." Kenzi handed Bo a towel pack and some liquid soap, "Do yourself a favor and wipe things down a bit."

Bo laughed, "That bad, huh?"

Kenzi smirked, "I wasn't going to say anything, but then I smelled you and threw up in my mouth."

"Thanks, Kenz."

"No, really… thank you for cleaning up!"

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 **White Mountain Checkpoint**

Lauren, Kenzi, Little Jon and Mark stood watching from behind the checkpoint waiting for Bo. She was overdue and they were getting nervous. Finally, Little Jon had waited enough. He moved down to the checkpoint officials,

"Excuse me. We think Bo Dennis might be having some problems. We haven't seen her come through yet and it's not like her to get off schedule. Can you…"

"Bo Dennis already went through." A man said from behind the group.

"What?" Little Jon asked, turning from the checker to the man.

"She went through." He took the clipboard, "See? She came through here about ninety minutes ago."

Little Jon shook his head, "Thank you."

He walked back up the hill, "You guys, she went through here ninety minutes ago."

"What?" Kenzi asked.

"Do you really need me to repeat that or is that just your misbelief talking?''

"The last one and why would she not rest before the ride to Safety?" Kenzi asked.

Lauren was confused, "She's doing her rotation schedule, right?"

Kenzi nodded, "Yes, but White Mountain to Safety is known as the most dangerous stretch of the race. If the weather is good, it's an easy five to eight hour run, but if it's bad, the trail can literally be impassable. There are permanent markers on this section because of the blizzard conditions. Sometimes the markers get blown over."

Mark shrugged, "I think it was a smart move. If she waits, she'll be running that section in the dark. This way, she's going into Nome in the dark."

They all shrugged, "So where are we going?"

Little Jon smiled "We have no choice. We go to Nome and wait under the arch."

They watched as Pete went through the checkpoint with Mitch close behind. They all smiled as Kenzi said,

"They didn't ask if they were first again."

Little Jon laughed, "They think the race is between the two of them."

Lauren frowned, "They'll be each other's motivation. Bo will only have the motivation of getting out of a blizzard."

The smiles turned to frowns as the doctors' point hit home with the group.

"Let's get to the snow machines." Mark said, leading the group to their transportation back to the trucks.

Hopefully, Bo would meet them in Nome at the Buried Arch finish line… victorious.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **Safety to Nome Trail**_

Bo had her ski poles out, pressing the pace and helping as much as she could to take some of the sled weight off of the dogs. The barren stretch along the ocean was brutal… more brutal than she'd remembered. She'd been on the trail for two hours, completely exposed to the elements. Only the 'Nome National Forest', which was nothing but a pile of discarded Christmas Trees would provide cover.

Now, she was on the descent to the Nome River just south of the road bridge. She was a little more than three miles from the arch and she could hear dogs behind her in the distance,

"Radio towers." Bo said, catching sight of the red lights in the sky.

"Fort Davis Roadhouse." Bo again called out a landmark for herself, "Hike! Hike! Come on, kids! We've run too hard to lose this now! We've got a tail on us! Give me all you've got!"

Bo said, putting her poles away and patting Hera on the head. She'd been in the basket for most of this leg. She was limping and Bo wasn't going to take any chances with her health. Cringing before she even took a step, the musher knew it was time for her to pedal. She needed to help the dogs move the sled the rest of the way. They were all tired, but she could see the police escort up ahead.

"Half mile to go, Bo. You can pedal for half a mile. Suck it up. Stitches can be replaced. This win can't." She gritted her teeth and put her leg down, pushing off to help the team. She looked over her shoulder and saw Pete behind her with Mitch almost directly next to him.

"Hike! Hike!" she called to her dogs as the moved closer to the police cars. She didn't have to look. She knew it was Pete who was moving closer. She'd recognize his voice anywhere.

The noise of the crowd could be heard, but barely seen in the darkness. The snow coming down sideways, making visibility almost zero. But still, the dogs knew the way. She had to trust them now more than ever.

She jumped off the sled and began to run, pushing the sled to ease the load on her team, continuing to call out encouragement,

"Hike! Hike! Come on, Diana! Come on Nike! I know you're tired, but we've got this! Come on my Goddesses, Hera, Demeter, Nemesis, Artemis, Atalanta and Persephone! Go Elektra and Shadow! You're going to be champion pups! Go Jenna! Do it for Muk! Gaea, Aphrodite, push them girls! We've got this! Give me all you've got, Ladies! Don't let those flashing red and blue lights bother you. It's the officer friendlies here to make sure you're safe. Come on, girls!"

She could hear Kenzi screaming in the distance. The crowd now louder. She finally looked over her shoulder, seeing Pete about fifty yards away. Then she saw something unexpected. Mitch was with him… gaining on him. In their desperate sprint to beat each other the might just overtake Bo. She pushed harder,

"Hike! Hike!" she could feel her sled slow when she hit the warm street snow that proved slushy and thin. Running harder, she ignored the pain in her side, trying to stand a bit more upright as she gripped the sled and pushed. She entered the fenced in chute for the last couple of feet, "Hike!"

She looked back and saw Pete's lead dogs almost at her sled and Mitch's dogs coming alongside Pete,

"Hike! Hike!"

Bo watched for the Arch overhead counting down the seconds before her lead dogs would cross under the symbolic finish line. Finally, it happened,

"Yes! Yes! Yes!" Bo said, pumping her fists in the air. Her sled was immediately surrounded by officials who stopped her sled. A Vet moved to her dogs while Little Jon ran out to control the team. Local TV camera lights were in her face as the crowd cheered and called out her name.

"Name?"

"Bo Dennis."

"Bib number?"

Bo sighed and spoke for the last time, "Number one."

"Your dogs okay?"

Bo smiled, "Nothing that a long nap in front of a warm fire and a meal of huge steaks won't fix."

The official smiled, "Are you okay?"

Bo gripped her side, "I'm good."

"Okay then, basket check." The official said.

Bo dismounted from the sled and opened the zipper. The officials counted the dogs, then allowed Bo to lift Hera out of the sled. She put the dog down and she ran immediately to Demeter's side, wagging her tail and looking back at Bo.

The brunette laughed, "Jon, can you hook her to the line? I think she's embarrassed that she didn't cross the finish line on all fours like the rest of the team."

Jon smiled down at the excited dog and nodded, "Let's save face here, young lady." He ruffled her ears, "You did great!"

Bo's attention was pulled back to the official, "Mandatory Items…"

She nodded, watching as the official checked for her axe and other mandatory items. She was distracted for a moment by the blood still on the handle… the blood of her brother. Her throat tightened with emotion until she was pulled from the memory by the Race Director,

"Congratulations on another amazing run, Bo. I'm glad you're safe."

Bo nodded, shaking the man's hand before she said, "I have to ask… did you know what the feds were doing?"

He shook his head, "I swear on my wife's grave, Bo. I had no idea until after I heard about the incident up on the pass. I never would have agreed to their presence on this course if I'd known."

Bo nodded, "I believe you."

"Thank you for that trust. I know it doesn't come easy."

Bo nodded, "Yea, well I'm learning to do that trust thing a little bit more."

They were quiet for a moment before he leaned closer and softly whispered, "You're nothing like him, Bo. Nothing. You are, however, a whole lot more. Thank you for being the perfect mix of grit and kindness. You have the heart of a champion. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."

He patted her on the back and then reconvened the final confirmations with the other judges and the veterinary team. Finally, he gave her a thumbs up and the announcer made the official broadcast. Bo moved quickly to Lauren and Kenzi, wrapping them both in her arms as she sobbed with relief amidst the cheers and gloved applause from the spectators that lined Front Street,

She pulled back, "My dogs. I have to congratulate and thank my dogs."

She turned and moved back to her dogs, wanting to congratulate and thank each of them personally. The press moved in, cameras in her face. Race officials stepped in pushed the media back,

"Give them space, please. Let her check her dogs." The official said.

Lauren and Kenzi stepped forward in front of one camera man to create some space for Bo as reporters started yelling out questions,

" _Bo! Bo! How do you feel?"_

" _Bo! What happened out there? We heard you were shot!"_

" _Bo, we heard one of your dogs was killed. Is there any truth to that rumor?"_

" _Bo! We heard Big Jim is your Dad! Was this whole story orchestrated between the two of you from the start?"_

Lauren watched as anger rushed across every feature of Bo's face at the question. The brunette turned, her eyes black with rage, ready to fire back until she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned and saw Lauren's kind eyes staring back at her. The blonde smiled,

"They'll be time to deal with them later. Right now, you have to get to the hospital. They need you."

Bo's eyes brimmed with tears, "And I need you."

Lauren smiled, "I'm here and I'm not going anywhere. I love you, Bo Dennis."

Bo placed her hand on Lauren's and turned back to the reporters, "I cannot comment on the rumors as I do not have all of the facts. I am sure the FBI will be releasing a statement that will answer your questions." Bo smirked, "You'll want to contact Special Agent Tamsin Sorensen."

A reporter asked, "You mean the Denali guide?"

"One and the same." Bo replied with a chuckle, "Now, if you don't mind. These little ladies have been working very hard and need my full attention. Please, respect my responsibility to give them all of the care they need." Bo nodded and turned back towards the officials who gave her a thumbs up on the final review of her dogs, sled and gear.

Mark and Little Jon pushed their way through the crowd. Bo threw her arms around the two men,

"I couldn't have done this without the two of you. Thank you so much. Thank you so very much."

Little Jon smiled proudly, "Think nothing of it, Bo. You gave my little rookies a chance to become champions and look at them! They look like they're still ready to run!"

Bo laughed, "Don't let them fool you, Jon. They're just looking all cute for the cameras, hoping people will throw them food or treats."

They all laughed, "Let's get these guys into cool down mode… walk to the trailer so we can load them all up for the trip to the animal hospital. I want to check on the other dogs and get these gals checked as well." Bo smiled, "I've got money to pay for absolutely anything they need now."

Mark smiled, "Yes you do, Bo. What are you getting them first?"

Bo smiled, "A new home. One that's plenty spacious and plenty safe."

Little Jon smiled, "That sounds perfect."

The two men moved to Nike and Diana, leading them down Front Street to where the trailer was parked. Kenzi hopped on the back of the sled while Bo and Lauren hooked arms and followed behind the group.

"So you love me, huh?"

Lauren laughed, "I'm afraid so."

"You should be, Dr. Lewis. I'm quite a handful."

"So I've heard." Lauren laughed, "I'm happy you're home safe and sound.:

Bo laughed, "I'm not home, Lauren. I'm Nome." Bo laughed, "Get it? Not home? Nome?"

"I get it, Bo. I get it."


	7. Chapter 7: What is Normal?

_**A/N:**_ Hey everyone! Thanks for the reviews, follows and faves! It means so much to get that feedback and I do appreciate it.

So, somehow, I lost track of the chapters I'd posted! I thought I'd posted this one, but I didn't, so you'll find another update right after this chapter! So, chapters 7 & 8 are new with this post. Sorry for any confusion. Both chapters are equally long since that's what everyone seems to be asking for.

I sort of changed my direction from my original plan, so if I didn't catch any errors, please forgive me!

Also, I just want to say that there's some discussions in here about Big Jim's treatment of his family. I don't feel that it should be a trigger, but don't know the sensitivity of these issues for every reader, so just putting that out there.

Just an FYI – once again, I have to say that I'm no expert on Alaska or the Iditarod. I've visited there and in addition, I've done a ton of research for this story, comparing sources until I seem to find consensus on the issues that apply. If you plan to go to Alaska, this chapter does give you some hints about the climate of acceptance, but you really should read up before going.

Enjoy!

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **CHAPTER 7: What Is Normal?**_

 _ **Nome Animal Hospital, Sunday after the Iditarod Race**_

The scans performed on the dogs in Nome had showed fully isolated, non-metastatic tumors. Despite this news and constant reassurance from Lauren, Bo had been pacing back and forth in the waiting room for most of the day. Saturday through Sunday, the surgeries on all of the dogs were performed by Dr. Harrow and her team whom Lauren had recruited from the race. The veterinarian was impressive in her diagnosis and prompt response to the tumors, so Lauren felt it prudent to use her rather than a veterinarian Bo didn't know. Now that Bo had received word that her beloved Harper was on the mend - and so far, cancer free - Lauren thought Bo would feel reassured as her pups entered surgery one by one. Instead, she was nervous, unsettled and agitated for the duration of the weekend.

Kenzi had managed to get her to go to lunch, but other than that, she still seemed to be eating and sleeping sporadically as he had on the Iditarod Trail. Little Jon had informed Lauren that it was normal for the mushers to take some time to get back into a normal routine, but Bo was barely eating or sleeping, so Lauren was concerned. She was, after all, the human doctor around here.

Jenna had been out of surgery for days, so Bo had decided to visit with her last. She was in a crate and had stood and wagged her tail almost immediately when Bo had arrived. The visit seemed to lift Bo's spirits, so Lauren was grateful for that small reprieve from her sallow mood.

Now, Bo was sitting on the floor with Jenna sleeping quietly in her lap, the musher stroking her fur gently and continuously. Finally, Bo spoke, the topic quite unexpected,

"Lauren, you really don't have to go to this thing if you don't want to. I'll totally understand. You must be exhausted." Bo said, emphasizing the point for what the doctor believed was the fifth time.

Smiling, the blonde replied, "You've won your third straight Iditarod, Bo. You deserve to be celebrated and I want to be there for you."

Bo nodded, looking down at the sleeping Jenna, but Lauren noticed the muscle move in her temple as her jaw tensed.

"Bo, talk to me. Is there a reason you don't want me to go?" She offered an out just in case Bo wasn't willing to talk right now, "Maybe because you want me to stay and keep an eye on the dogs? It would be understandable if you were worried about leaving them alone with strangers. You're so accustomed to being on high alert because of the constant threats on their lives and your own, I wouldn't blame you for wanting someone to watch over them. I'm more than willing to stay if that's what you need from me."

She watched as the musher's face contorted into deep thought, then sadness, then anger and finally, what appeared to be guilt. Still, Lauren waited, all too aware by now that sometimes Bo needed time to think.

"Honestly, Lauren, it's not that I don't want you to go. I would love to have you there. It's just that… well, these people… a lot of them are really…"

"Conservative assholes."

They both turned towards the sound of Kenzi's voice as she entered the room. Bo was scowling at her as she approached,

"What? Well, they are, and you know it. That's why you don't want the Doc to go… that and the fact that some of them don't want a cheechako around."

"Don't use that word." Bo gritted her teeth, but Kenzi continued,

"Plus, you're afraid someone will catch on to what's happening with the two of you and they'll start throwing their version of the bible around."

Before Bo could speak, Kenzi turned to Lauren,

"Your call, Doc. There are definitely some people here who are waaay less tolerant than what you're probably used to on the East Coast, but you already know that. You are new to Alaska, but you've already been introduced to how outsiders can be treated. I'm pretty sure you don't really care about anyone else's religious points of view since you're all about science and seeing is believing, so… like I said, you're call, Doc."

Lauren smiled, "Oh, believe me, there is still plenty of intolerance everywhere in the world and Boston is no exception." She sighed, "Although I'm sure we are a bit better off than most places in our country. But Bo, it's not like I'm going to be hanging all over you. I don't even have to sit next to you. That honor should belong to Little Jon and Mark anyway. They're your gear haulers, checkers and dog handlers."

"Hey, what about me?" Kenzi asked, offended.

Lauren smiled, "You're very important, too, Kenzi. Of course, Bo only has two chairs on either side of her." She looked at Bo, "I'm not unaccustomed to intolerance and I'm quite used to being the new kid around here. Let people talk, Bo. I've learned to care more about what I think of myself than what others think of me. I'm a good person who came here with good intentions. I'm learning every day and I'm determined to become the best I can be, no matter what my naysayers may think."

"I'm the best friend. I should be sitting next to her." Kenzi mumbled, still stuck on the seating arrangements.

Bo shook her head. She was grateful for her best friend, but sometimes she could be a bit possessive and… well… clingy. It frustrated her. She replied to the pair,

"Look, seating arrangements can all be worked out when we get there. The bottom line is…" she turned to Lauren, "…I don't want anyone giving you any trouble. I know you don't need anyone to protect you or fight your battles for you, but I'm just having a hard time rationalizing exposing you to the idiots that might cause trouble so that you can sit through a long, boring awards dinner."

"Rationalizing, huh? Impressive." Lauren grinned.

Bo smiled, "What can I say? The stretch before and after the ghost town of Iditarod was very long and very boring. I learned the word insatiable…" She leaned in and whispered to Lauren, "…which is how I can now describe my appetite for all things Dr. Lewis…" she pulled back smiling, "… and objectification…" she leaned in once again, "…which is something I will try very hard not to do with you, but you are so yummy in a hospital setting… even a doggie hospital setting, that it is difficult…" she pulled back, grinning from ear to ear,

"I think we can discuss your vocabulary lessons later." Lauren replied, swallowing hard as she watched Bo's eyes roam up and down her body. She took a deep breath and moved to the other side of the treatment table, putting some distance between them. She checked Jenna's pupils despite having checked them just moments ago.

"Well, I guess what I'm trying to say is – it's your decision, Lauren. Just know that if you come, anyone who has heard the gossip about us may not have enough restraint to hold their tongue. It's like a big indoor buffet with the traditional Iditarod song and then the awards. People talk through most of the awards anyway. It's long and chaotic, but… well, it's expected that I attend."

"Bo, we're all going and that's that. If you consider me part of the team that helped you to win, then I'm going to celebrate with the team. If you don't, then that's a different story and I'll stay."

Bo smiled, "Of course I consider you part of the team, Lauren. You were much more than just a girlfriend to me. I mean… a friend."

Lauren grinned, "Girlfriend is fine, Bo… except when we're at the dinner or in public, of course."

"Big city girl is going back in the closet." Kenzi said, tapping the table.

Lauren rolled her eyes, "Yea, well in my profession, it's not exactly a topic of public discussion."

"Oh, really?" Kenzi asked.

Lauren nodded, "There are plenty of patients who would not want a lesbian doctor, Kenzi. I know what I have to do and I do it. Besides, haven't you ever heard you shouldn't miss business with pleasure or professional with private lives? I am accustomed to keeping the two separates."

"Well, then you better explain that to that Nadia chick." Kenzi said, accidentally pulling out a plug on the EKG machine.

Lauren took it from her and plugged it back in, "Please don't play with the equipment. They're sensitive, specially calibrated machines that are necessary for animal care and they don't come cheap – especially to Alaska."

Kenzi mocked Lauren by mouthing her reply and walking to the other side of the room to sit in the guest chairs.

"What about Nadia?" Lauren asked.

Kenzi shrugged, "She was talking all this smack about you in the emergency clinic set up in the Constitution Dining Hall at the hotel."

Lauren's eyes went wide, "She… you… uh… wait… you mean…"

"Yes, your ex-fiance is here. Yes, she's playing Doctor back at my hotel. Yes, she's talking shit about you to members of your community. No, none of them are buying any of the shit she has to say although some of them have never met you, but the word of their neighbor should be good over the word of some big city slicker doctor."

Lauren shook her head, "No, no, no, no, no. I cannot believe that Evony brought her here!"

Kenzi shook her head, "Apparently, she didn't. Apparently, she just got on the plane and showed up. Evony's exact words to me when she walked into the hotel with the doctors were 'Lauren is going to flip her shit', but she couldn't send her back because the flights were all grounded again."

Lauren closed her eyes, taking deep breaths before she opened them to see Bo staring down at Jenna, her jaw tensing once again. Great. Just great.

"Bo, you know you don't have to worry…"

She waved her hand at Lauren, "I'm not worried about Nadia, Lauren. I'm worried about you… and I guess I'm a little worried about us. I mean, I had hoped that when the race was over and Big Jim was caught or killed that things would get back to normal." Bo laughed, "Whatever normal is for us. Come to think of it, I don't think we've experienced any sort of routine that could be considered normal yet."

Lauren smiled and laughed, "Thank you."

"For what?" Bo asked.

"For trusting me." Lauren smiled, lowering her eyes, "I mean, with Nadia."

Bo shrugged, "Well, I can't imagine you would leave a wife you truly loved to live in a cold, barren state on the other side of the country for a year. And if that wasn't enough to convince me, the fact that Evony sent you here would be all the evidence I would need."

Lauren laughed, "You don't think Evony would split up a happily married couple? You give her too much credit."

Bo shook her head, "Actually, I'm not giving her credit for anything other than being the wise business woman she is… wise and devious, that is. She would have done anything to keep you happy if it meant good things for her bottom line. In this case, moving you away from your source of misery was win-win for her. She gets her doctor back in form and she gets her business venture here started off on the right foot."

"It would seem you are her equal in the business world." Lauren grinned.

"Well, I've had to do business with the likes of Big Jim all my life."

Lauren smiled, "Very true."

"So what's our plan?" Bo asked.

Lauren looked up at the clock, "I guess we should go get ready for the Awards Banquet."

Bo nodded, "I have to do the fan meet and greet at four o'clock, since I missed the mushers banquet in Anchorage, but the actual Iditarod Banquet doesn't start until six. Are you sure you want to sit through two hours of watching me meet random fans?"

Lauren smiled, "I think it would be an honor… I mean… unless the rest of the team isn't going."

Kenzi stood, "Oh, we're going all right! They have whore derves!"

Bo and Lauren looked at each other and shook their heads. Bo corrected, "According to my word calendar, that phase of a meal is actually called the hors d'oeuvres. Appetizers Are you forgetting that your hotel isn't actually a brothel anymore?"

"Whatevs. Can we go now?" Kenzi asked.

Bo nodded.

Kenzi stood, "Finally! Momma needs some meat!"

The pair laughed as they watched Kenzi make her exit, listing all of her favorite foods that are at the banquet every year.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **Nome Awards Banquet, Nome Recreation Center**_

Lauren tapped her toe to the music, watching as the crowd, seated at family-style tables around the large cafeteria sang along,

 _Music playing from older gentleman singer, crowd sings along…_

 _Away up in Alaska  
The state that stands alone  
There's a dog race run from Anchorage into Nome  
And it's a grueling race with a lightning pace  
Where chilly winds do wail.  
Beneath the northern lights, across snow and ice  
It's called the Iditarod Trail._

Kenzi leaned over to Bo, "It looks like the Doc likes the song."

Bo looked over to see Lauren's head bopping back and forth, her fingers keeping time to the rhythm. She looked around the table to see the Morton family all singing along. She was pretty sure Lauren would be doing the same if she knew the words. She smiled, unable to stop the small snicker that came from her mouth. She loved this side of Lauren… this after-hours adorable, giddy little geek that had come into her life almost five months ago now.

She looked back to see Kenzi had started tapping her fingers as well. She picked up the young girls' phone, clicked on the camera and turned to the video. Leaning back, she aimed the camera and hit record… Kenzi would kill her for this, but her best friend was definitely losing some cool factor points in this moment and she had to record it for all of posterity. She would be horrified, and Bo would forever have something to hold over her head.

Finishing the video, she sent it in a text to Lauren with a message not to delete the video. As a courtesy, the doctor had turned off her phone when she came in despite Bo assuring her that even if it rang, it would never disturb the event. People talked and shouted the entire night.

 _Well, give me a team and a good lead dog and a sled that's built so fine,  
And let me race those miles to Nome, one thousand forty-nine  
Then when I get back to my home  
Hey I can tell my tale  
I did, I did I did the Iditarod Trail…  
_

"Bo, you didn't tell me there was a theme song! This is so much fun!" Lauren said, her eyes lit up with excitement before she turned back to watch the crowd sing even louder,

 _I just pulled out of Safety  
And I'm on the trail alone  
I'm doin' fine and I'm pickin' up time  
And runnin' on in to Nome.  
There's no sled tracks in front of me  
And no one's on my tail  
I did, I did, I did the Iditarod Trail!_

Bo watched, her eyes welling with tears as she laughed even harder at Lauren suddenly joining in on the chorus, her voice at full volume and… gods love her… just a bit off key. She turned to Bo, now clapping,

"I've got to find the lyrics to this song and learn them! There's so much comradery and tradition. Can't you just… feel it in the air? Isn't it incredible?" Lauren smiled, her eyes going back to the man on the stage,

 _Well, give me a team and a good lead dog and a sled that's built so fine,  
And let me race those miles to Nome, one thousand forty-nine  
Then when I get back to my home  
Hey I can tell my tale  
I did, I did I did the Iditarod Trail  
I did, I did I did the Iditarod Trail  
I did, I did I did the Iditarod Trail._

As the song came to a close, Lauren jumped to her feet, applauding and pumping her fist in the air while everyone else at the table sat, clapping and laughing at the blonde's excitement. Finally, Lauren realized that everyone was looking at her… from their seats. She looked to the stage as the musician spoke,

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I don't know if you've had the pleasure, but if you haven't, that excited little lady over there is from back east in Talkeetna. She's their new physician and her name is Dr. Lauren Lewis! Don't ya'll remember the excitement you felt at your first Iditarod? It's clear that our state's newest resident has caught the fever!"

Lauren looked at the man, suddenly taken aback, "Oh… I'm not actually… a resident… I'm…"

"We can't hear you Doc! A little louder!"

She looked down at Bo who looked more than disappointed and re-thought her comment. Shit. She did it again,

"I'm very excited to be at my first Iditarod! Since I've arrived, I've had one incredible experience after another…"

"Yea!" Shouted a man from under a baseball cap, "We heard you almost got yourself killed on a dog sled!"

Another person shouted cheechako, but Kenzi held Bo in her seat as Lauren blushed with embarrassment. Still, she stood her ground and tried to keep the mood light as she replied,

"Uh… yes, but… I've learned to look before I leap around here since then. I just… I love Alaska. A great state and great people! Woohoo!"

She pumped her fist as she slowly lowered herself to her seat, the crowd eventually giving a quiet, polite round of applause,

"Come on, everyone, you can do better for our newest Doctor! It's not so easy putting up wth the likes of stubborn Alaskans like all of us."

The applause began again, this time with a bit more enthusiasm.

Lauren placed her napkin on her lap, "Tough crowd."

"Lauren, just ignore them."

The blonde looked at Bo, "A room full of people? Right. I'll ignore them, Bo."

"I warned you that they could be…"

"Are you seriously going to say I told you so to me right now?" Lauren asked, trying to keep the conversation between just the two of them, but most of the eyes at their table were on them. She offered a tight smile, "Virginia is for lovers, Florida is the sunshine state, Philadelphia is the city of brotherly love and Alaska is just plain cold all around."

"Lauren…" Bo began, but the blonde shook her head, whispering,

"Let's not do this here with all of these eyes on us, Bo. Okay? You warned me. I came. My choice. No regrets. I'm a big girl. I can take it. Please, just enjoy your dinner."

Bo looked up making eye contact with an older couple who stopped by the table. They stared at her a good long time before the older woman placed a hand on Big Jon's shoulder,

"I'm sorry for your loss, Jon. You too Pops, Mark, Molly, Little Jon. My condolences. Big Jim was a good man. I know he was tough on your boys, but he worked hard for our community. Brought in a lot of jobs. Kept people employed and kept the money coming in so we could all survive."

Bo couldn't help but chuckle under her breath. She picked up her fork and pushed some food around her plate as the man challenged her,

"Something you wanna say, Bo?"

She looked up at the man, her eyes set like steel, "Not at all, Sid."

The woman spoke instead, "You know, he was just trying to save your soul from going to Satan, Bo."

"Oh, is that what he was trying to do?" Bo asked with a smirk, "Well, he could have just told me instead of trying to beat it out of me…" she turned her eyes towards the man, "Isn't that right, Sid? You were there. I only recall a few select words and none of them had anything to do with him fearing for my soul."

She turned back to the woman, "I suggest you read the papers for the news from the investigation so you can get your facts straight."

"I'm sure we know all of the relevant facts, Bo. You and your kind are going to bring hell on earth. And now word has traveled that you're trying to pull this innocent doctor into your den of sin."

Lauren shot a mouthful of water across the table, coughing several times while Little Jon slapped her on her back. She looked at Bo who shook her head before she looked at the woman again,

"Well, the doctor is here to celebrate the victory of this team. No need to bring her into this." Bo said, looking back down to her meal, but the woman persisted,

"The likes of you should not be representing this great race in our state. We can't even verify you're a native citizen."

Bo shrugged, looking up at the woman, "Even if I wasn't, what's your point? It's an international race. It's open to anyone. Why are you really here at this table, Minerva?"

"I… I just wanted to…"

"Stir up trouble? Come thump your bible at me?" She laughed, "Oh, wait. Big Jim's going to jail so the two of you plan to be the new power couple in Point Siku and Anchorage?"

Kenzi laughed, "Boy are they gonna be disappointed."

Pops cleared his throat, "Enough!" He shook his head, his eyes on Bo, "Enough."

She had never seen a tear dribble down this man's cheeks as long as she'd known him, but there it was. A single tear Bo watched him wipe from his face before he stood up, throwning his napkin down next to his plate before he turned to face the couple,

"Minerva, Sid. It was nice of you to offer your condolences, but my Dad isn't dead. He's alive and in prison."

"But this woman is trying to stain his good name."

Pops laughed, "Good name? My Father was a bastard. He cheated on my mother… although I'm actually not sure if that was true. He may have cheated on Bo's mother."

"Pops…"

"No, Bo. I won't cover for him anymore. I'm done defending a man…" He turned to Minerva and Sid, "Who sinned more than the entire Morton family combined. The man you're defending is Bo's Father."

Minerva gasped and Sid just stood there looking defiant as Pops continued,

"That's right. He was Bo's father. He had three other sons – Bo's brothers. From our ages, one can assume that he was having an affair with Bo's Mom. Yes, he knew exactly who Bo's Mom was, so if she is a half-breed, it's because he provided half of the seed from which Bo was born. Now I believe the two of you spout an awful lot of opinions about the seed of a child being a gift from God, so if that's what you believe, then Bo is a gift from God sent to you by a man you've put up on a pedestal for beating both of his wives and at least this son."

Bo could see the hands of her brother trembling now as he exposed a truth from his past in front of the entire table to the two visitors,

"So don't you dare come to me with praise for that man. He was a foul, cheat and a dishonest businessman who didn't have an ounce of love for anyone in his heart. Anything you saw that may have resembled love was an act… a mask designed to keep you all fooled. Everyone at this table knows the truth of who is was – with the exception of the good doctor who you should leave out of this because she's better than any of us. Just go into Talkeetna and ask the victims of the fire and they'll tell you all she did for strangers despite having burns and wounds of her own."

Bo's eyes moved quickly to Lauren who lowered her eyes to her plate. This was the first Bo was hearing of any burns or wounds to the blonde. She had only seen the small burn on her arm and face. Were there more? She's been so wrapped up in her own shit that she hadn't even noticed. She'd been so distanced from her as a means of protecting her, that she hadn't had the opportunity to see her body since… well, she didn't know how long it had been.

She turned her attention back to Pops who now had a finger in Sids' face. She didn't know what the man had said, but Pops was furious and his sons were now flanking him, having risen to their feet,

"Back off, Sid. You don't know what you're talking about. Do yourself a favor and listen closely to what happens at this banquet. Then, get out and actually talk to people outside of your rigid religious cult… listen, rather than spout your nonsense and maybe you'll start to understand that there are two sides to every story and those two sides go beyond Minerva's side and Sid's side."

He felt his son's hands on his shoulder and visibly relaxed, "Now, I'd appreciate it if you would go back to yours and leave me to mine."

The two men stood staring at each other for a long while before Minerva spoke, "Come on Sid, let's leave them be."

The two walked away, the Morton men waiting a beat before they returned to the table, sitting down to resume their meal.

"Dumb putz." Pops mumbled.

The group laughed before Bo said, "Thanks."

He looked up at Bo, his eyes once again brimming with tears, "You and I have some catching up to do for sure, but know that you're not alone anymore, Bo. You're my little sister. I'll always have your back. It's you and me now, kid and we're going to make sure that history gets the story right. I won't be silent anymore. Even if it means that I have to stand up at a banquet and set the record straight with the likes of Minerva and Sid."

Bo's eyes filled with tears as she stared back at her newfound brother, "Thanks, Pops."

He laughed, "Actually, my name is Tosh. You can call me Tosh."

"Well, that'll take some getting used to." Bo smiled.

The table was quiet for a long while until the late arrivals spoke,

"Hey everybody. Sorry we're late." Little Jim came to the table accompanied by Kurt, "All of the dogs are settled in their kennels in their respective locations." He winked at Little Jon, "As their handler designated."

"Thanks, Tom." Little Jon laughed, "Right?"

Little Jim laughed, "Nah."

Molly looked between her son and her nephew, "Who's Tom?"

Little Jim looked around the table, heaving a great sigh before speaking, "I'm changing my name."

Molly and Mark spoke a collective, "What?"

Bo smiled, "I vote yes."

Again, the couple replied in unison, "What?"

"Me too." Said Pops.

"Me three." Said Little Jon.

"Me four." Kenzi said, "Not that I get a vote, but if I did, I'd vote yes."

"To what?" Molly asked.

"I'm changing my name Mom. I won't spend the rest of my life named after a murdering thief who cheated on his families… both of them…" he looked between Pops and Bo, "… no offense."

Bo smiled, "None taken."

Pops nodded, "Look. We've all got some baggage to deal with – Bo especially. Bottom line is that we need to support each other through this difficult time. We need to be as much as team through this as we were through Bo's race."

He looked at Bo, "I know you think I wasn't there for you during the race, but I promise you I was… I was just working…" he looked at Little Jon and Little Jim, "… behind the scenes… way, way behind the scenes. Just know that I did make a contribution and you'll find out eventually. I swear it's not another horrible world-shattering secret. You've had enough of those for now."

"For life." Bo mumbled in reply, "I'm grateful for the role that all of you have played in this race. If I haven't said it – and it doesn't seem nearly enough – thank you all. But to get back to the topic at hand, what do you say to Little Jim changing his name?"

Molly and Mark looked at each other, joining hands and smiling, before Molly replied, "We're on board as long as you'll take the name we originally wanted before it was decided that someone needed to be named for the patriarch of the family."

"Who decided that?" Little Jim asked.

Mark laughed, "Big Jim, of course. Apparently, he was done waiting for one of his two wives to name a child after him, so he insisted. You were the last born, so the burden fell to you."

Little Jim laughed, "Lucky me. Okay, Mom. So what's my name?"

Molly looked at Mark who nodded, "Little Mark."

"Uh… well… it's… consistent…" Little Jim replied, everyone at the table remaining still and quiet.

The couple laughed, "We're just kidding!"

Everyone laughed as Little Jim asked again, "Okay, seriously? What were you going to name me?"

Molly smiled, leaning into Mark, "Michael."

"Michael." He replied, looking at his parents, "Mike for short?"

Molly smiled, "I had imagined calling you Mikey, but since you're all grown up now, I suppose Mike is more appropriate."

He grinned, "You will always have a right to call me whatever you want, Mom. You carried me and fought like hell to give birth to me, so I owe you. Dad, you passed out in the delivery room, so you have to call me Mike."

Mark laughed along with the joke, but stood and raised his glass, "I know a toast with water is weird, but I'd like to make a toast anyway. To my son Michael. May he grow up to be as tough, as smart and as good looking as his Mom."

"Here, here!" Yelled Big Jon, "And to my son, newly crowned LJ, may he grow up to be nothing like me and everything like his Mom."

"May God rest her soul." Yelled Pops, "She was a good woman, Jon. LJ, you still look just like her, so you're on the right path."

The two cousins roughed around before turning their attention back to Bo. Little John raised his glass, "And a toast to the woman of the hour… and our great aunt… Bo Dennis, ladies and gentlemen."

"To Bo!" They all yelled out before they all resumed their meal.

"Pass the bread, please?" Kurt said, Bo passing him the basket.

"So where are my dogs?" Bo asked.

The newly minted Michael replied, "Oh, here and there. Some are at the hospital here. Some are at the hospital in Anchorage. Some are at Kyle's Kennels being taken care of by her staff."

"Kyle's Kennels?"

Little Jon intercepted the question, "I know you're worried about them, but Kyle has some of the most secure kennels on the planet. Not only does the building lock, but the kennels themselves also lock."

Kurt smiled, "And my sister installed a state-of-the-art security system there last week. It's monitored 24/7 by a security company… alarms and all. If anyone tries to take your dogs, they'll either get caught or we'll be hot on their trail. You couldn't keep them any safer at the hotel, Bo."

Kenzi nodded, "I'll have to agree with that. I don't have any of that high-tech stuff, BoBo."

"Okay. I'll have to… I guess I'll just have to trust you on that." She said, reluctantly.

Little on leaned over, "Trust me, Bo. I've seen the place. It's better than anything we have to offer the dogs and they're getting round the clock care. There's full time Vet Tech staff there because they take emergency cases twenty four hours."

Bo nodded, "I didn't know that Kyle had branched out like that."

"The place is amazing. If a dog needs it, she's got it. She even has a doggy swimming pool in there."

Bo looked at LJ, "A doggy pool?"

He nodded, "Water therapy is apparently a thing for dogs who are recovering from leg or paw injuries."

"Hmmm… maybe that will be good for Harper."

He smiled, "I already talked to the Vet about that and she agreed it sounds like a step in the right direction. I stopped in to see her. They have her up and walking on a doggy treadmill."

"A doggy treadmill?" Bo asked.

He smiled, "The surface is this fake grass stuff and there's a screen on the wall that has a flat snowy trail in front of them so that they think they're driving a sled."

Bo grinned, "Oh, she must be in heaven."

"She thinks she's finally the lead dog again." Little Jon laughed.

"I miss her like crazy."

"You'll see her soon, Bo." He reassured.

Meanwhile, Lauren who was the right of Little Jon, was chatting with Molly who was on her right. Molly asked,

"So are you alright after that little encounter with Minerva and Sid?"

The doctor smiled, "I've met plenty of Minerva and Sid's in my life. Unfortunately, they're not only native to Alaska."

Molly nodded, "Still, you'll encounter their kind on occasion, but honestly, Alaskans really just want to live and let live. Most of us are of the you do you and I'll do me mind set. I'd say a bit segment of our population just want to be left alone."

"So it's not LGBTQ friendly, but is tolerant enough that you can live your life as a part of that community?"

"Kenzi could probably explain that best." Molly replied, "Of course, she speaks a language I don't understand."

"Kid speak." Lauren nodded.

Molly laughed, "Talk to Kenzi. She'll explain. I only know there's a few bars in Anchorage where your people can hang out and be themselves."

Lauren laughed, "My people?"

"Well… look, I'm not all into the politically correct language. I'm gonna say the wrong thing sometimes, so I'd appreciate the assumption of a need to forgive me until I learn what I need to know. No sense trying to teach me lessons that don't really matter to you."

"Don't be overly sensitive. My lifestyle isn't your lifestyle, so don't make me learn something that doesn't apply to me."

Molly shrugged, "I guess so… in a way. Look, I want you and Bo to be comfortable around me and my family. Just tell me if something I say offends you and I'll fix it. If you're not offended, don't make a big deal out of something that doesn't really matter to you."

Lauren nodded, "I'm not offended by 'my people', I just consider 'my people' to be the group sitting here at this table. Not every damn gay, lesbian, queer and trans person in the world."

Molly smiled, "Fair enough."

"So… what can I expect… I mean… if… hypothetically… I decided to make a life in Alaska… and I'm not saying I will… I just know that, well… if this thing with us works out, one of us will have to consider a move."

Molly shrugged, "I think no matter where you go in this world in this day and age, there is bound to be a group of people who aren't going to accept people who don't love in the traditional sense. This place is no different. There are places that aren't for you and there are places that are. Of course, the same could be said for me in a way. I wouldn't necessarily be welcome at Myrna's or The Raven, but you would be… if you're into that kind of thing. Kenzi's been to those places with Bo and says they're very different in the type of clientele."

"I haven't heard of those places." Lauren admitted, "I mean, I haven't exactly left the clinic much since my arrival."

Molly smiled, "You do work a lot, Doctor. You need to get that girl to take you out on a proper date."

Lauren grinned, "I'm not sure Bo is the proper date type."

Looking at Bo, Molly grinned, "I have a feeling Bo is going to be opening herself up to the possibility of a lot of new things now that so much of her world is changing."

Nodding, Lauren replied, "I agree, but I want to be her constant, Molly… while I'm here. I don't want her to think that I'll be yet another thing that is forcing change on her. It's bad enough that I'm leaving in six months."

Molly looked at her, pausing for a moment, "You're really going to leave?"

"I have a mortgage, I have personal belongings, I teach at the local university three days a week and only have a one year sabbatical. And Evony owns my contract. She can send me anywhere she wants for the next three years."

Looking at Bo, Molly's smile fell, "That's going to be… difficult."

Lauren looked at Bo who was laughing with Mark and Little Jon. She loved seeing her laugh and smile. She hadn't really noticed until just now, but this is the longest she'd ever seen Bo smile and she couldn't recall a time where she'd ever seen her laugh this much,

"She looks… happy."

Molly smiled, "She does. I can't recall ever seeing her laugh like this."

Lauren nodded, "Well, you've certainly known her much longer than I have, but I'd have to agree." Tearing her eyes from Bo, she turned back to Molly, "She has a family now. If I have to leave, she'll have all of you… she's got a lot of catching up to do… a lot of new opportunities. She's going to be very busy."

Molly chuckled, "And you think all of that can replace you?"

Lauren shrugged, "I just think there will be plenty of distractions when I go."

Molly placed a hand on Lauren's forearm, "Child, do you want to go?"

She looked up at Molly, her eyes brimming with tears, "It'll break my heart to leave." She turned so that Bo couldn't see the tears fall, picking up her napkin to wipe them away, "But I have a life back East that will require some closure. I hope you can understand that there will have to come a time when Bo and I are apart… for at least a while."

Molly smiled, "Well, as they say. Absence makes the heart grow fonder."

She patted Lauren's arm before sitting back in her chair, "Lauren, I have no problem with your sexuality no matter what the Minerva and Sid's of the world may think. I just live my life and let people live theirs. If you're a good person, do good for your community and treat people with respect, then you're 'good people' to me. You love Bo, I'm good with that as long as you treat each other right – especially if you're going to be around my son. Bo's family now, so I expect we all just want to see her happy after a life full of misery."

She crossed her arms and tossed her napkin up on her empty plate, setting her utensils across the napkin,

"If you're going to leave, please be honest with her… and LJ and Mikey. They've grown to care about you, Doc. Bo doesn't let people in easy, so make sure you keep it clear that this year trial thing may be just a year."

Lauren nodded. She was pretty sure that Bo was aware from previous discussions, but Molly was right. She needed to make sure she wasn't getting Bo's hopes up about how long she was staying. As much as it would break her heart to leave, eventually, she had to go back East… if for no other reason than to deal with the shambles of her life she'd left behind. Her thoughts were interrupted by Little Jon,

"Doc? You good?"

Lauren looked at the young man she had come to call friend, "I'm good. Just thinking about… all the work that will have to be done when I get back."

Little Jon smiled, "No need worrying about that right now, Doc. You have a room at the hotel until we get everything squared."

She nodded, loving the look of pure happiness in his eyes, "You where success well."

"Success?"

She grinned, "Your relationship with Bo has become everything you'd hoped for and then some, right?"

He smiled, "It has. You noticed."

She nodded, "Of course. You're a champion handler, you road a drag sled at the start of the Iditarod and you have two Iditarod champion dogs. That will open doors for you, Jon."

He smiled, "That's what Bo said."

"You don't seem happy about that." Lauren suggested.

He shrugged, "My place is working with Bo… on her team. I know she'll encourage me to set out on my own, but now that I know we're blood… well… I just can't leave that."

Lauren smiled, "I understand. You all need time together – to become the family you were always meant to be."

"You get it." Little Jon replied.

She nodded, sitting back in her seat. She noticed a flurry of activity towards the stage, "Looks like they're starting to get things going."

Jon nodded, "It'll take them a bit longer."

She asked aloud, "So what's the name of this place again?"

Molly chimed in, "It's the Nome Recreation Center."

"And what do they do here?" Lauren asked, trying to get a picture of what went on beyond the Iditarod sponsorship signs. They were seated at rectangular tables in what appeared to be a basketball gymnasium with light blue and light tan walls.

Big Jon jumped in to explain, "It's sort of Nome's all-inclusive facility for all things sports, fitness and recreation. We're obviously in the gymnasium, but they also have a weight room, bowling alley, multi-purpose room, rock wall and racquetball court. They run fitness classes like that jazzercise stuff and they run programs for the little kids year round."

Mark added, "They also have showers, saunas and men's and women's locker rooms. It's a pretty nice facility."

Little Jon shook his head, "But our convention center in Anchorage is a state-of-the-art facility that rivals anything you have on the east coast, Doc. Too bad you missed the Finishers Banquet where they do all of the pre-race press stuff. That place is amazing."

Lauren smiled, "Well, you'll have to take me there one day when we get back."

"It's a date!" Little Jon almost shouted with a grin, before looking at Bo, his eyes wide, "I mean… not a date, date… I mean a… I… uh… like she can count on me to take her… professionally… when she wants to go. I mean… if she wants to go… with me, I mean… instead of you… not that she would prefer me over you but…"

Bo had to let him ramble on in his discomfort, but when his voice started getting loud enough for others to hear, she stopped him,

"LJ, I think we all get what you meant. No need to explain."

He sighed, "Oh. Really? I mean…"

"No need, LJ. Really."

Lauren just smiled, taking the last bite of food from her plate. Her attention then drawn to the man on the state with the microphone,

"Okay, mushers! Let's get to the awards, shall we?"

Everyone applauded as he continued,

"First, I'd like to address the singular dog death that resulted. One of Bob Bufort's dogs was showing signs of pneumonia during the last leg of the race. He pulled him from the line and put him in the basket while out on the trail. When he crossed the line, he called for a Vet. The dog was checked and immediately transferred to the hospital for treatment. Unfortunately, the dog didn't make it. Now, in accordance with race rules, Bob is required to scratch from the race which also discounts him from the rookie musher trophy. The rule in no way declares guilt or negligence on the part of the musher but be aware that PETA has requested a full inquiry into the death. Race officials will be investigating the incident, but preliminary findings show no evidence of negligence in care on Bob's part."

Lauren frowned, unaware that any of the dogs had died. She leaned in, Little Jon sitting back so she could whisper to Bo, "Is it normal for dogs to die during the race?"

Bo shrugged, "I don't know that I would call it normal. Dogs die. People die. It happens. This organization has wanted the race ended for years. I can't speak for all of the mushers, but I'm sure that with sponsors putting money on the line, there are those who feel pressured to perform and may do some questionable things. I have no evidence of that, but it is the main reason I only use Kyle, Mark and Big Jon as my sponsors. They know how to treat the dogs and don't expect me to do anything that isn't in the best interest of the dogs. They know how much they mean to me."

Lauren nodded. She's never considered that there might be anything shady going on behind the scenes at the race. She assumed that all mushers were dog lovers and caretakers. Now that she thought about it, Little Jon had mentioned that there are companies that are in the business of breeding, selling, raising and training sled dogs. It reminded her of the puppy mills back east that were continually being investigated for animal abuse. She hadn't seen anything she would label abuse at the race. Then again, she wasn't on the trail with the mushers and hadn't seen every animal at every checkpoint.

She turned her attention to the speaker who was finishing up other general race announcements. She looked at Bo who was twirling her butter knife on her thumb, clearly bored with this part of the event. Lauren couldn't blame her… if she was being honest, she was bored as well. Finally, the awards portion of the evening began,

"Our first award is the PenAir Spirit of Alaska Award!"

The crowd cheered as the presenter stepped to the podium, "As you know, this award is presented to the first musher to reach the checkpoint of McGrath…"

Lauren's eyes were set on Bo as she scanned the room, knowing that the award they were presenting must be a sore spot for the musher. She had a goal of winning at least five checkpoint awards, but this one was not going to be one of them… and Lauren knew why.

Bo was held up on the stretch from Rohn to Nikolai by Big Jim and his men, so she was delayed leaving Nikolai to get to McGrath. It was clear that the events leading to the checkpoint were on Bo's mind, but as the coffee was passed around the table, she smiled softly at Little Jon and poured herself another cup. She then turned to Lauren and mouthed the name Mitch.

"This year's winner is…"

Lauren smiled softly as Bo's prediction was confirmed. The brunette shrugged and said, "Win some, lose some."

Little Jon leaned over to Lauren as the next award was started, "I promise there's awards coming to her that will take away some of the sting of the ones that she loses. I promise."

Lauren nodded, turning her attention back to the presentation of the next award,

"The GCI Dorothy G. Page Halfway Award is presented to the first musher to reach the checkpoint of Iditarod. This year's winner is Mitch Hayward!"

Lauren smiled as Bo again gave a polite round of applause for her rival. The prize for this checkpoint award was $3000 in gold nuggets and a commemorative trophy. Bo had been hoping to bring in a good amount of cash to help with repairs around the town.

"… the Lakefront Anchorage First Musher to the Yukon Award! This year the award was supposed to be given at the Anvik checkpoint, but apparently, our musher was in a bit of a hurry!" The crowd laughed as the speaker turned to Bo, "So, Bo Dennis, the Lakefront Anchorage executive chef invites you to give him a call so he can cook you the 5-course gourmet meal you missed! They did send along the cash reward of $3500 one dollar bills served on a commemorative gold pan! Come on up here and get your reward, Bo!"

The crowd cheered, Bo doing the one thing that she'd told Lauren she dreaded about this event… go up in front of people… every time she won an award. She hated people… well, most people. She hated social situations and she hated attention the most. Still, everyone at Bo's table was cheering loudly for their leader. Bo smiled, giving a polite smile as she accepted the plate. She was clearly uncomfortable when the announcer put his arm over her shoulder for a picture and quickly hustled off the stage and down the stairs back to the table.

"The Bristol Bay Native Corporation Fish First Award is presented to the first musher to reach the checkpoint at Kaltag! Our winner, again, is our own Bo Dennis!"

Bo groaned as she again stood from the table and returned to the stage as the announcer continued,

"Bo receives a $2000 check and a certificate for 25 pounds of fresh-caught Bristol Bay salmon! It's ironic that Bo probably has a cache full of salmon already, right, Bo?"

Again, Bo smiled politely before returning to uncomfortable form for the photo before exiting the stage. No sooner was she back at the table, was she headed for the stage again to receive the Northtrim Bank Achieve More Award for being the first musher to reach the checkpoint at White Mountain. With another check in hand for $2500 and a one of a kind print by Anchorage artist Marianne Weiland, she returned to the table with a huff.

Lauren couldn't help but laugh as she leaned across Little Jon yet again and whispered, "Please tell me you are not complaining about winning money that you can use as planned."

"I just…"

"Hate the attention, I know, but fame is a small price to pay for what you're getting. How about that gratitude journal?" Lauren reminded.

Bo shrugged, "My pre-race journal and Iditarod journal were taking up all of my time. Sorry."

Bo cracked a smile when she looked at Lauren who returned the smile, "There it is. I love when those dimples show."

The Rookie of the Year award was given before Bo's rival Pete was announced as the recipient of the Nome Kennel Club Fastest Time from Safety to Nome award. Bo was happy for Pete. His quick leg with Mitch on his heels the entire time was quite an accomplishment.

"And now, the Anchorage Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram Official Truck Award is presented to the Iditarod Champion! Bo Dennis, come on up here and receive the keys to your new Dodge Ram 1500 4x4, valued at $40,000!"

Bo returned to the stage, the Morton men laughing as Mark said, "Think she'll sell this one too?"

Big Jon shrugged, "Why would this year be any different? Heaven forbid she should have a truck to get from job site to job site. You know our Bo, native to the core and sled dog traditionalist."

Little Jon defended, "She likes her old truck. Why not sell the extra if the money is what she wants?"

Kurt laughed, "As her mechanic, I'll tell you why – because I'm keeping that old Ford together with duct tape and wishful thinking, Little J… I mean LJ."

After the Most Improved Musher was awarded, the announcer continued, "The Donlin Gold Sportsmanship Award is chosen by the recipients fellow mushers. It is given to the musher who demonstrates good sportsmanship throughout the race. I have been asked to read the following from the mushers,

" _The recipient of this award may keep to herself on the trail, but she would not hesitate to lay down her life for any one of us if it came down to it. The problem is, she's usually in front of us. This year, but being in front of us, she prevented us from falling into one of the many traps set by a horrid man. She raced, despite the danger to herself, to draw fire away from all of us. It is the epitome of sportsmanship that Bo Dennis not only participated but won with grace and dignity despite the menace on the trail. We give this year's award to Bo Dennis, not only for her sportsmanship, but her courage in the face of danger and adversity as well."_

"Here here!" Someone yelled from the crowd as Bo approached the stage, shocked at being the recipient of the award.

"Bo receives a check for $3000 and a commemorative trophy."

Unwilling to speak for the other awards she received, Bo stepped to the microphone for this one, her eyes down and said,

"Thank you. I'm honored. This award will always have a special place in my heart."

She stepped away from the microphone as the room cheered for her once again, some standing, some moving to shake her hand. Lauren held her breath, knowing that the physical contact was very uncomfortable for Bo, but that the idea behind the gesture was likely appreciated. The speaker, however, called her back to the stage,

"Bo, if you'd please come on up here again. Let's speed this up and give your tired legs a rest." He watched as Bo returned to the stage and began,

"The Most Inspirational Musher Award is again chosen by the recipients fellow mushers. Their note says, simply, ditto."

Everyone laughed – even Bo – as she returned, accepting the cash for the return of her 2019 Iditarod entry fee. She stepped to the microphone and said,

"Ditto."

Lauren watched as Little Jon excused himself from the table during the presentation of The Northern Air Cargo Herbie Nayokpuk Memorial Award, Golden Clipboard Award for the most outstanding checkpoint, the Leonhard Seppala Humanitarian Award for dog care and the Red Lantern Award, the last presented to the final finisher of the race. Lauren listened intently as she learned about the story Red Lantern and the Widow's Lamp and the customs associated with each. Finally, the announcer was ready for the last presentation. As with all of the awards, a presenter came to the stage to give details about the award, its history and meaning,

"And, the final award, folks, is the City of Nome Lolly Medley Memorial Golden Harness Award…"

Bo turned to Lauren, "Where's Little Jon? This is his favorite award. It's not like him to miss it."

Lauren shrugged, not knowing why the seat between them was still vacant, but she did notice something else,

"You know, Minerva and Sid look absolutely appalled at the support you're receiving from your fellow mushers. They left a few minutes ago."

Bo laughed, "An award that makes losing the checkpoint awards worthwhile."

They both turned their attention back to the stage where they could see Little Jon approaching the stairway. Lauren's smile stretched across her face as she recognized the dogs he had in tow. She leaned over and placed her hands on Bo's forearm. The musher, placing a hand on Lauren's,

"…which is presented to the most outstanding lead dog. The winner is again, chosen by the mushers. In a unanimous decision, we have a tie…"

"Oh my…" was all Bo could say before the host continued,

"… this year's award is to be shared by this year's champions, Diana and Nike."

Bo's eyes went wide as she watched Little Jon stroll onto the stage with Nike and Diana in tow. Everyone at their table applauded their leader as a smile stretched across her face, her eyes welling with tears. Bo stood and walked to the stage, Lauren smiled, knowingly for the only award that had drawn an emotional response from Bo was the one given to her dogs. She wasn't surprised. Bo always credited her dogs with the win. She said they were the best part of her.

Joining Little Jon on stage with the dogs, Bo accepted the two golden harnesses, helping the presenter to put them on the pair of champions. Bo whispered to Little Jon who hesitated, but then stepped to the podium to speak on Bo's behalf,

"Hi. I'm… LJ Morton, Bo's handler. She's got her hands full over there with that energetic pair, so asked me to say a few words. This year, right before the race began, we learned that… well, my great great grandfather… had lined all of Bo's kennels with asbestos… intentionally. Thanks to Bo and these two young ladies, he's now sitting in prison awaiting trial for a whole lot of charges. As many of you probably noticed, Bo's top dog Harper did not race this year. That's because she's battling cancer from exposure to that asbestos. We're happy to report that she's on the mend, but just before the race, we learned that Jenna, Hestia, Nemesis and Iris, four other dogs from Bo's regular team all have similar tumors. Hestia and Iris had such large tumors that they were deemed unfit to race."

He looked over at Bo who was focused on the dogs, so he returned his attention to the audience,

"I guess what I want all of you to know is that… well, you had your reasons for picking these two… but the reason we're so emotional about you picking them is that… only members of Bo's team really know what these two accomplished and I think you need to know who you are really honoring here today."

Little Jon had to catch himself as he, too, was overcome with emotion. He pulled it together and continued,

"Throughout the early stages of the race, Bo and her dogs were being chased by a group of men – all now under arrest – who wished her and her team harm. We all know that Bo knows that trail like the back of her hand and, years ago, found a cave to take shelter durng the race."

"Hey! Don't give away my secrets!" Bo shouted, leading the room to laugh.

"I'll talk to you after the awards, Little Jon! You've gotta tell me where that cave is so I have a chance of beating this woman!" Shouted Pete.

"Little Jon, you tell that man anything and you're fired!"

Pete replied, "I'll hire ya, Little Jon!"

Bo smiled, as she shouted back, "Damn right you would! That boy raised two champions that ran with my team this year, Pete!"

Pete looked at Little Jon, "Good for you, young man!"

Little Jon waved everyone off, "Okay, so this is about the dogs, not me. Anyway, Bo was being chased and need to hide her team, so imagine trying to get your dogs to run head on into what appears to be a mountain, but is actually a cave with an entrance covered by pine boughs. She called out the turn and told me she could only pray they wouldn't stop and tangle the entire team leaving them all fair game for the chaser."

He smiled, looking at Diana and Nike, "They obeyed, running right into the blind opening. They didn't hesitate, they obeyed the commands and probably saved all of their lives. I guess the even bigger thing is that they were leading a team of dogs that were completely unfamiliar with each other including – as Bo mentioned - two dogs who belonged to me who had just topped three hundred miles for the first time just a week before the race. They led a team of rookies through some pretty bad weather as the Iditarod goes, while dealing with flying bullets and close calls."

He looked around the room, "And if it's not too much trouble, if you could keep Bo's dog Muk in your prayers and such. Big Jim stood over him, shot him and left him for dead. Somehow, that tough little boy managed to survive the trip in Bo's basket back to the next checkpoint and continues to fight like hell to survive. This whole team's got strength, courage and character. They're fighters and they were led by these two ladies. I think I can speak for them and the entire Dennis team – we are honored that you have chosen Nike and Diana to wear those gold harnesses. Thank you all."

Bo and Little Jon were congratulated by everyone as they walked back to the team's table, Diana and Nike happy to accept head rubs from the audience, walking with excitement in every step.

When the host concluded the ceremony, everyone stood to say their goodbyes. Their table was immediately surrounded by people wanting Bo's autograph – something that wasn't supposed to happen at this event. She told them to stop by Talkeetna, hammer a few nails and she's be happy to give them an autograph. Most had heard of the fires and were happy to offer their help. Some, as Lauren expected, wavered at the suggestion, offering money instead. Bo politely declined and showed surprising skill in exiting those conversations without offending people… too badly.

It took about forty minutes for the crowd to dissipate, but when it did, Kenzi whispered to Lauren that Hale was picking her up for a little alone time. Lauren nodded, both women knowing she should leave before Bo could hear the Deputy's name. The rest of the group had another issue to resolve,

Mark asked, "So, heading back home plans. Who is staying at the hospital with the dogs until they're discharged and who is taking these two award-winning healthy dogs home? We also have two of Kyle's company trucks to get back home if Kurt's flying the plane back. My truck has to go back too."

Bo turned to Mark, unsure of how to answer his question, "I don't want to take up more of Kyle's Kennel space then I have to. I could kennel them here until..."

Big Jon spoke up, "Actually, your dogs have brand new homes in a new barn waiting for them when they get back to Talkeetna.

"Wh-what?" Bo asked.

Big Jon replied, "Well, while you were all dealing with the fire victims, race prep and the Big Jim situation, I wasn't being as much of an asshole as you might have thought… and neither was Pops… I mean… your brother."

Bo shook her head, looking at her brother, "I take it this is the thing I'd hear about later? The stuff that was way back behind the scenes?"

Pops nodded, "Our friendly neighborhood 'entreprenuer' type…" He said in a sarcastic voice, "Flew in these…" he looked at Big Jon, "… A-mish?"

Big Jon shrugged while Lauren stepped in, "It's actually pronounced 'ah-mish'."

Pops nodded, "Right. Well, these Amish fellas that Evony flew in with a mess of lumber cleared the land where the old clinic and kennel were. Cleared that land in a day… like a well-oiled machine they are. Anyway, then, they raised a barn in another day. It's got this fancy red tin roof that they say will prevent the snow and ice from building up on it."

He looked at Lauren, "Built a clinic same size as the kennel barn, but they didn't do any of the electric or anything. We've got Bo's guys on that and Kurt hooked us up with the same people that did Kyle's security system. Once the electric's in, they'll put that in too."

"But… even with the fifty-thousand-dollar purse from the race and the money from the sale of the truck, I can't afford…"

Lauren laughed, looking at Pops, "Tosh, I take it all of this is being paid for by Evony?"

"No! Absolutely not!" Bo exclaimed, "I am not going to owe her!"

Lauren looked at Bo, "I assure you, Bo. You won't owe her anything and if she says you do, you can just remind her that you know that she paid for all of it with her insurance policy. Evony never builds without having more insurance than she needs. She knows that if a building burns or is flooded years later, that it will always cost more to build because the cost of technology is always going up."

"So, she's not actually paying for anything?" Bo asked.

"Absolutely not." Lauren replied.

"You're sure."

"One hundred percent." The doctor smiled, "I promise."

Bo looked at Pops, "Tosh? You know anything about the insurance?"

"I know that Evony isn't writing the checks this time. Some other company's doing that." He lowered his eyes, "And we're not letting you sell another truck, Bo. You're gonna keep this one and take something nice for yourself after all you've been through. Your family is insisting…"

Bo went to protest, but Tosh held up a hand, "Your family would be offended if you did different. Knowing we're blood hasn't changed the way we all feel about you… well, I guess it's just added to it… we want you safe and that old clunker isn't safe anymore, Bo. You know Kurt will vouch for that."

She sighed, giving a slight nod of her head before turning to Lauren, "So who's footing the bill for all of this?"

Lauren explained, "Evony's insurance company. Once we get back and I see one of the checks, I'll be able to compare it to the policy."

"You mean the policy that burned in the fire?" Bo asked.

Lauren shook her head, "No, I mean the policy that is locked in the fireproof safe that Evony had installed in my hotel room. All of her pertinent contracts, policies, deeds and warranties are in that safe. She has electronic backups for everything on her own servers as well."

Bo nodded, acknowledging that she was in favor of that idea, "So all that's left for me to do is build their houses?"

Big Jon shook his head, taking off his cap and pushing the hair back off of his face before replacing it,

"Nope, they built these miniature versions of the barn inside – one for each of your dogs with room to spare for new pups. Pops had them do hand carved name plates for each house, too."

LJ smiled, "And there's this exercise run that goes around the whole top part of the barn with a railing so they can't fall off. Oh, right – there's steps for them to get up there and come back down. They called it an elevated track – something they have at their fancy high school back in the town they come from called Lancaster, Pennsylvania."

Lauren smiled, "I did a school tour to the Amish Village there when I was a child. They're amazing people that live a very dedicated and unique life."

Big Jon nodded, "There's a veterinary clinic up top with a lift to take dogs up there if they can't walk. That was Little Jon's idea."

Big Jon patted LJ on the back, the younger Morton explaining, "I figure when the Vet comes out to give shots and checkups, they can now have a proper area to work instead of having to walk through straw with land mines of dog dung."

Bo laughed, "You mean so you don't have to pick up the dog dung before the Vet comes every time. I take it you're planning on expanding my kennel?"

Little Jon shuffled his feet a big, "Well, I mean… since I'm your official handler now and… well, two of my dogs are champions… that maybe we could…"

"Of course, Little Jon." Bo smiled, "My student becomes the teacher."

Little Jon grinned, "I know the whole LJ thing is going to take some getting used to..."

Bo smiled, "You'll always be Little Jon or Jon to me, but I'll work on it… LJ." She clapped her hands together, looking around at the group before turning back to her young friend,

"So, Mr. Handler, if you'd like, you can take Diana and Nike back, then start moving all of the dogs into their new homes if you think they're ready for it. If not, you can leave them at Kyle's Kennels until I get home. It may be a day or two."

"I can keep them all with me if you don't trust them to be with anyone else. I mean, I think they'll be fine, but if you think…"

Bo shook her head, "It's your call as the handler. You know what you're doing. I trust you."

LJ smiled, "Thanks. Do you think the dogs will be okay in a new place? I mean… is there anything I should know or that I have to do? I mean… I just… remember that I'm new at this handler thing, Bo."

Bo shrugged, "Like I said, I trust you. That means I trust your instincts. You'll make mistakes, but they've got their own instincts too. Listen to your gut but listen to the dogs above all else."

He nodded, "Right. Listen to the dogs."

"Other than that, they're pretty adaptable if they're with a human they trust. After all you did for them, they should be good. The ones you haven't worked with should be okay with you once they see the others accept you. Of course, all of them may be a bit off because of the new home. In addition, whether they were here or not, they're all off of their regular schedule due to the race or me being away and not training them regularly. You also have to remember that the last time they were inside a kennel, it burned down around them. They may not be too happy about being inside."

LJ shook his head, "You know, you're not making me feel all that confident about my ability to handle this without you."

Bo laughed, "It'll be a good experience for you. One day, you'll be on your own with this."

LJ smiled, "Not any time soon, I hope. So, you think I can handle it, then."

Bo smiled, "It doesn't matter what I think now, does it? It only matters what you think because the dogs will respond to that." Bo looked at his Uncle and Dad, "One other reality you need to be aware of is that you now have champions in your care. That means that they are very valuable."

LJ looked at his Uncle Mark, "We already talked about all of that. Uncle Mark told me that people will try to put their best dog into the kennel, hoping that they can knock up one of our girls and then demand payment or a pup from the litter."

"That's correct. That's why I was concerned about who was with the dogs at Kyle's." Bo replied.

"Uncle Mark also told me that they may try to get one of their top females mounted by one of our males so they can keep the champion line to themselves, giving us nothing."

Bo nodded in reply again, waiting for the next concern.

LJ finally added, "Worst case, they literally try to steal our dogs."

Bo nodded, "And a flight would be the perfect time to do that. They can hire a pilot who agrees to bring them the entire plane load of dogs – the worst of that being that they may decide to get rid of you to silence any witnesses." Bo explained, "Which is why one of us flies the plane… our plane, checked by our mechanic."

"Whoa. I hadn't thought of that." LJ said, surprised.

"Yea, well nobody likes to think about the horrible things that people may be doing when no one is watching." Bo said with a sigh, "Your great grandfather wasn't the only bad guy in the world, LJ."

Little Jon replied, "Right. Well, hopefully we've all learned our lesson about those types."

They all nodded in agreement, everyone thinking back on their relationship with Big Jim before Bo cleared their thoughts with a return to the subject at hand,

"So, what's the plan for security until the alarm system is finished?"

"Well, Kurt was heading out to check on Kyle's plane while you were in there talking to all of your adoring fans." Mark replied.

Bo smirked, "Ha. Ha. Okay, so Diana and Nike on the plane and who is riding with Kurt?"

Every Morton hand went up, including Molly's. Bo nodded, "Okay then, Lauren, Kenzi and I will stay here to wait for the others to be released."

LJ nodded, "Kurt will come back for you."

He hesitated before he added, "Aunt Molly has her two best girls with her."

Molly patted her hips, "Dorothy and Auntie Em will serve as air marshals for the return flight. Mark, Big Jon and Pops can caravan Kyle's trucks. We'll leave your new truck for you and Lauren so you can get around here while you're waiting for the dogs to be discharged. Then someone can come back to drive home our truck."

Bo shook her head, "My truck isn't safe for transporting dogs. There's no crates or belts. They'll still be fragile when they're released."

"I have to agree with Bo." Lauren replied.

"Okay then, we'll leave your truck for now and fly you all back if we have to. Once we unload the dogs from the plane, we'll fly back out to check on the trucks – make sure they're all good going across the access roads. They're still pretty shitty this time of year."

Pops nodded, lifting his hat to scratch his head, "Was like riding a rollercoaster on the way out here. Damn permafrost is definitely not meant to hold a highway."

Little Jon smiled and turned to Bo, adding, "You'll have Tamsin and Dyson as law enforcement with you on the return flight to keep the dogs… and you… safe."

Bo slouched, offering her sarcastic reply, "Right. We couldn't let anything happen to the star witness in the feds case. I'll feel so much better having Tamsin around to protect me… and Mr. Hero. Can't wait."

LJ gave her a tight smile, "Okay then, we'll get these two out of here. Do you want to come and see them off?"

Bo shook her head, kneeling down to give each of her lead dogs some love before they parted ways,

"No. I'm going to make sure our kids in the hospital are all okay. I want to make sure they know I'm with them all. I'm going to see if they'll let them all be in the same area together."

She stood, looking around at the group, "Thanks again, everyone. I can't tell you what it means to me that you've all stood by me through this."

Pops threw an arm over Bo's shoulder, then the other over Mark's. Mark threw one arm over Molly's shoulder who threw her arm over Michael's shoulder. It continued until they were all standing in a circle,

"One team, one family… blood or not." Pops said with a smile, looking at the group gathered together.

Bo smiled, "One team, one family… blood or not."

They all smiled, repeating in unison, "One team, one family… blood or not."

Everyone set out across the gymnasium, headed for the exits and on to do their part to get everyone home safe and sound. Bo turned to Lauren, "Where's Kenzi?"

Lauren looked at LJ who smiled and waved goodbye, leaving her to give Bo the news, "Uh… she had a date… with Hale."

"Traitor. Hope she's getting back to Talkeetna with him." Bo said, getting the dogs up, "Hike."

The pair set off ahead of Bo, pulling hard on the lead, "Easy, girls. There's not a sled back here."

"Bo…"

The brunette shook her head, "I don't want to talk about it, Lauren. Kenzi's on her own. Let's just go see to the dogs."

"Okay." Lauren said, shaking her head as Bo walked towards the gym exit.

"I can't wait until they discharge them." Bo commented.

Lauren ran to catch up to her, "It shouldn't be too long."

"I'll give them twenty-four more hours." Bo said, bluntly.

"Bo, that's not reasonable." Lauren argued, shaking her head.

"Sure, it is. Their incisions are closed, they're awake, they can lay on a plane to get home."

Lauren shook her head, "Bo, altitude caused air pressure changes that must be considered. Their hydration levels, vital signs, vulnerability to infection due to blood loss during surgery are just a few of the concerns. They didn't have a minor cut, Bo. Flying has effects on the body that most people don't think about until they have symptoms in the air. Dogs are the same."

"Fine. I just want to go home as soon as possible." She pushed across the parking lot to where the truck was parked, pulling up her hood as the cold night air rushed towards them.

The sting of the cold made Lauren's eyes water. She stopped, watching Bo walk the distance to the other side of the parking lot where they had parked. She refused to run to keep up with a woman who was suddenly angry for no apparent reason. More importantly, she wasn't about to let Bo snap at her yet again. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, giving them a chance to adjust to the sudden drop in temperature. She looked up at the sky. It was crystal clear, the stars the brilliant backdrop that reminded her of the long nights spent at the Iditarod waiting for Bo to arrive – not knowing if she ever would.

"Lauren?" Bo yelled across the lot, but the blonde ignored her.

She closed her eyes, "Nadia." Opening her eyes, she spoke to the heavens, "That's why I hate it so much when she uses that tone. She sounds just like my ex-wife. That snarky demanding voice that reminds me of what it's like for someone to treat me like an inconvenience… an annoyance."

"Lauren! What are you doing? I want to get to the hospital." Bo yelled louder, her insistent tone grating on the blonde's last nerve.

"There it is again." Lauren laughed, moving her head until her eyes came to rest on the brunette, "Why are you so angry all of a sudden?"

"I want to go."

"You're frustrated… furious even. Why?"

"Because I want to see my dogs and instead, you're standing here in the parking lot. It's freezing cold and I want to go, but I'm waiting for you because you want to talk about the anger that you're causing by holding us up!"

"I'm causing your anger?" Lauren laughed, "Your anger has been a constant in my life since we met! Why don't you replay our conversation from the time your family left until now. You were plenty calm and cooperative with them."

"They weren't holding me up!" Bo snapped.

Lauren shook her head, "Bo you are always and I do mean consistently patient, kind and calm with them. I'm the only one you seem to feel you have a right to be angry with and I've told you that I'm not going to take it anymore. So just replay that conversation one more time. Maybe you'll catch on about why I'm the one who's angry for a change." Lauren started to walk towards the truck, "But then again… probably not."

"Lauren, what are you talking about?" Bo asked, walking after the blonde.

Lauren stopped and turned to face the brunette, "You know, you laughed tonight. You laughed in a way that I've never seen… in a way that Molly has never seen and she's known you for a very long time."

"What?"

"You laughed. You were happy. You have family now. You have what you've probably always wanted… needed. You just didn't know it before. Now you do."

Bo thought about it for a moment, a smile slowly stretching across her face, "It's nice."

Lauren nodded, "I think that's what you liked about me… why you opened yourself up to me. I was an outsider like you. We fit because you had nobody else except Kenzi… and she had Hale. She's had Hale for a long time and since she had Hale, there were times when you were alone. I think that's part of why you have a problem with Hale."

Bo shook her head, but Lauren turned and continued walking toward the truck,

"Don't you see? I was what you needed to make you feel a part of something. It was you and me against the world… a world you weren't a part of… at least not until now. You're not alone anymore. You have all you need… finally."

"Lauren, what are you talking about?"

The blonde smiled, shoving her hands into her pockets, "I'm the outsider now."

She slid into the passenger seat of the truck, leaving Bo outside, confused. The brunette moved to the driver's side, sliding in and starting the engine. She turned the heat on high,

"It will warm up soon. It's only a short ride to the animal hospital from here." She put the car in gear, "Lauren, what was that all about?"

Lauren smiled, "Just giving you something to think about."

"But I don't understand."

The blonde shrugged, "It's okay. Let's just focus on the dogs right now."

Lauren knew that at some point, Bo would take apart the details of the night. It's something Bo did when she was on training runs. Riding across the open tundra did something for her mind… allowed her to replay moments, conversations or memories. She always came back to Lauren with some revelation from the trail.

Hopefully, this night would be one she would deconstruct before Lauren headed back East. No matter how much she loved Bo, she would not subject herself to another relationship like she'd had with Nadia. No matter what.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **Three Weeks Later - Talkeetna – New Barn, Kennels and Clinic**_

When the team had returned to Talkeetna, they'd done so without Bo and Lauren present, but Evony was there with her team of doctors and had brought in Bo's own workers to do the inside of the new barn veterinary and training facility, kennels and Lauren's clinic. She'd then sent Bo's workers to get started on the new hospital at the other end of town.

Everything had come together including a welcome wagon from the community for their victor, Bo Dennis and team. The pair were then taken on a tour of Lauren's new clinic and Bo's barn and kennels.

The first week had been hectic, Bo doing interviews with the press about the race and giving statements to the Feds about Big Jim. There was enough evidence to put him away without Bo's testimony in court, so it was unlikely she would have to testify. Plenty of people in the community were now willing to come forward and provide testimony on Bo's behalf, including most of the men he'd hired to do her harm. With him behind bars, people felt safe again.

Of course, his damage, it was discovered, extended well beyond Bo's small world. He had been charged with extorting businesses, money laundering and a host of other offenses. Federal charges from other states had also been added to his sentence meaning that Big Jim Morton would never see the light of day again, except from a prison yard in an undisclosed Federal Penitentiary.

He was gone and Bo felt a massive weight had been lifted from her shoulders. Still, in his statement to the feds, Big Jim had testified that her mother had run off in the middle of the night. He admitted he had beaten her badly and she had attempted to leave with Bo. He caught her in the barn, attempting to put Bo into the basket of the sled and flee. He ripped Bo from her arms and struck the lead dog with a whip, causing it to take off. He called to the dogs to mush until she was out of sight.

He swore that was the last time he had seen her. Bo didn't believe it, so she asked if she could talk to him. She wanted more details. She was sure he was leaving something out. It would be his last victory if he could make sure that Bo never knew what had happened to her mother.

So, with Tosh by her side, the two siblings entered the interrogation room, each taking a seat in the chairs on one side of the table…

 _ **FLASHBACK…**_

 _Bo was less than excited to see Tamsin enter the interrogation room. She took a deep breath,_

" _I'm sure I'm the last person you want to see, but I'm the lead agent on the case, so it's my job to be here for any conversations with the accused. He has waived the right to have his attorney present for this interview."_

" _Whatever." Bo replied._

" _Good. Some rules then… no touching, no standing. If he touches you, stands or raises his voice, the guards will intervene as needed."_

 _She waved to the door and two guards entered the room, each standing at the wall on either side of the empty chair across from the siblings._

" _If the guards need to intervene, that is the one time you should stand immediately and move to the rear wall where I will stand between you and the accused."_

 _Bo laughed, "You'll protect us, huh?"_

" _Bo." Tosh warned, twisting his mouth at his sister._

" _Fine." Bo replied, "Can we just get on with this?"_

 _Tamsin nodded, "Remember, no questions or discussion about what happened at the race. You are here to discuss your Mother and his knowledge of her disappearance as well as anything that happened prior to or after that time up until you made contact with him in Point Siku. Do you both understand these rules as I have presented them to you?"_

" _Yes." The pair replied in unison._

 _Tamsin turned towards the guard, "Bring in the accused."_

 _Bo looked at Tosh who smiled, "It's okay. I'm right here with you. Let's see what we can learn about your Mother."_

" _Thanks, Tosh."_

" _You bet, Bo."_

 _They looked up to see Big Jim enter the room in a bright orange jumpsuit. Bo didn't think he could look any older, but that's exactly how he looked… like he'd aged ten years in a matter of weeks._

 _He sat, eyes down, his handcuffs being unlocked and then locked to a metal pole attached to the table. Bo wanted so badly to hold in the joke in her head, but she just couldn't. Not wanting to break any of Tamsin's rules, she leaned over to Tosh,_

" _Who'd have known that silver is totally his color."_

 _Tosh grinned, whispering back, "You have really got to stop spending so much time with Kenzi."_

 _They looked back at the man, seeing that his eyes were still down,_

" _I want to know what really happened to my Mom." Bo said, loudly and clearly, getting right to the point._

" _I already told them what I know." He replied, not looking up at Bo._

 _Bo shook her head, "Then tell me again."_

 _He was silent, causing Bo to look up at Tamsin who walked to Big Jim, "Inmate, I remind you that this is a court ordered interview. You will answer all of the questions asked by Ms. Dennis and Mr. Morton or be found in contempt."_

 _He looked up, making eye contact with the pair. Bo couldn't stop the gasp that came from her mouth. His face was… battered, three of his teeth broken and one of his earlobes was torn off._

" _Wow. You look more and more like my Mother… after one of your temper tantrums. How's it feel?"_

 _He lowered his eyes again, but Bo wasn't in the mood to wait,_

" _Start from the beginning. What happened to my Mom?"_

 _He looked up at Tamsin, who crossed her arms over her chest and tapped her foot a few times. He sighed, turning back to Bo,_

" _You were asleep. I came home, probably drunk. We fought. She left."_

" _Wait… tell me about the fight." Bo interrupted._

" _She accused me of cheating on her." He looked at Tosh, then back down at the table, "I denied it."_

 _Bo laughed, "Right, because you weren't cheating on my Mom, you were cheating on Tosh's Mom with my Mom."_

 _He nodded his head._

" _So when you fought, you mean you laid your hands on her."_

 _He nodded again._

" _You beat her."_

 _He nodded again, "I'm sorry."_

" _Oh, is that what you are?"_

" _Bo." Tamsin warned, "Get to the point."_

" _She took plenty of hits from you. You told the Feds that she ran with me, intending to leave home. After all of the punches she took, why leave on that night?"_

" _She was in bad shape."_

" _So it wasn't just one punch."_

 _He shook his head, "She was unconscious when I left her lying on the kitchen floor to go to bed."_

" _How did you know she was leaving if you went to bed?"_

" _the dogs were barking out in the barn. It took me a bit to get dressed, but when I got out there, she had a fully packed sled and was helping you crawl into the basket."_

" _Then what?" Bo asked._

" _I asked her where she thought she was going."_

 _Silence._

" _Geez, do you think you could just tell the story without me having to ask?"_

" _She told me she was done being beaten. That she was leaving. She tried to pull out of the barn, but I stood in front of the dogs, holding the lead. We argued. I moved closer and took you out of the basket. She pulled out her rifle, but I was holding you in front of me… my hand around your neck."_

" _What?" Tamsin asked, stepping towards the table and opening his file. She pulled a pen from her back pocket and started to write._

" _I threatened to snap your neck if she didn't leave. She said she wasn't leaving without you. I told her that she wasn't going to be leaving then. She held the gun on me, and told me she'd blow my head off if I didn't give you to her. I held you in front of my body and told her again that I would snap your neck before she'd get a shot off and if she fired, she'd hit you. I told her to leave or I'd kill you."_

 _Bo shook her head, looking at Tosh, "I've lost track now. How many times has he tried to kill me?"_

 _Tosh shrugged, "Well, I'm not sure. Those times he beat you in the jail cell in Anchorage… was he trying to kill you or just beating you like he did your Mom?"_

 _Tamsin intervened, "While this sibling chit chat is cute, please remember why we're all here."_

 _Bo looked up at Tamsin, "Just trying to be sure we have all of the facts from this man who is under your protection, so that we can pursue trying to find the innocent that is still possibly out there, isolated from her family."_

 _It was not lost on Tamsin, the level of disdain in Bo's voice, but she had a job to do and bosses that were making sure she was doing it… by the book. She was warned about not making an emotional mistake that would give this man an out to escape staying in federal custody for the rest of his living days. She took a deep breath and smiled at Bo, giving her a nod to continue._

" _So my Mom left?"_

" _Not at first. She resisted for about fifteen minutes. You were screaming and crying, she was screaming and crying, so I held you by the throat with one hand, grabbed my whip with the other and hit the lead dogs. They took off running. Your Mom dropped her gun, I reached out to grab her and pull her off the sled, but you wiggled out of my hold, so I grabbed you and she got away."_

 _Bo smiled, "Good for her."_

" _That's the last I saw her."_

" _And that's what I find so hard to believe."_

" _Well, that's the truth."_

" _Right. Then why did you have Jacob following me all of those years?"_

" _I thought you would lead him to your Mother."_

" _If I found her, I suppose that would have been the case, but I never did. So you honestly expect me to believe that the woman you cheated on your wife with, that you obsessed over keeping as a possession, that you beat whenever you came home… you expect me to believe that you just let her go and never tried to track her down? You? Big Jim? The King of vengeance?"_

 _He was silent and that told Bo all she needed to know._

" _You're lying. You know something."_

 _He looked up at Tamsin, "Why don't you ask her?"_

" _Tamsin?" Bo asked._

" _She's the only Fed in the room. They know where she is."_

 _Tamsin scowled, "What do you mean we know where she is?"_

" _It was 2011 when my oldest son caught up with a Federal Agent named Justin Guinn. He and two of my men questioned Jimmy outside of Flanigan's Pub in Portland, Oregon. They were… let's say… very convincing about why Jimmy should tell them where your Mother was. He swore he didn't know."_

 _Tamsin turned away from the group, staring out the window as she heard the familiar agents name. She'd worked with him when she'd first started at the bureau. He'd retired riding a desk because of injuries sustained in the line of duty. He was a great agent and a good man. What a shame._

 _She turned her attention back to the conversation, hanging on Big Jim's every word,_

" _So, the trail went dry until I was taken into custody in Utah. Her sister had come to see me, trying to find your Mom."_

 _Bo's eyes went wide, "My Aunt?  
_

 _He nodded, "Heard she died of cancer a few years back."_

" _Asbestos roof, by any chance?" Bo asked, her arms crossed over her chest as she steeled her eyes on the man._

 _He lowered his eyes, "Can't say what the cause was, only that they say she never stopped searching for her sister."_

" _They say? Who says?" Bo asked._

 _Big Jim shrugged, "People. I don't know. Your brothers did the talking and evidence gathering."_

 _Bo shook her head, "Real live special agents my brothers turned out to be. Where are their journals?"_

" _What?" Big Jim asked, his eyes moving quickly to Tamsin and back to Bo._

 _The brunette smirked, looking at Tosh who said, "Dad, one thing we all had in common besides blood was your incessant demand that we keep journals. That they'd serve us well one day. Where are her brothers' journals?"_

 _He looked at Tamsin again who shrugged, "Court order, buddy."_

" _At their house in Nome. There's a loose floorboard in each of their bedrooms. There's journals and their cash in there."_

 _Bo laughed, "Can't trust a bank."_

" _Your brothers learned from what you went through back home."_

" _What do you know about that?"_

 _Big Jim shook his head, "When you lift the floor board in Murphy's room, you'll see."_

" _So you still think the Feds know something about where Mom is?"_

" _Murphy said all roads led to the Feds. I wasn't willing to send my sons to Quantico to join the FBI just so they could find your Mom."_

 _Bo looked at Tosh who shrugged, "I guess we're done here."_

 _They remained seated while Tamsin gave the guards a nod, pointing to the siblings to move to the back wall. Once there, the guards released Big Jim and then secured his handcuffs to his ankle chain. As they led him to the door, he turned back,_

" _I wish thing could have been different."_

 _Bo shook her head, "Translation, you wish you would have killed me when I was in the barn that night so that you wouldn't have gotten caught. We have nothing else to say to you. I have no Father. I never had a Father."_

 _He nodded, leaving the room._

 _Tosh wrapped an arm over Bo's shoulder, "He's gone, Bo. We never have to see him again."_

" _Good, because I don't think I ever want to do that again. Although it was nice to see him quiet and humble."_

 _Tosh shrugged, "Personally, I thought it was kind of creepy."_

 _Tamsin stood on the other side of the desk, "Word has it he's been having a rough go in prison. It seems some of the people in there are men his boys crossed. He's paying their penance as well as his own."_

 _Bo nodded, "So, he's not in a country club prison."_

" _Hell no. He'll be in a regular old cell. Maybe if he makes it twenty years, he could be given a little more privacy, but I doubt he'll last that long."_

" _So, is he right? Do the Feds know where my Mom is?"_

 _Tamsin shrugged, "I'll have to look into that, but Justin was a higher-ranking agent. If he didn't know, I doubt I'll gain access. I promise I will try."_

 _Bo nodded, "Thanks."_

 _They left the room. They were both ready to head back to town and Bo was ready for everything to get back to normal… whatever that was._

 _ **\- End Flashback -**_

So, Bo now knew more than she did before, but she also had a ton of work to do after being away for so long. Evony's visitors from the Amish community back east were working on the homes that had been destroyed in the fire to free up Bo's crew to work on the hospital.

Bo was busy getting the barn all set up and working with LJ to keep the dogs on their rehabilitation schedule. The good news was that Harper was up and moving again. The two were inseparable, mainly because Bo wasn't willing to let her out of her sight. She hadn't actually moved more than about a hundred yards from the barn and kennel since she'd gotten home. She'd heard too many stories about valuable animals being stolen. She'd always worried about Harper, but she was too old for puppies. Now, she had to worry about all of the young dogs who were desirable for breeding.

She hadn't seen much of Lauren lately. They were both busy in their separate buildings getting things organized. Lauren's clinic was filled with patients most hours of the day seeking treatment for the virus she'd come to Alaska to research. She was frustrated that the disease was still a mystery to her and things were getting worse. Much worse.

Bo had asked her out to dinner and Lauren had agreed to go when she had some free time. Somehow, Bo couldn't help but feel that something had shifted between them. All of their conversations had been about work or ongoing construction. They had some idle chatter about the plumbing and electrical renovations that Kenzi had finally agreed to do as well as some talk about her newfound family, but nothing personal.

Bo had brought her lunch at the clinic on several occasions. They'd gone out on a few sled runs with some of her dogs, but there were no romantic moments, no talk about feelings, no physical contact other than good bye pecks – most of the time Lauren offering a cheek. The doctor had flown to Oregon and Seattle to meet with the team of researchers about the disease and had spent some time visiting Kyle before coming back. She was gone for about five days in all. When she got back, she didn't seem all that happy to see the brunette. Bo knew that the doctor was upset with her, but she couldn't place why.

Pushing all of those thoughts aside, she decided it was time to get the dogs back on schedule. She was going back to running short distances with teams of six. She needed to move some supplies out to her homestead site and since it was only a couple of miles into the woods, a smaller team was fine.

She had confided in Tosh about the home she had been building and he had promised to keep it quiet as long as she kept the new truck and sold her old one as he'd mentioned the night of the banquet. She argued, but when Kurt explained why it made sense to keep the new one and sell the old, she couldn't argue. He found a buyer for the old one and the deal was done.

"Here are your girls, Bo!" LJ called out.

"Great! I want to get as many runs in as I can before the weather warms up and we have no snow."

He nodded, "I'm going to run the boys. We'll go in opposite directions, right?"

Bo nodded, "Absolutely. You take horny and the boys so the girls can have some peace."

Bo and LJ hitched their teams and loaded emergency kits onto the sleds, Bo adding a few extra supplies for the house - cabinet fixtures, nails, wiring and electrical boxes. Her home was almost ready. She'd made a lot of progress since they'd come home since everything else had been taken from her plate. Now, only the power system and small finishing touches remained.

"See you back here in a few hours, Bo! Don't forget to take Elsa in to Lauren before you go! You'll really be in the doghouse if you forget!" LJ yelled, "Hike! Hike!"

Bo smiled, waving him off as he pulled away. It was nice to see him coming into his own. His confidence was up and he was working hard to build a partnership with Bo. The barn was massive and they'd discussed a lot of ways to use the space, some that could make money. In the end, the pair had agreed it would be nice to open up an additional Kyles Sleds and Things store, but they had to wait for Kyle to do that. While Bo was gone, some small miracles had happened. Kyle's condition had improved to the point where they were able to remove the breathing tube. Needless to say, Lauren was ecstatic at the news.

Bo looked over her shoulder, the clinic window now much bigger, but still facing the barn door opening so that Lauren could see Bo come and go on the sled. Bo waited, staring up at the glass, hoping for a glimpse of the blonde. She missed the days when Lauren would wave to her from the window before she left. Now, it seemed that the doctor didn't worry about Bo's whereabouts. Was that because she didn't care or because after seeing the Iditarod, she was confident in Bo's ability to return home?

The truth was, Bo didn't know. Lauren hadn't taken her team out for a run since they returned. LJ had been running her dogs. He'd even started to work them in with Shadow and Elektra's group. It seemed that Lauren was pulling away from her and Bo didn't know if she should give her the space she seemed to want or try to close the gap. She had no real experience with relationships and therefore, no idea of what the right thing was for her to do to fix whatever the problem was.

With one last look, she sighed. She pulled the ice hook and grabbed the sled handle… but turned back again. Her chest ached seeing no one waving. Taking a deep breath, she pulled out of the barn parking lot, crossed the road and headed down the trail to her future home.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

Inside the clinic, Lauren was working on the latest specimen's she had gathered from her patients. Last week, she had talked to three different epidemiologists at three different public health research facilities in Seattle and Portland. While they hadn't come up with anything conclusive, she'd learned two things. First, what the disease was not and second, that whatever it was, it was mutating faster than any flu she had ever seen.

Now, she had a call in to the CDC in hopes that they could help her to narrow down the strains using their databases. She'd sent two samples in vacuum sealed containers by plane, so she was hoping to hear something by the end of today's work day, east coast time.

She'd considered hopping a flight back east so she could talk to these people personally, but Evony would not allow it. Not until she had something conclusive to take with her. If there was one thing Lauren knew, Evony did not invest in the hypothetical. If her treatment was hypothetical, she wouldn't pay for manufacturing of the vaccine or the flights that would get her to the companies that could do it.

She heard the electronic bell sound signaling that someone had entered the clinic. Truth be told, she had grown kind of fond of the old-fashioned grocery store bell that was strung above the old clinic door. It was a quaint sound that reminded her she was in small-town Alaska. Now, the clinic had all of the bells and whistles she'd had in Boston, without the patient load of home. In some ways, the silence had become deafening, but in other ways, she enjoyed the quality relationships she was able to develop with her patients.

She laughed at the thought that she was actually developing a bedside manner. It wasn't all journal entries, surgical technique demonstrations and consultations with the famous cardiothoracic surgeon, Dr. Lauren Lewis. Here, the pace was slower and she was just plain Doc. It's funny that the term she'd loathed when she'd first arrived, she'd come to love. As much as it could, it made her feel a part of this community… an important part.

Still, she missed Bo. She missed the connection they had. She'd never had that with Nadia and she felt sure it was a once in a lifetime thing, but she had promised herself and the musher a long time ago that she would never try to change her to suit her needs. Bo had to decide the kind of person and partner she wanted to be. She could only hope that Bo would recognize that Lauren was unhappy with continually being on the receiving end of her anger, frustration and a multitude of other negative emotions. She would need to find a healthier way to channel those or say goodbye to Lauren for good.

Lauren pulled off her glove, turned off her microscope and returned the lid to the petri dish. She then recapped all of her solutions and moved to the sink to wash her hands. She froze when she heard the voice,

"So, this is what has become of the great Dr. Lauren Lewis."

She told herself this was bound to happen sooner or later… but of course, much, much later or never would have been a really great option as well. She rinsed her hands up to her elbows and then ripped a paper towel from the dispenser. She dried her hands, pressed down on the foot pedal of the trash can and discarded the refuse before turning around, a tight smile on her face as she shoved her hands into her lab coat pockets,

"This is my personal office and lab. It would be appropriate for you to wait in out front. What can I do for you, Nadia? I'm sure you didn't just come for the five-cent tour of my new clinic."

She chuckled, looking around the clinic, "You can't be serious, Lauren. _This_ is where you're working? You're the most brilliant surgeon in cardiothoracic medicine of our generation. This is so… beneath you."

Nadia leaned on the window sill, but then pulled her hand away rubbed her fingers, her face expressing all of the disgust she felt about being here.

Lauren laughed, "Really, Nadia? This clinic is brand new – as in just built from the ground up three weeks ago. Everything in here is state of the art. Why are you here, Nadia? Evony told me that you were not on the emergency team list she assigned to come after the fire. She's pretty pissed you showed up after she'd expressly told you that you were not to come."

She walked across the clinic where Lauren stood. When she reached her, she leaned across the counter and placed her hand on her ex-wife's,

"I came to be sure you were okay. It's my right as your wife. I was worried." She hung her head, "Look, this isn't easy for me to say, but… I was wrong. I acted rashly. The truth is… I miss you."

She leaned in, closing the distance between their lips. Lauren remained perfectly still until Nadia had just about reached her and side-stepped the attempted kiss,

"And you can't be serious, Nadia. What really happened that has you running all the way here to try to retrieve me."

Lauren heard the electronic doorbell ring again. The last thing she needed was to start an argument that people could use as gossip, so she tried to keep her temper under control.

"Aw, come on. It's not like that, baby." Nadia said, trying to temp her with a smile and a seductive look in her eyes as she approached her again.

The blonde stepped back, "I'm not your baby. I never was your baby. The only person's baby I have ever been was my mother's and that ended when I became a toddler at about fourteen months of age."

Lauren looked down, seeing the tan line on her ex-wife's ring finger, "Got dumped, huh?"

"What?" Nadia asked.

Lauren chuckled, "Your hearing is perfect and I'm standing five feet away. What happened."

"She wasn't you." Nadia replied, her eyes set on Lauren's as she reached for her yet again.

Lauren pulled away, "No, she wasn't. And I thank all of the Goddesses in heaven who helped me to see the light."

"Now that's not nice." Nadia said with a scowl.

Lauren shrugged, "I don't feel I need to be nice to you."

"You left me alone to handle cleaning out the house, to run the cardiothoracic ward, to handle all of our investments… everything. You owe me, Lauren."

Now there was anger in the brunette's eyes. It was all too familiar to Lauren. This is what she did when she wanted to get her way. This was the Nadia that she would cave in for, just to avoid the argument. Fortunately, she wasn't the same Lauren anymore.

"No, Nadia. You did all of that to yourself. You asked for the divorce. You were the one who tanked our relationship. You always needed me to do what you wanted me to do. You tried to mold me into your perfect servant. Well, I've had a lot of time to think since moving here and I've learned a great deal about the person I am and want to be. Trust me, she isn't your cup of tea."

"We had a good life, you and me." Nadia insisted, walking towards Lauren again.

"No, Nadia. You had a good life. I was merely existing… going through a daily routine that provided me no support from my partner and no challenges in my work life. I was merely the famous doctor who brought you the fancy parties and high life that you always wanted… not to mention a spotlight on your own work once we were married."

"I earned my own way in the surgical world. Just last month I went to a conference to teach…"

"My bypass technique?"

Nadia lowered her eyes, "Evony sent me…"

"She told me. She needed someone to fill the conference spot because I was working at the Iditarod."

Nadia laughed, "Now you're a doggie doctor? Really, Lauren. This isn't you. What are you doing here?"

"Living the life I choose, Nadia. And I never thought I'd find myself agreeing with Evony, but this position has allowed me to put some much-needed space between us. I'm focused on finding the future I truly want in my life."

"So that's it?" Nadia asked.

"Yes." Lauren replied, emphatically, but Nadia was not ready to take no for an answer,

"No, I won't let it be! We're a couple! That means we make decisions together."

Lauren laughed, "Oh, is that right? Then where was my part of the decision when you filed for divorce? Or, how about before that? Where was my share of the decision in the house we bought, the job we took, the dinner parties we attended, the vacations we took… hell, I didn't even get to pick my own clothing style!"

"Baby, we both know your taste in clothing came from your downtown roots. I was just helping you to dress for your station as a top surgeon."

Lauren heard the cling of dog tags and froze. She prayed it was LJ and not Bo.

"Nadia, you really need to leave."

" _Go on, girl. Go see Lauren. Good girl."_

Shit. It was Bo dropping off Elsa.

"Not until you say you'll give us a chance." Nadia insisted, reaching out to Lauren and gripping her upper arm.

The blonde looked down at the hand, "That is not happening, and you should really leave now."

Nadia pulled her closer, squeezing her arm more tightly, "Lauren. You're mine."

"Nadia, I said no."

It happened so fast that Lauren couldn't speak. In a flash, Bo's knife was at Nadia's throat,

"Whichever hand you don't want to lose, remove from the doctor."

Lauren was concerned that Nadia's eyes did not hold as much fear as they should, but then again, she knew nothing about Bo and even less about Bo's connection to her,

"Nadia, I'd do as she says if I were you. This is not a hospital in Boston. This is Alaska. The rules are different here. You are threatening the town doctor. We're too remote for a 9-1-1 call here. She'll handle this her way."

The visitor released the doctor's arm, allowing Lauren to step away and face Bo, "Please. Release her. She was just leaving."

"It seems to me she was refusing to do just that. Seems someone isn't good at rejection. Do you want to do the introductions?"

Lauren swallowed hard, "Bo, this is Nadia… my ex-wife. Nadia, this is Bo."

"Just Bo? Isn't that kind of a dude's name?" Nadia asked, tempting fate.

Whispering in Nadia's ear, Bo replied, "Just Bo." She looked at Lauren, "Apparently, I don't rank a title."

Lauren shook her head, "Bo, please at least lower the knife?"

Bo reluctantly released Nadia who turned and stepped towards her, "Who do you think you are?"

"Oh, honey, please don't even think about coming at me. Trust me when I say you aren't ready for it. Not by a long shot. You may bark like a grizzly, but I don't need my shot gun to take you down."

Nadia laughed, "You think I've never seen a gun? You don't scare me."

She caught Lauren looking at Bo and laughed, "You're fucking this?"

The blonde shook her head, "This has a name. It's Bo. Do not walk in here disrespecting the good people of this town, Nadia."

Nadia stepped towards Lauren, pointing a finger at Bo, "Really? You're choosing her over me?"

Elsa stepped up between her master and the stranger, her teeth bared as she snarled at the Nadia. Bo smirked, crossing her arms over her chest, waiting to see how Lauren responded.

"There is no choice, Nadia. You and I are long done. Like you said, it's been over long before you gave me the papers to sign."

Nadia took a step closer, but this time, Elsa barked lowering her head and readying herself to lunge,

"Elsa, Come Gee!" Lauren said, watching as the dog obediently turned and came back to her, "Good girl. Good girl."

Lauren could hear the low growl that was still coming from her lead dog. Both Kyle and Bo had warned her that the bond she'd developed with her lead dog would likely turn into a very protective one that she would have to watch when anyone appeared to threaten her. Even a child running into her arms could be misconstrued by a dog as an attack. She put a hand in front of Elsa's snout,

"Stay." She commanded before turning back to Nadia, "You need to leave."

"You have a dog?" Nadia asked.

Lauren shrugged, "Like I said, Nadia. I've changed. You wouldn't want the woman I've become."

She laughed, "Oh, but you think she does? She's obviously just attaching herself for your money, Lauren." Nadia scanned Bo, "She sure as hell needs a fashion rescue."

The blonde had about enough, but still, she laughed at the thought of Bo needing her money, "Wow are you way off. Bo doesn't need anyone or anything, let alone money. You know nothing about her, so I'd recommend you stick to picking on me. But if that's why you came, you've said enough and it's time for you to leave."

Bo stepped up, "Now, do you need a ride somewhere or can you find your way?"

Nadia turned to Lauren, "This isn't over."

"Oh, yes, it is."

All three women turned to see Evony entering the clinic from the cold room, pulling off the hood of her bear fur coat. It had been a gift from Bo and Lauren for helping Tosh and Big Jon with the work crews on the clinic and kennel.

"Dr. Anastas, I believe you have a flight to catch back in Anchorage. The train is pulling into town in twenty minutes." Evony strolled up to Nadia, standing eye to eye, "Be on it or you're fired for harassing one of my doctors."

Nadia laughed, "You can't be serious, Evony. She's my ex-wife."

"Yes, the key word there being 'ex', Dr. Anastas. I'll ask you one more time after which, I will give this woman permission to strap you to the dog sled she has outside and drive you to Anchorage in the blizzard that has once again graced this village."

Nadia laughed, "I'm from Minnesota, Evony. A little snow never scared me."

Lauren just shook her head as Bo turned to Evony,

"Permission to strap her to my sled?"

Evony turned to Bo, "Oh please, take her out of my misery. If she dies, I'll finally have a legal way out of this one."

"Contract?" Bo asked.

"Two more years."

"You have to start putting loopholes in your contracts so that you can get rid of people you don't want to deal with anymore." Bo quipped, flipping her knife over and over in her hand.

"New knife?" Evony asked.

Bo nodded, "Yea. I lost the one I left in Big Jim's chest to the FBI evidence locker. I had to get a new axe, too."

"Couldn't get the blood off from killing your brother?" Evony asked.

Bo shook her head, "Gotta give credit where credit's due. Hale made that kill. My axe landed after the bullet went through him."

"True. I guess he's good for something." Evony nodded, sharing a smirk with Bo as their eyes held a wicked gleam. They turned to Nadia as she suddenly stepped out of the space between them,

"Uh… I'll just be heading out to catch that… train." Nadia said, taking a few steps backwards until she ran into a triage table. She headed towards the exit, Lauren calling out to her,

"Nadia! You have to put on your gloves, sunglasses and hood! You'll…" Lauren cringed as the door slammed, "… get frostbite."

She turned to the two brunettes who looked very pleased with themselves, "You two are horrible."

Bo shrugged, "I was just answering the bosses' questions." She nodded to Lauren's arm, "You alright? That's awfully red."

Lauren waved her off, "It's fine."

"Really. You should put some ice on that."

"I'm fine, Bo. Really." Lauren reassured her.

Elsa sat proudly by Lauren's side, staring up at her, tail wagging rapidly as Bo smiled, "Your little girl is here."

Lauren turned and immediately smile, kneeling down to welcome her dog into her arms. She checked her incision and then lifted her onto the table to change the bandages that covered her burns.

"Good girl. You were vicious! Absolutely vicious! Good girl!" She set to work carefully pulling the bandages free while small squeals came from Elsa, "I'm sorry girl. We've got to see to these so that they don't get infected. If they do, you'll be wearing these bandages much longer than either of us would like."

Evony pulled on her gloves once again, "Well, since I have no desire to see those nasty burns, I'll catch up with the two of you later. Ta!"

She waved, pulling up the hood of her coat and walked quickly towards the cold room door. The room fell quiet again with Bo standing silently by, watching as Lauren tended to Elsa's burns. While the young dog seemed to be running around playfully, eating well and generally behaving as her old self, the burns still looked very bad in Bo's eyes. Still, she had to admit, she'd never seen burns from a fire before – not on people or dogs.

"They don't look better." Bo commented, "Not that I know anything about burns."

Lauren turned on the magnifying lamp and slid it over the burn that took up much of Elsa's thigh, "You know plenty about burns. Frostbite is a burn. Sunburn is a burn."

Bo shrugged, "I've never seen… well… in the clinic, after the fire… it was scary seeing people who looked like their limb had been thrown on a grill for too long."

Lauren nodded, "Burns are scary… especially the first time you see them. They can heal if they're tended to properly, but you're right, some of the victims of the fire will never fully heal."

"Like Kyle?" Bo asked.

Lauren nodded, "I'm telling you, Bo, it's a miracle she's alive."

"So her whole side…"

Bo stopped, seeing the doctor already shaking her head, "She'll be scarred for life. They'll do a series of skin grafts, but she'll never be as she was."

Bo nodded, "It's a good thing she was never one to be vain."

"Unfortunately, vanity has nothing to do with the way a burn victim feels when they first see themselves. People like Kyle tend to struggle to live with their appearance. Strangers stare and worse yet, the people who know and love them tend to try to make them feel better by telling them they look fine."

Lauren sighed, dropping her instrument, "Elsa, I need you to be still, baby girl. I don't want to hurt you." She looked up at Bo, "Can you hold her for me?"

Bo nodded, "Of course."

She moved to the table and placed a hand on Elsa's midsection.

"You know, I never thought I'd find myself working on canine patients so frequently."

Bo smiled, "Maybe you should go back to school for Veterinary medicine."

"I'd actually consider it if I wasn't so busy trying to cure this damn plague."

"It's a plague now?" Bo asked.

Lauren shrugged, "By every definition of the word. It's febrile, bubonic, pneumonic and I've just had my first case that proves it's septicemic. The only thing it isn't is bacterial… at least, I don't think it is. My colleagues in Seattle and Portland agree that it's viral. It's approaching epidemic proportions in the village and is now spreading to the towns surrounding Point Siku. We've got twenty-five cases in Anchorage and as of this morning, twelve cases here."

"Sounds serious." Bo replied, now truly concerned. She took a chance and asked, "So… would all of that have anything to do with why you haven't seemed very interested in anything beyond friendship with me lately?"

Lauren stopped what she was doing, her eyes remaining set on the wound before her. She continued to work again, as she spoke,

"I just… I'm very busy with this. People's lives are on the line here, Bo. I can't really deal with our stuff until I've dealt with this stuff."

"We have stuff?" Bo asked.

Lauren pulled off her gloves, disposing of them in the trashcan next to the table. She turned off the magnifying light and pushed it away before taking a bottle of saline and squirting it across the wound to rinse away any debris. Bo controlled Elsa when she flinched, whispering reassuring words that quickly calmed her. Lauren pulled out a pouch and tore off the top, pulling out an alcohol swab,

"She's got a bit of infection starting in there. I've removed the abscess, but I want to be sure it's clean and sterile before I cover it so I can be sure I'm ahead of any spreading. Hold her tightly, please. This will burn a bit."

Lauren held the stick carefully, using tweezers to squeeze the fluid from the sponge onto the wound. Elsa whined a bit but Bo held her still, leaning down to whisper in her ear,

"Good girl. You're such a brave girl." She scratched her head between her ears, giving her comfort until the pain subsided, then watched as Lauren applied antibiotic ointment and a clean sterile dressing.

"You don't remember our discussion after the banquet then?" Lauren asked.

Bo shrugged, "I was tired, worried about the dogs and… in a mood, I guess."

Lauren nodded, "And once again, I was the recipient of that mood."

"Lauren, I'm sorry if…"

"No apologies, Bo." She stopped what she was doing and looked up at the brunette, "You promised me that when we got back, you were going to take steps to work on the things that you agreed you needed to change. I need you to take those steps, Bo."

"I will, Lauren. I just… with getting the barn and kennel going, finishing my house, exercising the dogs, getting back into my trapping before the thaw and dealing with the feds, I just haven't had time…"

"To do as you promised me?" Lauren asked, cutting her off, "I'm not a priority. I get it. But I've already lived that life. As I told you in the parking lot that night, your life is changing. You have family and a support group now. You may find that they're all you need… that I was just filling a temporary gap..."

"Lauren, I love you." Bo said, "Please stop pushing me away."

"Oh, Bo please. You've been pushing me away for a month." She removed her lab coat and shoes by the cold room door and began pulling on her mukluks.

"Where are you going?" Bo asked.

"I've got a patient to see over in Chase." Lauren replied.

"You're not taking your sled up there, are you?" Bo asked, worried.

Lauren dropped her arms and looked up at Bo, "Of course not, Bo. Kurt is flying me up."

"I would have flown you." Bo replied.

"LJ told me you were taking the dogs out. I'd actually expected you an hour ago."

Bo nodded, "I forgot to drop off Elsa. I was halfway there when I remembered, so I turned around and came back to bring her to you."

Lauren sighed, "Well, that was very nice of you. Thank you for coming all that way."

Bo lowered her eyes, "It was my fault I forgot. I have to start making a to do list. I'm not used to having all of these responsibilities. It used to just be work and survive. Now… well… all I want to do is be with the dogs, finish my house and be with you, but there's all of this other stuff and… well… I don't know. I just need to figure out how to handle this new life… around all of these people. I need… I need…"

She shook her head, lowering her eyes before turning to walk to Lauren's desk. Quietly, she picked up the phone while Lauren watched, curious as to what had just happened to make Bo decide to make a phone call in the middle of their discussion. Lauren crossed her arms over her chest and shook her head until she heard Bo speak,

"Yes, is this Dr. Faith Gray's office?"

Lauren watched in disbelief as Bo made the call she had promised to make as soon as the race was over. It was three weeks late, but it was being done, nonetheless. Of course, there were two items of concern. First, that Bo was doing this because she still wanted the help… for herself, not to appease Lauren so they could have a relationship. Second, that Bo would actually follow through and go to a series of appointments.

She watched as Bo hung up the phone, "She has an opening tomorrow at noon."

"Did you take the appointment?"

Bo nodded, "Can you watch Harper while I'm there? Kenzi said I have to get all of the dogs out of the hotel tomorrow. They're going to start ripping out insulation, so it won't be safe for anyone to breathe the air without a mask."

Lauren sighed, "What is she doing with the guests?"

"A little-known fact, Kenzi owns a train hotel at the south end of town."

"A train hotel?" Lauren asked.

Bo smiled, "A long time ago, she bought a large plot of land that was attached to the land the hotel sits on. She wanted to be able to add an outdoor patio for summer, expand the restaurant, add additional rooms or additional parking if she wanted to. Then, the railroad was laying new track and needed a place to put the old until it was finished. They made a deal with Kenzi, paying her to allow them to store the track there."

She laughed, thinking of how business savvy her best friend was on this deal, "They'd already had old train cars left on the land from when they redirected the tracks back in the day, so Kenzi changed the deal to get them to lay the old track on her property and put both sets of train cars on the old tracks. She then hired me to convert the train cars into hotel rooms. There's a parallel set of tracks that have a hand car that takes guests from their car to the main hotel for check out and meals at the restaurant."

"What a great idea." Lauren smiled.

Bo nodded, "Evony's not the only business woman around these parts." Bo smiled, "Anyway, she's moving the guests into the train cars since they're usually empty through the winter months until tourist season starts. My guys finished them while we were gone because she had already decided she was going to start the renovations. Plus, she thought if you still needed hospital rooms, you could use the cars."

Lauren nodded, "That was very nice of her to think of the medical needs of the people in town."

"Lauren, she was thinking of your needs and how to make your job easier."

The blonde nodded, "Well, I really must be going. I don't want to hold Kurt up."

Bo nodded, lifting Elsa off the table. She shook her coat out and began wagging her tail as Lauren pulled on her parka.

"Are you taking her with you?" Bo asked.

Lauren smiled, "I thought she'd enjoy the trip, but then I found out we're going to have to travel by snow machine. Molly is going to take her for a while and then put her in the kennel if LJ doesn't get back early enough to take her for a walk or a ride in the basket of his sled."

Bo smiled, "I'm sure she'll enjoy any time she gets to spend with her favorite human, even if it's just a walk over to Molly's."

Lauren smiled, "I miss her, so a little walk will be great. I really need to go. Kurt's worried about some line of storms."

Bo nodded, "Rightfully so. I could be pretty bumpy, but he's a great pilot." She hesitated, but then decided it needed to be asked, "Um, Lauren… I hate to ask again, but you never really confirmed that you could watch Harper tomorrow."

"Oh, sorry. Of course. Can you drop her off here?"

Bo nodded, "I can just leave her over in the kennel if you'd rather just check on her now and then."

Lauren shook her head, "She hasn't been in the new kennel yet and since you won't be there, I'd think that might be a bit rough on her mentally. She's just getting back to normal after being shifted from space to space and you've been away for quite a while. I'd like her to be around someone familiar, so if Mark or Little Jon can't take care of her, it should be me."

"I don't want to inconvenience you if you're busy with patients. I can ask Mark or Little Jon."

Lauren shook her head, "Mark is busy restocking his new store and Little Jon is dealing with exercising forty dogs now that you've combined your kennels. I'm at least in one place. She'll be fine with me, Bo."

The brunette nodded, "Okay. I'll pick her up before I go back to my house or wherever for the night."

"Well, I'll see you at some point then. I'll probably be gone until tonight."

Bo nodded, "Safe travels."

"Well, that will be up to my mechanic and pilot, Kurt." Lauren laughed, giving Bo a peck on the cheek, "Thanks for making that appointment, but I just want to say two things. Please make sure you're seeing Dr. Gray because you've decided you really want to and be sure you're going for yourself. You have to want to focus on you, Bo. You can't do this for me. If you're doing this for me, it won't work."

Bo scowled, "We won't work?"

Lauren shook her head, "The treatment won't work to become the person you want to be, Bo. You'll just be trying to be the person you think I want you to be. I want you to be you, Bo. The you that Big Jim and your past has prevented you from becoming all of your life. I'm want to meet that Bo."

Lowering her eyes, the brunette replied, "Because this Bo isn't good enough? Because you can't love this Bo."

Lauren threw her backpack over her shoulder and pulled up the hood on her parka before pulling on her gloves,

"I'm not even going to dignify that remark with a response. You know I don't feel that way about you. What I know from my own experiences and yes, as a doctor, is that you have to want to be better for yourself, Bo. You have to love yourself before you can give yourself to anyone else. If you don't, it's likely you'll never be happy in any relationship. Others don't make us happy, Bo. We have to be happy with ourselves first. It's something I've just come to realize about myself as well… even more so after the… visitor… to the clinic earlier."

Bo nodded, "You did shut her down."

Lauren shrugged as she raised her collar and pulled the zipper up to her neck, pulling her goggles up from her neck,

"You could hear our conversation?"

Bo sighed, "I tried not to, but it was kind of hard not to hear. You two were…"

"Loud. I know. That's how it always was until I would cave in and give her what she wanted so she would stop yelling or crying or threatening to leave."

Bo shook her head, "Like I do."

Lauren hung her head, knowing that Bo was starting to recognize her own behaviors, "Bo, we're a work in progress. We both have work to do. I'm dealing with a plague, I'm still fresh off of a divorce and I still have some things I have to settle back east at the year's end. You have a new business and a lot of work to do on a new hospital, not to mention that you're still trying to figure out what happened to your mother and finish your house. We've got stuff, but that doesn't mean we don't love each other."

"I do love you." Bo said.

Lauren smiled, "And I love you, Bo, but relationships take more than love. We're out of sync."

"Because we're not spending any time together, Lauren. We're always on opposite schedules."

"And that's okay, Bo. For now, that's just how it's got to be. We'll get things straightened out. It's just going to take some time. A little break isn't a break up, Bo."

Bo frowned, "It sure feels like one."

Lauren walked across the clinic floor, wrapping her arms around the brunette, "I'm not happy with you right now, Bo. I told you the other night, I feel like an outsider in your world."

She pulled back, "Figure out this new world of yours, then we'll see if I still fit."

"You'll always fit, Lauren."

The blonde smiled, leaning in and giving Bo a soft kiss before pulling back, "We'll see, Bo. Just… for now… you do you and I'll do me and when we have time to be together, we'll do some us time. Okay?"

"You promise there will be some us time?" Bo asked.

Lauren smiled, "I'm sure we'll figure it out."

Bo lowered her eyes, "Will you have dinner with me when you get back? I would love to cook for you… the way my Mom taught me. I think you'll love it."

"You did promise me a real live salmon bake on an outdoor grill." Lauren hinted.

Bo laughed, "You do know it's still winter here, right?"

Lauren shrugged, "I'm sure you'll find a way to keep us warm."

Bo shook her head, "Now see? You say we need a break, but then you go talking about me keeping you warm."

Lauren smirked, "You said we weren't spending enough time together. It's called a compromise. I don't not want to see you, Bo. I'm not intentionally pulling away from you. I'm just not happy with the way you treat me when we're in public and when you're angry. That's what the counseling is for."

Bo nodded, "You said earlier that you talked to Kenzi. What did you mean by that?"

Lauren shrugged, "She told me about the lesbian night life in Anchorage."

"Oh yea? What did my very straight best friend tell you?" Bo asked, curious.

"Your very straight friend owns a hotel, so makes it her business to know everything there is to know about the area so she can properly advise her guests."

Bo nodded, "Okay, so what advice did she give you?"

Lauren smiled, "That you're overprotective because of the way you've been treated, but that you were treated the way you were because of Big Jim and his close proximity to the religious conservatives. She said most people across the state just want to be left alone, so don't usually care about gay, straight or otherwise in these parts as long as you don't flaunt it in their faces."

"Okay, so that much is all probably true." Bo nodded.

"She also told me about that small minority of conservatives who have brought forth Proposition 1, and that Fair Anchorage is a group that believes if the law passes, it would bring discrimination back to the town and target the transgendered population."

"All true." Bo replied.

"She told me that this small group will try to make your life shit, but even they would leave us alone because of the you do you and leave me out of it philosophy. As long as you're not in their bubble or causing trouble, they probably don't care."

Bo nodded, pretty much agreeing with Kenzi's assessment of the general vibe in these parts.

"She said there's a really public LGBTQ scene and a low-key scene. She tends to think that it's the teeny boppers who are always shitting rainbows or proclaiming their support of gay rights that draw the wrong kind of attention... her words, not mine."

"That's Kenzi." Bo chuckled, "Continue."

"She said those kids tend to be out late at night in the bars whereas the before-nine crowd tends to be the older, low-key group."

"So, is she saying that we're old, so we have to get home and go to bed?"

Lauren pulled back her hood and lowered her zipper, "No, she said the older more established people tend to hang out with their circle of friends and work seriously on things like Fair Anchorage. They also attend events around town and participate in the community. They're out, but they're not covered in rainbows and glitter."

Bo looked at Lauren, "Were you ever covered in rainbows and glitter?"

The blonde smiled, "I used to love unicorns when I was a kid."

Bo smiled, "I've always preferred black."

"Then she told me about four bars in town and that you used to go to one?"

Bo nodded, "I was young and bored. It was entertaining. Depending on the bar, there's something for everyone. I'm not the fetish type. I'm just me. I was drinking a good bit back then, so it was a way to blow off steam."

Lauren chuckled, "I wish I could go back in time and meet young Bo, the bar queen."

Laughing, the brunette replied, "I was far from the queen."

The doctor reached out, grabbing Bo's pants by the waistband, pulling her towards her, "The mysterious Bo Dennis… a hint of danger in her eyes… oh, I'm sure you were a wanted woman."

Bo smirked, "I didn't say I wasn't wanted. I just said I wasn't anyone's queen."

"We'll see about that." Lauren said, leaning in and biting down on Bo's bottom lip, giving it a tug before releasing it and her pants, "I've got to go. See you for dinner."

Bo swallowed hard, frozen for a moment before she realized Lauren was heading or the door, "Call Kenzi if you're going to get held up or snowed in up there so I know to hold off on dinner."

"I will."

Bo watched as Lauren closed up her outerwear and opened the door to leave, but she turned back, remembering Bo was still in the clinic,

"Lock up for me?"

Bo nodded, "Will do."

"Come, Elsa! We're going to go see Molly!"

Elsa ran to do the door, tail wagging. Bo laughed as she watched the pair leave. She stood in the clinic, her eyes wandering around the new, larger space. She looked up at the staircase that led to Lauren's new 2nd floor apartment. It really did hold all of the comforts of home for the doctor. Bo thought for a long moment, making a dinner plan. Finally, she turned out the lights and headed out. She still needed to get to her house and finish up a few things before she could create the perfect dinner night out.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

Bo pulled up in front of her house and smiled at the fully finished structure. It was much larger than the original footprint, but it was worth the extra effort. With the exception of installing the windows, ceiling support beams and appliances, every inch of this place was done with her own two hands. She was proud of her work… of what she had built here. Her eyes welled with tears,

"I'm home." She smiled, "I wish Harper was here to see this."

She made a mental checklist as she surveyed the property. With the exception of the solar panels to provide power and the cache that still needed to be dug for food, the place really was finished. At least, it wasn't what most people would consider livable or even what Bo wanted to call livable, but it was still better than the shelter she had on the ice up in Barrow, the small hut she had in Point Siku and the apartment that Kenzi allowed her to keep in exchange for being an on-call plumber, electrician and all-around repair person. This place was hers and that made it better than any of the others. The parts she'd carried with her today would finish off most of the minor things inside.

Proper electrical outlets, the cable for the satellite and the wiring for the lightning rod over the barn would all be installed this week. Then the solar panels would be mounted once the snow was gone. For now, the wood stove inside could heat the house without the solar panels, and she could survive off of what she could fish or trap in addition to dry goods. She had managed to dig a shallow cache for storing some food and meat, covering it with an old truck mounted camper so the bears didn't get at anything she put in there. For Bo, all of this was an upgrade from how she'd been living. Sure, at the hotel she had everything – except privacy. Walking into the hotel was always uncomfortable and now it had been even worse. Everyone knew the scandal of Big Jim and his family… and Bo was the bastard child. Yup, she would hold her breath and keep her head high during the day while working as part of society, but at night, this would be where she could relax and be her authentic self… she could take off her armor and be as vulnerable as she wanted to be.

She supposed that everyone lived like that – at least in part. She remembered her Mom teaching her to watch people when she was young. How they would be relaxed and comfortable talking to one person and transition to a straighter, tight smile when another person approached them. Whether at the market, in school, at the library, at village gatherings or meetings of the elders, Bo became a student of body language and reading people. It was a skill she carried with her ever since. She knew Kenzi's bark was worse than her bite from the moment she'd met. She knew that Big Jim was a bad man from the time she'd heard his name whispered in the village when she arrived… of course, she'd known the man who was her father as a child was bad from first-hand experience.

She sat down on a nearby stump, finally giving permission for the tears to fall. She cried loss of a real father in her life as a child, she cried for all that her Mom suffered to protect her, she cried for her brother and his sons and grandsons, she cried that she'd never had the courage to stand up to him earlier. Maybe if she had, her brother would have felt empowered to do the same and his kin never would have had to experience his abusive ways. She cried because if she'd allowed the memories in sooner, she could have found the truth of her Mother long ago.

At some point, the tears became about her relationship with Lauren. She was consumed by fear of what was to come… that she would never be enough… be good enough. What if she couldn't overcome this anger that raged inside of her, impatiently waiting to rear its evil head at a moment's notice? She hoped this Dr. Faith Gray was really good at her job. Right now, she wished she was in her office. She felt lost even though she had a fuller life than she'd ever had before. She felt… broken… that Lauren was the glue that was holding her together.

She chuckled, "I guess you were right, Doctor Lewis. It's not your job to hold me together. I have to do that for myself. You're not my mother. You're my partner… at least I hope you are. It's my job to love you… to allow you to be who you want to be, to do the things you want to do… without condition. You're not perfect… I think I thought you were, but you're not and I have to accept your imperfections just like you have to accept mine. The problem is that some of my imperfections are downright ugly. No one should have to live with that… you wouldn't be in your right mind to want to."

She looked out to beauty that was the land surrounding her new homestead, taking a deep breath, "Now's not the time for self-pity and self-loathing, Bo. Get your shit together." She chuckled, "Mom would say, Ysabeau, spending time feeling sorry for yourself is not going to solve your problems. Your dogs don't sit around pouting over things they did wrong. You beg forgiveness and promise to do better. Now get up and get better."

Looking up at the snowswept mountains, she smiled. Despite the fact that they always reminded her of just how small and insignificant she was in the grand scheme of things; they always gave her strength. She'd waited for years for a piece of land to come available on this river beneath this mountain and now, here she was. Since the roof had gone up, she'd spent a lot of time sitting up there just staring at her mountain. It helped her to process things. Besides, they were breathtaking this time of year. The snow and rain would soon move out which means the fog would lift and they would be fully visible… except for Denali, of course. She had her own weather system, so she would continue to play hide-and-seek,

"Remember to count your blessings, Ysabeau. Look at all you have. You're healthy, you've got a roof over your head, you've got dogs who are happy and they love you to the moon and back just as you love them. You finally have this little piece of heaven." She smiled, "You actually own all of this and no one can take it from you. Look around. Everything you need to survive is right here."

Her eyes teared up again, "I miss you, Mom. I miss you so badly. I wish I could talk to you right now. I could really use your advice." She sighed, "But, I'm going to go see this doctor who – hopefully – can help me to fix what's wrong inside. I think… I think I have to let go of you, Mom. I think… by holding on to my past that I'm holding on to the anger."

She sat down on the bench of the sled, the dogs following her lead and laying down as well,

"You know, I always thought my anger was because of all that Big Jim had put me through, but I think the anger has always been there… since I was a little girl. I think I was angry at you for not standing up to him. I think I was angry at you for letting him treat you the way he did."

She let out a light chuckle, "And now, I'm pretty sure I was mad at you for letting him take my brothers away from me. I think I'm really, really… really mad at you, Mom. But I think the good in Lauren reminds me of the good in you. I haven't had a smart, kind, strong woman who cared for me in my life since you left… or died. I think maybe I'm taking my anger out on her because in some twisted way I see you in Lauren. But I think that my anger also comes from my frustration over not knowing the truth. Where are you?"

She heaved a great sigh, standing up and grabbing the rail, causing the dogs to bark and stir, "Whoa, girls."

She smiled, 'I guess that's why I'm seeing Dr. Gray, right kids? She'll be able to figure out where all of this anger is coming from and how to put a cork in it… maybe even get rid of it."

A collective bark made Bo laugh, "You guys really are more human than canine, aren't you. That's why you make everything better." She looked up at the homestead, "This is it, kids. This is going to be your home away from home when you're not at the kennel. I hope you like it. It's going to be a bit cramped compared to the kennel… which I'm sure you'll grow to love once you get used to it. Your uncles spoiled you rotten. Your dog houses are almost as big as this one. Don't think I'm going to let you turn into couch potatoes. We're going to work harder than ever to pay back all of the hard work that they put in for you, right Ladies?"

Again, the dogs started to bark causing Bo to shake her head. She really did wonder how much they understood of what she said.

"Wow, look at this." She said, looking at her home, thinking of the months she'd spent building the structure.

She hadn't had time to fish or trap for her own food, so she'd taken one day earlier in the year to stock the small outdoor ground fridge. For water at this time of year, she would melt a few barrels of snow each day so she would have water for drinking, cooking and showering through summer. When Bo had purchased the property that once belonged to an old miner named Buddy Bowers, she was going to use the existing barn as her home. She thought it would be an easy renovation, but when she considered the size and how hard it would be to heat in the winter, she changed her tact and made it storage for her growing construction company. Amidst the backhoes, plows and other machinery sat twenty old barrels, fifteen currently filled with drinking water, the rest empty… for now.

Just after purchasing the property, she had acquired fifty old whiskey barrels from a guy cleaning out an old mining warehouse. They'd been sitting there from back in the big gold rush days. She made some repairs and modifications to repurpose them for water. Some were for melting snow and were attached to a small heating system and the rest had filtration systems and taps attached for drinking water. They were lined with galvanized steel and were near the heated barrels to prevent the water from freezing and fracturing the barrels. She had the creek to use for bathing and general cleaning. It was ice cold, but Bo had been doing river baths all of her life. It was no different now.

Of course, there were emergencies where frostbite and hypothermia were involved, so Bo did dedicate one barrel to catching rainwater for warm water bathing. It was attached to the downspout of the house and had a hose that ran through a pipe behind the fireplace. The pipe ended in the top of another barrel next to the hearth that looked like it would be for holding firewood, but actually, it would fill with warm water whenever it rained. There was an overflow valve that dumped any excess water into the drainage pipe beneath the house. She had told Tosh about her brilliant idea for accessing hot water which she was grateful for, since he cautioned her about leaved clogging the lines and causing a pipe to burst inside the house – or worse – inside the fireplace. Three days ago, she'd made sure all of the lines were clear with a snake and then added screens to the spout and before the house. If anything got clogged, it was the rainspout and barrel that would suffer and that would be visible to Bo.

Sometime during the summer, her guys would bring in the backhoe and dig the cache for food. Right now, the permafrost was way too hard for digging a hole that deep. Next year, she'd hunt and trap all year round, stocking up the cache to have food to last through the winter. She wouldn't have to work so hard year-round in blizzard conditions. Tosh was already worried about where he would get his stock of fur for his customers, but Bo assured him that she would trap whenever he needed her to do so. Otherwise, she and the dogs could just cozy up by the fire and watch old movies on TV… something she'd never done before. Maybe Lauren would even be there. A girl could dream.

She hadn't planned on a garage, but had then realized that in the winter, the dogs she'd used to get here would need a place to stay. She'd given in and added an attached three-car garage off the kitchen. She would use one bay for her new truck and the other two as a kennel for the dogs she used to get home. There was a large loft overhead for storing her sledding gear and extra sleds. She'd installed a pulley system for moving items up and down since none of them would fit through a fold-down staircase.

She moved the team around to the garage entrance, stopping to open the door before driving them straight into their temporary home. She closed the garage door and disconnected her sled and the leads, allowing the six dogs to run free in the hay-filled space. Bo had built waist-height partitions around the perimeter of the space to allow for each dog to have their own crate.

It was well known that dogs needed their personal space, especially sled dogs. Like regular siblings, when they spent too much time together, a disagreement would ultimately break out. The problem with dogs was that they settled their disagreements with teeth and teeth led to Veterinary bills and shortened careers. For that reason, Bo had put swinging fences at the front of each crate so she could keep them somewhat confined at night. They didn't lock, allowing each dog to get out – the fire had taught her that - but another dog couldn't get in without invitation.

They could also all easily jump their partition, exit the building through the doggie door on the side and go to the back of the fenced in yard. For good measure, Susitna River was beyond the fence. She knew they would jump the barricade and head to the safety of the water if a fire got too close.

When she was sitting at the police station last week waiting for Tamsin to interview her, she'd been watching QVC. They had this gallon jug that mounted on a bowl and continually filled a water dish for a cat. Bo decided to make one of her own using a water barrel. She walked over to her invention and pulled the cork on top of the barrel releasing the air at the top. She smiled as the water flowed,

"Yea, girls! Look at that! It works! Come and get it!"

She watched as they all circled the trough, some drinking immediately, others just coming for curiosity. With the dogs busy with their new toy, she moved to each crate and put down a bowl of food, calling each dog by name to their respective crates.

"Okay, kids! Need anything else?" she stood, hands on hips as their heads remained down in their food bowls. It would take a few more days for them to stop feeling like they were starving because of the massive calorie burn they'd endured during the race.

She smiled when Aphrodite came to her with her bowl between her teeth. She squatted down, taking the bowl and stroking her head,

"Oh, my little goddess of love. I'm sorry, but you don't get more until dinner time, sweetie. I know you feel like you're still burning 13,000 calories a day, but you literally only burned about two thousand just now. I promise I won't let you starve."

The champion nudged the bowl with her nose, a small whine escaping as she stared at Bo with big, sad eyes.

"Oh, you look so pathetic." Bo pouted. She knew that she felt like she could eat every second of the day, she couldn't imagine how the dogs felt. Even though she knew it was just their minds playing tricks on them, she turned to the cabinets behind her and opened up a box of her homemade chew sticks,

"Okay, how about a treat instead?" Bo asked.

Aphrodite's tail wagged and she gave Bo a doggie shout out. That was all it took for the other dogs to come running,

She tapped the pups' nose, "You were supposed to keep it a secret! Not tell your sisters!"

Bo laughed as she handed out a chew stick to each of the dogs. They carried them back to the privacy of their crates, laid down and instinctively began chewing.

"Okay then, that seems to have satisfied everyone's cravings." She looked around, pleased with the new kennel. For now, she'd leave the crate doors open, "Okay then, time to install the rest of the electric boxes, cabinet fixtures and… well, whatever else I can manage before I have to start cooking a dinner to top any dinner our favorite doctor has ever had." Her heart sunk, remembering Nadia's words, "Our very famous, very wealthy, world renowned cardio thoracic surgeon doctor who has probably eaten in the best restaurants in the world. Oh shit, shit, shit!"

She took a deep breath, "No. I'm not going to go there. Those fancy east coast restaurants have nothing on salmon fresh from a cold Alaskan river cooked by a native who learned to cook from a long, long line of native Alaskans."

She looked down at Aphrodite, "She has never tasted organic food that's as organic as what we can make here, right?"

Bo frowned when rather than a tail wag and a bark, the dog named for the Goddess of Love returned to her chew stick,

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, pal."

She sighed, leaving the small kennel area to enter the house via the garage door that connected to the kitchen. Stepping into the room, she immediately felt the chill.

"Okay, so we're apparently going to try out the new fireplace. She looked around, realizing the furniture she'd built was still missing the cushions,

"Crap. Where did I put that box of cushions Molly made for the sofa and love seat?" She looked around at all of the gear she'd been sorting through for the Iditarod, "Damn, this place is a mess. If you're going to have Lauren over for a salmon bake, this house cannot look like this."

She took in a 360 view of the house, finally looking up at the ceiling, "Okay, so tools and excess materials go to the tool bench in the garage. Two back up sleds go in the training shed outside, the other three go to the garage loft with the extra rigging gear. Let's move all of this crap first."

She set about her mental to-do list, making quick work of the small jobs before coming to stand in the middle of the room one more time. She looked around, finally taking a moment to take in the area she'd uncovered. She smiled, once again feeling the satisfaction of a job well done.

It had taken a year for every tree she'd cut down to be ready to be stripped, seasoned and varnished for use in the house. The whole project had taken five years from the date of land purchase. She ran her hand over the wood, her fingers feeling the bump of each knot and crack in the wood. She walked along the wall, admiring her workmanship. She smiled at the long reddish stain in the wood,

"I literally bled for you, house." She laughed as she recalled the creative string of curse words she'd spat when she'd planed her finger instead of the wood. Almost took the tip right off. She had called Selene via Kenzi and been told to glue it back on. She still wondered what happened to the glue that was now inside her finger, but Selene assured her that her body would take care of that.

Stepping back, she spun around, taking in the layout. She was so proud of this house. It was her greatest accomplishment – possibly even bigger than the Iditarod because in her mind, the dogs won the race. She'd designed the open floor plan, with a full bathroom downstairs next to a small guest bedroom. It was literally only big enough to hold a single bed. She had a large loft upstairs that was her bedroom and office. Any heat from downstairs would rise and make it quite comfortable if the fire was allowed to burn for a few hours. Of course, if she did have overnight guests, she would be more than willing to give up her larger bed to sleep on the couch or small bed in the downstairs bedroom. House guests?

"Who are you, Bo Dennis? I can't believe that the thought of entertaining guests even popped into my head." She thought about what Lauren had said for a moment and sighed, "I guess Lauren is right. I really don't know who I am anymore." She stared out of the large windows to the river, "So much is changing… I'm changing. It's not a bad thing, I suppose."

Again, she thought of her Mom, "Ysabeau, just as the ice changes on the sea and the rivers, so will your life as you grow. You can try to hold back the ice, but ultimately, you'll be forced to go with the flow."

She watched the current of the river, strong and restless in some places while calm and clear on the shore, "I get it, Mom. I finally get it. When I'm out in the world, I feel like that angry current in the middle filled with whitecaps and power. When I'm here and it's quiet, I'm calm and life seems… simple. This is what you meant by finding my home within my heart so I could always carry it with me. My home is the shore where it's calm. That's how I stop being so angry."

She stared out at the river, a sense of calm overtaking her. She could feel herself relax. Water always did that for Bo. It was one of the reasons she had chosen this river to live. She'd built her home far enough from the shore to allow for the spring melts and rainy season, but close enough to sit there at night.

She moved her attention back inside; well-aware she was pressed for time with everything still on her to do list. She examined the furniture in case they ended up sitting inside for dinner. Every piece of furniture was built to serve a dual purpose for storage. Under the sofa seat, now covered by one of Molly's cushions was storage for the blankets that Seline had made for her from the old clothing she had left behind as a teen. She smiled thinking of the old woman who had given her a home in the village when no one else would accept her presence. She lifted a couch cushion and pulled out the first blanket Seline had ever made for her. She sat and held the blanket, running her fingers over one of the patches. Bo smiled recognizing the Iditarod shirt from her days as a spectator.

She really needed to go visit Seline. She'd gone to see her right after the race, but now it had been two weeks since she'd returned to Point Siku. She thought of Lauren emphasizing that she was very busy now with her new family. She had to admit that she had been putting time with everyone else on the back burner. She had traveled to Anchorage several times each week to spend time with Tosh, but never pushed further south to the village. She and her brother were catching up… there were a lot of apologies and a lot of sharing over their lost mothers. Tosh had felt grateful that he was there by his mother's side when she died. While it was a great loss, at least he knew what had become of her. Bo still had no closure. Her meeting with Big Jim had created nothing but more questions.

Still, she needed to make more of an effort to see Seline. The woman had essentially been her surrogate mother and deserved more from Bo. When no one else would take Bo in, Seline was there standing up to the council, standing up to Big Jim and welcoming her into her home. Sure, her real mother had taught her about food, trapping, plants, making furs and clothes, breeding dogs and training them for sledding, but Seline had taught her how to survive here among people. She taught her about their community, taught her native ways, taught her native medicines and taught her how to navigate her way to owning land, building a business and more. She owed Seline more than she could ever say. She may not be her blood, but she was still family.

Again, she was reminded of Lauren's words. Bo had felt like an outsider because she wasn't native, and she had no blood relatives here… or so she thought. Lauren was now living in the same shoes Bo wore for over a decade. The doctor had no blood here. She had friends, but would they stand by the doctor no matter what? Bo had experienced first-hand how people could turn on you if they had no tie to you beyond a superficial friendship. Little Jon had stuck by her because their connection went beyond friendship… they were connected by gratitude, a life-threatening event and by a love it took her a long time to let in.

"I really do need to get rid of the tunnel vision when it comes to people and think about what others are going through… think about what Lauren is going through… think about how I'm treating Seline. I can't just ignore her now that I have a real family. Hell, listen to me! She is real family, Bo! She's your second family after the one your mom gave you."

She thought of a question that Seline once asked her,

' _If you only had hours to live, child, who would you want to spend them with? More importantly, with you isolating yourself from our society, who would think to dedicate those hours to you?'_

Bo was overcome with emotion in that moment as she pondered the question. Her answer now would be a house filled with everyone she loved, but when it came right down to it, Mark and Molly would want to be with Michael. LJ would want to be with his dad, Big Jon. Big Jon would want to be with Pops…Tosh. She knew she would be the next choice for Tosh, but would Bo be anyone's number one? Would Lauren want to be with her if she only had hours to live? Did Lauren have family back in Boston? She'd mentioned a brother… but Bo couldn't even remember the conversation now.

"Damn, I suck!" she shouted, "I can't even remember conversations I've had with a woman I claim to love! Back at the clinic, I couldn't even remember the night at the awards banquet. She's been waiting for me to act on something she said, but I wasn't even listening!" She thought about those words, "I don't listen to her. I'm always stuck in my own world with my own feelings. I really, really suck!"

She heard the dogs barking so immediately moved through the kitchen, grabbed the mounted rifle from the wall, cocked it and opened the door, raising the barrel to her cheek. Seeing nothing, she lowered her weapon and tucked it back inside the door,

"What's going on in here?" She looked up to find a sled cushion ripped apart in the center of the kennel. She shook her head, as she walked over and picked it up, then gathered all of the stuffing from the hay, "Who did this?"

All of the dogs backed into their respective kennels, "Oh, I see. No one's talking today, huh?" She turned to Aphrodite, "You? No?" She stood, hands on hips looking down at her second wheel dog, "I gave you a treat!" She looked across the kennel, "I gave you all treats and this is how you repay me?"

Bo watched as they all laid down, her eyes coming to rest on Aphrodite who moaned and fell over onto her side, "So dramatic."

She looked up to see the uneven stack of cushions. They'd jumped up on top of a counter to snag the cushion which must have been hanging over the crate of Artemis. She tried not to laugh,

"Artemis…" but she lost her battle when the team dog covered her face with her paws, "Okay. You're forgiven. But I'm building taller walls. For now, we'll move these into the shed."

Bo grabbed the stack of seat cushions and walked through the side door that led to the backyard. She had yet to build houses out here for the dogs and she had no straw for ground cover, but it would do for the dogs to relieve themselves when necessary. She knew they preferred to sleep outside, but with the risk of people trying to steal her champions, she was keeping them all under lock and key for now.

She looked up at the sky, instinctively checking the weather through the moon and stars. In another month or so they would be safe and happy out here if they wanted. The doggie door would allow them to move in and out as they pleased – something they couldn't do at the kennel in town.

The fence she'd erected out here was an overhead fence made of wire. Mark really wanted her to build a wood fence with a locking gate because of the value of her dogs, but Bo had enough on her to do list for now. He had reminded her that anyone could float down the river in a boat, take the dogs and be gone before she could even get outside. Bo didn't agree, because she knew her dogs would bark like crazy as soon as they heard someone come anywhere near her land. She would be up and running stark naked into the winter night to put a bullet or an axe into anyone who tried to harm or take her dogs, but still… it was worth considering.

She stared out at the river, happy to see the water level was high and moving swiftly. It was good for fishing, not to mention a good indication that the temperatures were rising, however slightly, and spring would be coming soon. She took a moment to take in the scenery of the rising snow-covered mountains and blue-green glacial waters before taking a deep breath, sampling the fresh, crisp, clean air.

"I love you, Alaska." She smiled, "And I know I need to be better… be my best. I need to let people see my heart… because it's my mother's heart and she is the very best part of me. She taught me better… she taught me kindness… she taught me to do good for others…" Bo lowered her head, "…she taught me to do good for others despite how they treat you." She released a breath, "I guess I didn't remember that lesson until just now. Lauren does that every day. She does everything she possibly can for everyone else no matter how they treat her in return. I've only been doing things for Lauren if it benefitted me." She scowled, shaking her head, "Mom would be very unhappy with me."

With one last look to the horizon, she turned and headed back inside, determined to do better… to be better… starting with Lauren… tonight.

She looked around the house, drawn to memories of how she'd built much of this place with scrap materials from the hospital and clinic. This wood was all that remained of those two structures, burned to the ground in the fires. She was glad that she had something left of all of the work she'd put into those two jobs – especially the Clinic.

While logs made up the primary structure, the interior walls were made from the salvaged barn wood, giving it a rustic charm. It was plenty big enough for her and a small team of dogs, functional and fit perfectly into the landscape that surrounded it… in her opinion. It was quaint, and exactly what she wanted. Every nail, driven into every piece of wood was put there by her hammer and her sweat. The home was slightly understated for someone who was a builder by trade, but at least it was hers. With plenty of land, she had built the garage and multiple sheds for storage. She didn't need to take up space at Kyle's, Mark and Molly's and Tosh's place to store her trapping and sledding gear. She could have food and supplies on hand for the dogs and a proper roof over their heads. They deserve more comfort than she had previously provided, so she was happy for that at least.

She looked up at the open beams that supported her ceiling and grinned. She had raised each beam with a pulley system on her own, climbing the rafters to lay the plywood sheets over the rafters to create the base for the roof. She had rolled out the tar paper over the plywood and only called on her men when she had to lay the large sheets of tin for the outer roof. She'd laid every stone of the fireplace, only getting help with the insert and wood-burning stove, which was exceptionally heavy to move.

She released a small chuckle thinking of her fall from the roof when she was installing the flashing around the chimney. It served her right for working on a snowy tin roof without a safety rope. Thankfully, she had fallen into a massive snow drift which had piled up against the back of the house, but still… it hurt… a lot. From that point on, she had worn a harness for anything over fifteen feet.

Shaking out her thoughts and knowing there would be time for reminiscing later, she worked quickly, installing the electrical boxes and outlet covers in each room before taking on the task of running the cable up to the rafters. She followed the length of wire, stapling it into place every eight inches or so before shimmying up the main support beam and across the rafter to attach the cable to the satellite dish connector she had mounted last week. Now, all she needed was power. For that, she needed the solar panels on her roof. That would happen later this week.

Going back out to the barn, she lifted two five-gallon containers off of the shelves and carried them inside. She slid them under the kitchen and bathroom sinks, respectively, attaching them to the spout hose so that would pump running water through the spigot on demand. She then poured water into the toilet bowl so that if Lauren needed to relieve herself, she had a place to do that. Off the grid living wasn't for everyone, so it would be interesting to see how the doctor responded to it when she saw the place.

Finally, she walked out back and opened her fishing closet. She pulled out her waders, fishing rod and tackle box before heading through the gate of the fence towards the creek. Once there, she clipped the line of her floating basket to her waist and headed into the water. It took only a few minutes until her line was in the water and mere seconds to haul in her first fish. She was grinning ear to ear as she quickly filled the basket,

"Well, lookie what we have here! Two King, two Sockeye and a Coho! That'll last me at least two weeks." She held up the massive king fish, kissing it on the lips, "You are going to make a great sacrifice tonight for a wonderful woman who loves wonderful salmon. Thank you, for your gift."

Bo pulled in her line, deciding that five big fish were probably all she could fit in the small cache she had for now. As a rule, she never caught more than she could eat or store. In the coming weeks, she would start hauling one fish at a time since the weather would break and it would be easy to catch the food she needed on a daily basis.

She would also plant her first garden, something she hadn't done since she was ten years old. Sure, she'd helped Kenzi in hers, but it wasn't the same. She smiled thinking of the time she'd spent in the garden in Fairfield where her mom grew food for local restaurants. The land was owned by the cruise lines, but they paid her mom minimum wage plus all the vegetables she and Bo could eat and carry in exchange for keeping their restaurant pantries stocked with what they needed. Her mom's garden was one of the only ones that had tomatoes. It was said that you were a champion gardener if you could grow tomatoes in Alaska and her mom was the best.

So, they would take their fill through summer and then freeze and carry the leftovers up north. Bo also remembered seeing Dr. Edwards in August. It was her yearly checkup and he always said what an energetic young lady she was. He'd give her a lollipop and then she would wait while her mom had her checkup. It was after the checkups that they always headed north, her mom insistent that they be home before her dad and brothers got home from summer fishing so they could help clean and freeze them for winter.

Well, now it was time for Bo to try her hand at growing on her own. She'd built a nice sized growing shed in the back yard, complete with glass windows on the sunny side and a small solar panel to power the growing light over the two small seed tables. There were already tomato vines were growing, which was a huge accomplishment for her first solo garden. Of course, she wasn't sure what would happen when she actually planted them in two months, but the seed had small sprouts and the small plants she'd taken from Kenzi's garden last year were off to a good start.

She had beets, potatoes, carrots, turnips, cabbage and kale planted outside as well. Since they were root vegetables, they were planted outside in rectangular growing boxes. She had made those from the old railroad ties salvaged from Kenzi's hotel land. Both seed and soil were already packed into the boxes then covered with hay. Sure, there was still snow on top, but the spring melt would slowly add water and minerals to what lay beneath, gradually feeding and watering the root vegetables. She really didn't need do anything until it was time to harvest. Then, she'd carefully did them up in late July and August, cooking and freezing anything that was left over.

Kenzi's garden was massive. Her restaurant was literally garden to table during the late spring and summer months. She saved a huge amount of money, allowing her to make more profits during tourist season to buy canned goods for the restaurant in winter. With all fresh ingredients, her guests were more than happy to eat in the hotel restaurant rather than dine elsewhere, only helping her bottom line. Add to it the traffic she got off the street and she did very well for herself.

Of course, Kenzi usually traveled across the border to the Lower Forty-Eight to do grocery shopping with her friend Vex. Bo hadn't trusted him for years, but now she had grown fond of him – especially since he was so willing to help Kenzi out. He worked in the same business and helped her friend to get discounted alcohol and supplies for the hotel. With the big RV he owned, he would help Kenzi to pick up and stock the supplies for the winter and drive them back up north, so it actually benefitted both of them – not to mention the people they served. Vex also ran a charter fishing company, so every once in a while, he would bring Kenzi a halibut or a load of crabs, charging her about an eighth of the regular cost.

Living in Alaska was rough, but those who lived there, wouldn't trade their way of life for all the sunny beaches in California. It was clear that Vex had a thing for Kenzi, but for whatever reason, her friend was stuck on Hale despite him being part of the hero squad that Bo despised... although lately, Tamsin had sort of grown on her… like a fine mold. Still, she felt like they'd all lied to her, so seeing Kenzi with them just gnawed at her gut. Still, Kenzi was a free spirit, so she wasn't sure anything serious would ever come of her and Hale. Bo felt like he was just here trying to climb his way up the ladder to a state job, but if he was, he was playing those cards close to the vest.

Still, she couldn't wait for their schedule to get back to normal. She liked it better when Hale was in Anchorage a few days a week and Tamsin was around to cover Talkeetna when she was off Fed duty. Thankfully, Dyson was in Anchorage one hundred percent of the time. She'd been very good at avoiding Anchorage lately and she wanted to keep it that way. Tosh was heading back to the Point Siku store and Mark's son Michael was now going to be running the Anchorage store since LJ had to stay in Talkeetna for the kennel business.

It was nice to work with native Alaskans who had been here all of their lives. They understood Bo best and she understood them. Of course, maybe it was just because all of her cop acquaintances were just that… cops. They had city experiences with big city ideas and always seemed to feel like they needed to change her. The problem was, Bo had lived off the grid most of her life. She was used to living a simple, quiet life and she liked it. Even now, her social circle hadn't grown bigger, there were just more strangers coming around… and the cops were always around.

What rubbed Bo the wrong way lately was her new perspective of the big picture. The cops were here to keep the town clean of crime. That's what they were paid to do, yet Big Jim had been allowed to run rampant for years. If you asked Bo, they weren't worth the money they were being paid. But they obviously needed money to survive since they had zero experience living off the land as she did. Still, if someone ordered a fur from her and she didn't deliver it, she wouldn't get paid. Why did they?

For Bo, living costs had never been something she even thought about. While others went to stores to buy things they needed, Bo went to stores to sell or trade her goods, not spend money on things she needed from their shelves. She had two fishing wheels on the Copper River – another side business where she would catch about five hundred salmon a year to sell to the small restaurants in that area so she would have money to buy lead line and supplies for the dogs. They were her biggest expense. Her tracking, trapping and fishing skills kept her fed and clothed. She used plants from the land for soap, lotion and salves. Her mom used to tell her that the bush and forests were heaven's medicine cabinet.

She looked out across the river and smiled as she thought of her mom in the garden. She so loved the spring when the garden would grow. Bo remembered the times around the last snow when her mom would pick her up, put her in the dog sled basket and head south to the garden store where she would let Bo pick the seed packets for planting down south. Bo always picked potatoes. She loved all of the different ways her mom could think of to cook potatoes.

She looked along the river bank, "Maybe… just maybe if I have time, I'll take my little motorboat down river to the cover and see if there's anything in my crab pot. Salmon, crab and kale salad for dinner sounds good. I will have to pick up Harper for the night, too. I can get her when I get Lauren."

She smiled thinking of Harper on this river before her cancer had been found. Harper was a master at snagging any fish that came within a few feet of her. She would catch a fish with her teeth and proudly prance over to Bo, dropping it at her feet. She was always very proud of herself for contributing to the catch of the day. A good amount of the salmon she'd catch before next winter would be dried, mixed with reindeer and moose meat before being made into jerky for dog snacks.

Walking to the fence at her back yard, she picked up the cutting board she'd crafted and moved back to the river, pulling her fishing knife out of her tackle box. She made quick work of cleaning the salmon, cutting them into perfectly symmetrical segments before tossing the remains into the river for the shrimp and crab to feast upon.

She cleaned her knife and then carried her gear and the cutting board that held the salmon back to the shed. Once inside, she pulled one of the burlap bags from the shelf, cut a piece free and wrapped the salmon in it. She left everything else behind as she walked back to the house.

Once inside, she headed to the kitchen, unwrapped the fish and stood staring at it.

"Okay, so… what are we going to do with you?"

She looked up at the cabinets, taking a moment to run her finger over the wood that had been left over from building the clinic and smiled. She pulled the door and groaned,

"I'm having a guest for dinner and my cabinets are almost completely empty. I have two beets, two potatoes, two turnips, a bunch of kale and a bunch of carrots from Kenzi. None of that works up to a marinade for the salmon."

She closed up the salmon, wishing she had kept it whole, when it hit her. She clapped her hands,

"Wait right there, Suzy Salmon!"

She ran out to the garage, walking through all of the gear she had yet to unpack from the race. Finally, she found the three large remaining food bags that were recovered from the checkpoints she skipped after the town of Iditarod. She opened the first one and started pulling items out one by one,

"Bucket, stirring stick, dog food, dog jerky, human jerky, human trail mix… hmmm…" she opened the bag, pulled out a handful and popped it into her mouth, "… backup knife, Heet, matches… yes! Canned beans, canned corn, canned tuna… canned peaches! Yes! Honey! Okay, that should work."

She ran inside with the three cans of peaches and the jar of honey, putting them on the counter. She stood looking at the ingredients, pausing for a moment before she remembered the old bottle of bourbon, she had in the liquor cabinet in the garage. A little touch of that would be perfect. She wished she had some spices, but that was something she would have to do without. Her shed was void of any spice plants so far. She made a mental note for later and started thinking about preparation.

"Okay, so we have no grill or grate to cook over an open fire." She thought for a moment before raising a finger as the idea hit, "But I have mom's 6-quart dutch oven in the garage!"

She ran out to the garage again, opening and closing cabinets until she found the old black dutch oven that had been her mother's. It's one of the only things she had taken with her when she left. When she'd returned home, the contents of her house had been placed in the old storage shed. Most had been picked over by neighbors and random strangers, so what she had remaining from her family home had been what she had carried with her. Thankfully, that included her mom's jewelry and favorite little trinkets, a few photos, some of the notes her mom had left her over the years and some items from the kitchen.

She grabbed the iron rod used to lift the lid off of the dutch oven from the fire, grabbed a box of Heet and headed back inside. She thought about the meal for a second and then rushed out back to the shed. She grabbed the potatoes, the turnips and the carrots and headed back inside.

"Okay Suzy Salmon… change of plans. We don't want you to be lonely, so we're going to have a little dutch oven party tonight. It's been a long time since I did this, but hopefully it works with what I have! We're going to keep two of these fillets out of the mix. I'll bring a griddle back from town when I go to pick Lauren up just in case this doesn't work. Plan B will be grilled salmon over an open fire with the kale salad. If it works, we have a one pot meal that will be fall off the bone delicious." She paused, "Of course, this is fish, so there needs to be absolutely no bones."

Bo cleaned the vegetables, then ran back outside to grab her mom's ulu from the kitchen utensil box. She started back inside, thinking about the timing of her meal. She quickly used the ulu to chop up the vegetables and tossed the scraps into a box to throw into the composting bin later.

She popped open the cans of peaches, cut the halved fruit into smaller pieces and then poured them, juice and all into the dutch oven. She poured a generous heaping of honey into the iron pot, then added a three-count of bourbon,

"Not sure how much of that is actually needed, so we're going with less is more." She used the ulu to stir the marinade around and then put the salmon fillets in three layers, skin side down. With the lid on the oven she took it outside near the back steps, covering it with snow.

"Okay, so that needs to marinate for about thirty minutes. Fire. Get the fire going."

She rushed out back to the shed, pulled out her shovel, then grabbed an armful of firewood. She ran back inside to get the Heet and ran back out again. She stepped outside the fence and moved to the sandy area near the river,

"Okay, permafrost. I'm gonna need about three feet, so stay out of my way." She crossed her fingers knowing the permafrost was usually a bit deeper near bodies of water and began to dig.

She dug and dug until she hit the frozen layer of soil at almost the three-foot mark, "Close enough. I have to remember to bring the backhoe out here in spring, dig down deeper and insert a steel ring so I can cook with the dutch oven through the winter."

She tossed the small pieces of fire starter into the pit, opened the bottle of Heet and poured it onto the wood, then tossed in a match. She waited for the fire to spread before tossing some firewood in. She watched it burn down, adding wood until she had enough to make about five inches of coals, then ran back into the kitchen to grab the vegetables.

Heading back out to the firepit, she grabbed the dutch oven from the snow and took everything to the river's edge. She pulled out the pieces of salmon, piling them up on a piece of wood before tossing the root vegetables into the bottom of the pot. She then added the marinated salmon pieces and placed the lid securely on top.

Using her shovel, she broke up the pieces of firewood until they were small red-hot coals. She scooped some of the coals onto the top of the dutch oven before taking the iron hook, catching the handle of the oven and placing the entire pot on the coals. Using her shovel, she then tossed the sand and dirt back into the pit, burying tonight's dinner.

She looked up at the sky to check the position of the sun, "Okay, gotta be back in three hours. Gotta set up some chairs. We can eat right here by the water if I put up a quick shelter to block the wind and widen the fire pit."

She looked back at the wood shed, "I'm probably gonna burn through a lot of wood tonight. I'll have to get busy chopping more or I'll run out of wood by tomorrow."

She moved to the tool shed and removed the large tarp from the pieces of furniture she'd begun building over six weeks ago,

"Sorry I've neglected you and also sorry if you're not absolutely perfect, but I'm gonna need you tonight. You're going to have to be naked because I won't have time to sand, prime and varnish, but I promise I'll keep you covered until I do that. We wouldn't want you to get weather beaten and sun burnt!"

She headed over to her tool shed and pulled out her back up tool belt. She strapped it to her hips before stuffing sand paper, her manual hand drill and some screws, nuts and bolts into the pockets. She thought for a moment before deciding that would be all she needed.

"Might be a nice time to have power tools, but Mom would never forgive me. That's for the real world business."

She opened the door, putting the wooden door stop in the top joint before hauling one chair base up and onto her head with a good deal of effort,

"Shit. Your butt is heavy."

She carried the base to the sand, placing it near the site where she had buried their dinner. She positioned the base exactly as she wanted it before going back to the shed and gathering the frame and slats for the chair backs. She then repeated the process with the second chair. She wanted to build six of these chairs, but the house had been the priority. These were the prototypes and if they were as comfortable as she'd hoped, she'd build the rest. Otherwise, go back to the drawing board and build a new model.

"I wonder if the couch pillows that Molly made will work on these. If not, I'll have to add that to the list of things I need to get in town. Mental note, Bo… griddle for dinner plan B and seat cushions to fit these chairs."

She walked to the shed and pulled out her tape measure, "You'd think I could remember the seat measurements. Serves me right for not finishing them when I had the chance."

She measured the seats, then went inside to measure the sofa cushions, "Crap. Definitely need to buy seat cushions from the store. I hate having to buy things I could have made myself." She sighed, "Hell, what am I complaining about. Lauren's totally worth it or you would just have her sit on the wood, splinters or not." She laughed, "Kenzi would be sitting on the wood."

Heading back to the river, she set to work drilling the holes through which she would attach the wooden slats. When she'd started the project weeks ago, she'd measured where to drill so that she could safely etch on a design without the bolt heads breaking up the art. When you set all of the slats in order on the base, the seatback on one chair formed the image of a full sled team and musher. The other was actually a full-sized image created from a picture of Harper.

She turned the crank on the drill, strong hands and forearms powering the bit quickly through the top, and bottom of each slat of wood before lining them up to match the base frame. She stepped back to check the alignment and appearance,

"Perfect, although I wish I'd used a picture with Harper's tongue hanging out like it usually does. Damn, you're adorable."

Her phone rang, "Crap."

She looked at the screen, seeing that it was her brother, "Hey, Tosh. What's up?"

" _You comin' back into town this afternoon?"_

"Yup, but only for a little bit. Why? What's up?"

" _Just found something I think you'll want. Are you staying in town tonight or are you heading back to your house? Molly said she didn't think it was live-in ready yet."_

"Honestly, I'm not sure. I promised Lauren salmon for dinner, so I'm cooking that here. I figured we'll just eat it here so it's hot. I'm not sure what she wants to do after that."

" _Heard she flew up north. She's coming back tonight?"_

"That's her plan unless the patients or the weather don't cooperate. Wait – are you in Talkeetna?"

" _Yup. I'm helping Mark stock his store and do inventory. He wants to get up and running by Monday."_

"I can't blame him. He's got money going out to buy stock and supplies, but none coming in."

" _Yea, well thanks to your win and the money you gave him for working on the team, he's got enough to put in a decent amount of stock. I'm helping out as much as I can, but the Feds are in my books making sure Big Jim wasn't wrapped up in my business. I suspect they'll be doing the same with Big Jon and Mark's stores soon enough."_

"He wasn't! His name isn't on any documents and they know it. Why are they still coming after you guys? It's just not right."

" _One of the witnesses commented that he was always in the store. Apparently, they had assumed he was a partner in the business and told them as much. Of course, Dad might have told them as much. On top of that, we never did anything about his more nefarious adventures, so I guess it's a sort of guilt by inaction."_

"Great. I've said it before, I'll say it again. I hate the Feds. Sorry they're giving you trouble, Tosh."

" _No worries, Bo. Fortunately, Mark, Big Jon and I don't follow the Big Jim method of family financial planning. Our books are accurate to a tee. Plus, we've always shared our fortunes and our burdens. We may each own a store, but we split our profits evenly... always have. As for the Feds, Tamsin's been a big help. She seems to be running interference when she's around."_

"When she's around? Where is she? I thought she was working the case out of Point Siku?"

" _She was, but she had to leave to look into a lead on some other case she's working on… supposedly related to Big Jim, so I've heard. The boys here in Talkeetna heard she was in the Canadian Rockies, North Slope and then she ended up down in and now in Minnesota."_

"Minnesota? That's a big trip for a guy on a sled." Bo replied, but then realized he'd said Tamsin was in the borough she grew up in, "Wait… did you say she was up in the North Slope? She went to Utqiagvik?"

" _I only know she traveled up to the North Slope. It stuck with me because of your connection to those lands. As for Big Jim, apparently he didn't always travel by sled. I suppose that's how he always seemed to be around when I was a kid. Either that or his travel switched to plane when he started his second family. Still makes me crazy to think about him doing all the bad he did while trying to play family man to two clans – two clans that he left holding the bag for his misdeeds."_

"Well, let me know if you get into a bind. I've got money in my bank." Bo stuck with the conversation, but now she was very curious about why Tamsin would have gone to the North Slope.

" _I really wish you would use an actual bank, Bo. You know there will come a time when having some investments and a retirement fund will pay off. You can't live off the land in your golden years."_

Bo laughed, "Of course I can, Tosh. Plenty of people do it. Eventually, I'll bring my fishing wheel here from Copper River and never have to cast a rod again."

" _That would be quite a loss for them."_

Bo smiled, "Their loss is your gain. I'll have enough to feed the whole family. Besides, there will always be someone to take my place no matter what business I leave behind."

" _Sometimes I wish I'd been raised by your Mom too."_

Bo frowned, "Don't think that way, Tosh. Everything I've heard and seen of your mom says that she was a great woman who raised you right. If you'd been with me, you would have ended up like your half-brothers. Big Jim was free to raise them to be hateful idiots up there. Down here people stick to themselves, but they still hold young boys accountable."

She could hear the sadness and regret in his voice as he replied,

" _I wish they would have held me more accountable… held my dad accountable. I've got a life of regrets and it will take a lifetime to find redemption."_

"We're all seeking redemption for something Tosh. We're human. Just when we find it for one thing, we do another. It's an eye-opening experience."

They were silent for a moment before Bo asked,

"So back to your original reason for calling. I'm heading to town in… let's say about thirty minutes? I'm going to go to the hotel for a shower and change of clothes, then the kennel to check on the dogs and pick up Harper. I have to stop by Mark and Molly's to buy pillows for the chairs I built, and I need a grill or something to cook over a fire. Hopefully I time it right and Lauren's back and ready to go."

" _Okay, sounds good. How much space will you have in your sled or are you taking the truck to your house?"_

Bo shook her head, "I haven't plowed a road to the house yet, so can't plow the snow to get a truck back there."

" _Geez, Bo. How far away is your house?"_

Bo smiled. Since her brother found out about her secret construction project, he'd been peppering her with questions every chance he'd got,

"Family dinner in two weeks will answer all of your questions about my house, Tosh. Hopefully by then you can travel by truck. If not, we'll either push it back or hitch up all of my dogs and sleds to get everyone out there. You do remember where I grew up and how I lived most of my life, right?"

 _She heard him chuckle as he replied, "I do, so I guess it was a stupid question. I can expect a long, winding trip through bush, over ice and through the woods then."_

Bo laughed, "I suppose so. I'll see you soon then, right?"

" _Will do, Bo. Safe travels."_

"Unlike planes, trains and automobiles, the nice part about traveling by dog sled is that they rarely crash, flip, break down or hit another sled. See you in about two hours."

" _I'll be timing you." Tosh laughed._

"Please don't. I've still got things to finish up here before I hitch up the sled and come your way," Bo laughed, "Besides, I've had enough racing for one year."

" _Okay, okay. For now, no timing, but eventually I'm going to start betting on your arrival times. A guy's gotta make a living."_

"I finally learn I have a brother only to learn he also has a gambling problem that involves taking advantage of his sister's sledding skills. See ya, Tosh."

She shook her head, smiling as she shoved her phone back into her pocket. She set back to work, now even more grateful than ever to have a brother in her life. Tosh was turning out to be a very good guy. She'd never realized he had it in him. He always seemed to be every bit the man his father was, but now she had learned that his job had been to play bad cop to his dad and good cop to his sons. He was actually the perfect buffer. Now, he could just be Tosh, the guy who was now very curious about her life on the North Slope and how she learned to do the things she could do and how she lived.

Currently, he was obsessed with knowing the location of her home. He wasn't raised off grid, but she had imagined he could at least figure out she was close enough to have a signature on the cell phone Lauren had insisted she buy. Bo was finally getting used to keeping it charged and, on her person, but the thing was like an anchor in her pocket. Still, it gave Lauren peace of mind, so she would continue to carry it. She smiled as she remembered the day Lauren surprised her with a phone…

 _ **Flashback…**_

" _Bo, you could be dead out there for days and we'd never know what came of you."_

" _Lauren, I could have been dead for years and no one ever would have come looking for me or cared that I was gone other than the hole it left in their wallets because they didn't have my furs, fish or hammer."_

" _That's a terrible thing to say. Of course, people would notice and care that you were gone. You are special to many people around here, Bo."_

 _Bo sighed, "I guess Little Jon would be upset. Maybe Mark and Molly. Selene."_

" _So you'll accept my gift and carry this phone?" Lauren asked._

 _Bo smiled, "I can't make any promises for after your gone, but for now, I will carry the phone for you."_

" _Thank you." Lauren replied, "I will sleep better when you are out on those long cold, dark trails for days at a time, miles and miles from anything but wilderness."_

" _Lauren, I really don't want you to worry and… well, I wish I could make you understand." She looked around the clinic, "Let me ask you… do you feel safe here?"_

 _She shrugged, "I suppose. I mean, as safe as someone can feel in an unfamiliar place as remote as this."_

" _Remote? Talkeetna is not remote, Lauren. It's a town where most people own a tin dog or a float plane or a helicopter."_

" _Tin dog?"_

 _Bo smiled, "Sorry. A snow machine. If I need help, someone can get to me."_

" _Not if they don't know you need help." Lauren countered._

 _Bo nodded, "Lauren, out there in that vast wilderness… I feel safer there than I do here in this town. I know you don't understand… yet… but when the snow melts, I want to take you to the North Slope and show you."_

" _The North Slope? Where's that?"_

" _The village where I grew up,_ _Utqiagvik?"_

 _Lauren nodded._

" _Well, Alaska is divided into nineteen boroughs and the North Slope is the borough where I grew up."_

" _You want me to go up there where it's nothing but wind, snow and ice?"_

 _Bo chuckled, "You'd be surprised. In the spring, the tundra comes to life with plants and blooming flowers. It's beautiful, Lauren… well… to me it is."_

 _Lauren sighed, "I'm sorry, Bo. I didn't mean it like it sounded. I don't want you to think I'm insulting your birthplace. I just… well, to me it's scary."_

 _Bo smiled, "The unknown can be scary, Lauren. I think that's why you are worried about me being – well… out there." Bo pointed out the window, "But those lands are my home, Lauren. I give to the land and the land gives me what I need. Here, I feel… out of step. Out there, the feel, the air, the snow, the land… it fills me."_

 _Bo lowered her eyes, "I must sound like a real weirdo to you."_

 _Lauren smiled, "You sound beautiful to me, Bo. You sound like you are totally at home with nature. I think that's the way we were created to be before man started taking from nature to build pavements, buildings, trains, cars, planes… not to mention bullets and guns and weapons of war."_

 _Lauren sighed, pushing her hair behind her air, "Now who's going deep."_

 _Bo smiled, "No, I agree. I wish we people would slow down and stop to look at the beauty we've been given. I wish they would only take what they need and realize that having a lot of stuff doesn't make your life better."_

" _Is that why you live the way you do? I mean, away from people?" Lauren asked._

 _Bo shrugged, "In my experience, most people tend to suck. Dogs tend to be awesome. I just prefer to stick to my dogs."_

 _ **-End Flashback-**_

Bo smiled, snapping out of her memory. She had so many of those memories from her time with Lauren. Each of those moments led her to slowly fall in love with Lauren. Every moment since she had just fallen more and more in love.

Finishing up the first chair, she pulled the sandpaper from her toolbelt and finished any rough edges around the freshly drilled holes, careful to work the paper with the wood grain, slowly and deliberately so she did not damage any of the design. She then did a final check for any other spots that needed her attention before deciding it was as finished as she would get right now.

"And now, the ultimate test." She turned and slid into the chair, nudging her bum around to make sure she didn't catch her pants on the wood. She took a deep breath and relaxed her body into the frame,

"Damn I'm good. I could sell these suckers for sure. Very comfy and doesn't actually need a cushion, but I guess if I were going to sit for hours on end, it's a good option."

She stood and got to work on Harper's chair, smiling the entire time as she stared at her best canine friend's image. She was excited to have Harper with her tonight. It was time for her to get back to normal.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **Airstrip in Chase, Alaska**_

"How long do I have, Kurt?" Lauren asked as the pair stepped out of the small bush plane and headed towards the airfield office.

He shrugged, "I figured you would tell me."

"Okay then. I guess I'll get through these patients as quickly as possible. You remembered the cooler, right?"

He held up a finger, "Cooler for the blood samples. Right. I didn't, but I'll get one from town and fill it with snow… I mean, if it needs to be kept colder."

Lauren shrugged, "Cold is a must."

"Okay. You brought your goggles and mask, right? We're traveling by…"

"Snow machine. I've got everything."

They entered the office, "Kurt! How are you? How's Kyle?"

"I'm good Pattie, thanks for asking. Kyle's improving every day, thanks."

"We miss her smiling face around here. Thanks for picking up the deliveries while she's under the weather."

Kurt hadn't given Pattie any of the specifics of his sisters' condition. He'd just told her that she had an accident and was going to be down for a while,

"This is Doctor Lauren Lewis."

The long gray-haired woman stood and moved towards the Lauren, "It's very nice to meet you, Doctor. Thank you so much for coming. We're at a loss with this flu. We lost Miranda Wilson yesterday."

Kurt lowered her eyes, "We're very sorry for your loss."

Pattie nodded, "It's very sad. She left those three adorable children behind. I hope you can figure this out, Doctor Lewis. The town is getting a bit tense. Parents are refusing to send their kids to school because they're afraid they'll get sick. Restaurants in town are losing business because people won't eat out."

Lauren nodded, "Well, panic can happen in situations like this. I promise, I'll do what I can. We have top researchers at many west coast hospitals working on this as well as scientists at the CDC. We're hoping for a break through very soon. The samples I'm collecting from Chase will tell us if the virus is still mutating or holding its course. We have to make sure the same virus is effecting all of the villages or if it's something different in each."

The woman looked at Kurt, "I'm not sure what she just said, but it sounds like she knows what she's doing."

Kurt laughed, "She does, Pattie. So, do you have transportation for us?"

She nodded, tossing him a set of keys, "Bright yellow snow machine out back. Anything else?"

"Do you have a cooler that we can carry these samples in? They have to be kept cold."

"Out back in the shed. Take whichever one will work best for you." She replied.

"See you in a few hours, I guess."

Pattie nodded, "You've got weather coming in about two, so I'd move faster rather than slower. Record lows coming. Go figure. Just when you think it's gonna be spring. Just be careful who you run into. Lots of cabin fever goin' round."

Lauren's heart sunk. She hoped they could make it back. She'd hate to disappoint Bo tonight by not showing up. She was already doubting them enough and Lauren had to admit, she'd been caught up in her own head. She was angry at Bo for being angry, but the whole plane ride here, she couldn't stop thinking about Bo's life story, inclusive of the parts most recently revealed. If it were her, Lauren would be angry too, but instead, she didn't take the time to consider what Bo had been going through. She just snapped to judgement right away… something she seemed to be doing a lot lately.

She was so focused on Bo's anger being displaced on her that she didn't stop to think that Bo had been raised on her own. If she got angry, she could vent that anger while alone. Now, with Lauren in the picture, when she got angry, she had no experience venting that anger with others around.

She watched as Kurt signed the rest of the paperwork for their flight plan and dropped the pen, "Thanks, Pattie. With any luck, we'll be back in a couple of hours tops."

"Thank you, Pattie. It was nice meeting you." Lauren smiled, following Kurt through the office to the back door.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **Valaria Residence, Thirty Minutes later…**_

Lauren dismounted the snow machine and pulled off her helmet, "Kurt, please tell me the other patients are closer to this house than this house is from the airport. We'll be spending two hours just doing travel at this point."

"No worries, Lauren. I'll get you home for dinner. I promise."

Lauren shook her head, "We're not risking our lives to get home so I can have dinner with Bo, Kurt. She would kill both of us if we crashed because we were stupid… if we survived the crash, that is."

Kurt laughed, "Okay, so you're right about that. I'll call Bo while you're seeing your patient and let her know we may run behind schedule."

"And the weather. Tell her about the weather."

Kurt smiled, "I promise, I'll make sure she knows how sorry you are that you may not make it to dinner."

"No, don't tell her that yet, Kurt. We may make it. I mean… gosh, I don't know what I mean. If I can figure anything new out from this Valaria woman, I won't need to see all of the other patients. We'll head back, I'll put together a cure and then you can fly it back for the pharmacists to administer."

Kurt shook his head, "In a perfect world, that sounds great, Lauren. Just know that Bo will be fine if we stay here overnight so we stay alive. She's lived in Alaska all of her life and she's flown bush routes before. She knows shit happens. She'll be disappointed, but she'll understand." He nodded towards the home, "Your patient name is Mary Valaria, age thirty-four."

Nodding, Lauren headed for the front door of the home, her thoughts of Bo having to be pushed to the back of her mind for now. She heard Kurt start the snow machine and drive off as she raised her hand to knock, but the door opened before she made contact with the wood,

"Hi." Lauren's eyes moved down to find a young girl who couldn't be more than eight years of age.

"Well, hello there. I'm Dr. Lewis."

"I'm Elise. Are you the doctor who's going to make my mommy better?"

The doctor's hand instinctively moved to her chest. She was unaware the woman was a mother, "Well, I'm certainly going to try. Is anyone else home?"

She shook her head, "It's just me and my mom."

Lauren nodded, stepping inside the house. She looked around, seeing everything in appeared to be in order. She walked into the kitchen where she saw a step stool in front of the stove. On the table where most families would eat, she saw stacks and stacks of canned soups. In the sink was a single plastic bowl and spoon,

"So, are you doing the cooking for you and mommy?"

The young girl smiled proudly, "I can make my own soup! Mommy isn't eating. She sleeps mostly."

Lauren nodded, "I see. Can I see your mommy now?"

"Sure! She's in here."

Lauren followed as the girl ran towards her mother's bedroom. When she entered, she could smell the foul mix of body fluids in the air. She moved to the bed and tapped the woman on the shoulder,

"Mary? Mary Valaria?"

The woman struggled to open her eyes, "Yes." She made eye contact with her daughter, "Elise, why don't you go in the living room and do the school work Mr. Nelson dropped off for you. I don't want you to fall behind."

"Yes, mommy." She said, her face dropping as she turned to leave the room.

She looked back up at Lauren, her eyes falling closed again.

"Mary, I need you to stay awake for just a little while longer. I'm Doctor Lewis. Can you tell me how you're feeling?" Lauren asked, putting her backpack down and pulling out her medical bag.

"The only reason I know I'm still alive is because I can still see my daughter. You have to get her out of here. I'm terrified she's going to get sick. Please take her away where she can have proper care. I can sign…"

"Mary, I can't just take a child with me."

"Please. I heard you're from Talkeetna. They don't have as many cases as we have here."

Lauren nodded, "I'll make some calls and see what I can do."

She reached out towards her night stand, "There's paper and a pen in there."

The doctor opened the drawer and handed the woman the tablet and pen from the drawer, helping her to sit up so she could write. It took several minutes, but when she finished, she tore off the paper and handed it to Lauren,

"I know there's nothing you can do for me, but you can still save my daughter. Please save my daughter. She's had a shit life. She doesn't deserve this. She knows where everything is. I planned for this."

Lauren shook her head as she realized the note was to sign over custody to whomever she decided should have the little girl,

"Mary, where is her father? Don't you have any other family or friends here in town?"

The woman shook her head, "This town is one big plague. My little girl can't even go out and play because most of her friends are sick or being kept away from the rest of the people in town because their families are healthy. She's eating three square meals of canned soup a day that she cooks by herself. I bought a thousand cases of bottled water and had it shipped in. I turned off the faucet when I started getting sick just in case it's in the water. My husband thought… I should have listened. She's eight years old!"

"Where's her father, Mary. Can I get her to him?"

She shook her head, tears beginning to fall, "He was the third person to die from this almost a year ago. They thought it was the flu until some hot shots showed up and took blood from everyone. No one's been back since… not until you. Why did he have to die? Why do only some people die? I don't understand. He didn't understand."

The woman was barely able to talk as she fell back on the bed. Lauren helped her to slide down again, helping her to rest comfortably. She was out of breath just from sitting up for a few minutes.

"I'm sorry for your loss and that someone dropped the ball on this. I can't speak to the past, but Mary, I promise you that I'm not giving up on this. We're certain that by taking the blood of people who have lived versus people who have not will eventually render an antibody we can use to create a vaccine for prevention or a serum to cure the disease. Unfortunately, right now all we can do is treat the symptoms which you're already doing."

She handed the woman a tissue, "Trust me when I say that I've raised the alert on this. I have ten different hospital labs in Portland and Seattle working on this as well as people at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention back east in the lower forty-eight. It's becoming a top priority – especially since people flying from here to the main hubs that service North America could spread the infection and create a national crisis. Trust me when I say that this condition is getting more and more attention every day."

Mary laughed, "Too bad it's too late for me."

Lauren watched as the woman coughed and coughed, barely able to catch a breath in between. She put her stethoscope to her ears,

"Don't count yourself out yet. Now, let me take a listen to your lungs, please." Lauren said, the woman nodding.

She placed the instrument against her back, listening to the tell-tale sign of pneumonia. She fished in her bag for a bottle of antibiotics and moved to the kitchen to get a glass of water for her to wash them down.

She reached up to the cabinet and pulled down a glass before turning on the tap and allowing the water to flow into the glass. Turning off the tap, she stopped when she caught a hint of discoloration in the water against the white backdrop of the sink. She pulled her phone from her back pocket and turned on the flashlight, holding it up to the water.

"No way." She said, remembering that Mary said they'd only been using bottled water. Something she had said about her husband. What did she say? She turned and rushed back into Mary's room.

"Mary, has anyone tested you or your husband's urine?"

The woman scowled, "No."

The woman coughed again, unable to stop. Lauren mentally kicked herself for not thinking of it sooner. She assumed that because of the cold climate that this couldn't possibly be a consideration,

"Mary, can you tell me how your symptoms have progressed?" Lauren asked.

The woman shrugged, "I thought I'd get it from my husband. I didn't. It's almost a year and I didn't get it. Then, about two weeks ago, I had diarrhea. I thought it was something I ate. I was nauseous for a week. Antacids didn't work, so I went to the doctor in town and he prescribed one of those stomach medicines that work long term. It still didn't get better. Then I started getting confused," she laughed, "I thought I was getting Alzheimer's. I was terrified."

Lauren nodded, "So did you have any other symptoms after the confusion?"

Mary nodded, "About a week later, the flu symptoms started. One of my coworkers had it and his wife said his flu went away on its own after about three days. It's been seven days and I just feel worse."

Lauren smiled, "This information is very helpful, Mary."

Looking in her medical bag, Lauren pulled out the ten bottles of antibiotics she had with her, "All the same. Dammit. This won't work. This won't work for anyone. Dammit."

She turned back to Mary, "Who is the doctor in town?"

"They didn't tell you?"

Lauren's brows knit together, "Tell me?"

"The doctor died. That's why we needed you."

Lauren's shoulders sunk, "Does someone have a key to his office or is there a pharmacy nearby?"

"There's a pharmacy at the town center." Mary said, her eyes heavy now.

Lauren pulled the thermometer out of her bag and gently placed it in the woman's ear holding it until she heard the tone. Pulling it away, she sighed before writing down the number.

"So, what's the verdict?" The woman asked, her voice growing weaker by the second.

"You are guilty of a very high fever, pneumonia and a nasty bacterial infection. The problem is that the antibiotic I now believe I need to treat this is not the one that I've brought. We were going in a completely different direction."

"I don't understand."

Lauren nodded, "I'm not completely sure, but I have a new suspicion about what we're dealing with here. If I'm correct, it would explain why random people seem to be getting sick and it is not spreading consistently within a household like the flu usually would."

She offered a sympathetic smile, "What I can tell you though, is that if I'm correct and we've caught this in time, your husband may have just saved your life."

Mary grinned, "That would be so like him… to play hero even from beyond the grave."

Lauren nodded, "Okay, I need to go call that pharmacy and see if I can get my hands on what I need."

The doctor stood to leave the room, but Mary grabbed her wrist and pulled her back, "I'm having trouble breathing, Doctor Lewis."

"Your lungs are filled with fluid, Mary. You have pneumonia and an exceptionally high fever. Usually, I would admit you to the hospital, my clinic is barely able to handle basic care at this point."

"We heard it burned down."

Lauren nodded, "The next closest hospital is Mat-Su Regional, southeast of Willow. You feel up for the trip?"

She shrugged, "I can't leave my kid here."

"Your daughter can go with us, Mary. I know of a family in Talkeetna who may be able to watch her until you're better."

"Will they take her if I don't make it?" She asked.

Lauren shook her head, "Let's not go there yet, okay?"

She gripped Lauren's arm harder, "Please. You've got to make sure. Please."

Lauren watched as the woman began to seize, her body trembling, "Shit."

The doctor turned the woman quickly on her side, looking down at her watch to time the seizure, "Come on, Mary. Don't do this to me. I need more time."

She continued to wait, seconds feeling like minutes, minutes feeling like hours until finally, the woman relaxed, her body going limp. She pulled a tongue depressor and small flashlight from her bag. Using the flashlight, she checked her pupils for responsiveness and found them unequal, but responsive,

"Not good."

She pressed on the joint at her jaw to open her mouth and inserted the wooden stick, checking for vomit in Mary's mouth. Seeing none, she turned her onto her back and opened her airway. She called Kurt,

"Kurt, I'm going to need to get this patient to the closest hospital. We can't take her on the snow machine. She's unconscious."

" _I'll call Miranda and arrange transportation to the air strip, then call ahead to the emergency room at Mat-Su Regional."_

"Thanks, Kurt. Oh, and we're going to have a tiny passenger to take back to Talkeetna. I'm going to call Molly about watching her until we see what happens with her Mom."

" _There's no one here who she can stay with?"_

"Honestly, I don't know the protocol for this, Kurt. Back east we would call Children and Youth Services. I have a note from the mom – she insisted. It's signed consent and release. From the way she wrote this, she seems to know what she's doing."

" _Damn. That's rough for the kid."_

"It is. I've got to get back to this." Lauren said, looking towards Mary's room.

" _Okay. I'll be in once I find out what we're doing. Give me about fifteen."_

"Thank you, Kurt."

" _You got it, Doc."_

Lauren moved into the living room. When she didn't see Elise there, she turned to move to the kitchen and saw a room with a desk in it. She entered the room slowly and was shocked by what she saw. Two matching desks with matching leather chairs on opposite ends of the room were piled high with papers. On the wall were diplomas and certificates. As Lauren moved closer, she saw that one was for a Doctor Arthur Valaria, M.D. and the other was for Doctor Mary Ellen Valaria, Esquire.

"This is my mommy and daddy's office." Came a small voice from behind the doctor, "They have a lot of homework to do."

Lauren turned to see the little girl holding a piece of paper and a pencil, "Can you help me with my math homework? Mommy always helped me with my math."

She crawled up onto the chair of what Lauren could only guess was her mother's desk. Lauren moved to stand next to her and saw three legal cases on top of the desk,

"Your mommy is a lawyer?"

Elise nodded, "Yup and my daddy is a doctor. Well… he was a doctor. He got sick and there wasn't anyone to take care of him. It was winter and it took a while to get him to the hospital. By the time he got there, he was super, super sick. My daddy went to heaven."

Lauren pulled the other chair over, "I'm sorry, Elise."

She shrugged, "Is my mommy going to go to heaven too?"

Lauren didn't want to make promises she couldn't keep so she chose her words carefully, "I'm going to do everything I can to prevent that, Elise, but she's very sick. She's asked me to take you with me to stay with someone who will be closer to the hospital where we'll taking her."

"So that I can sit in her room and read to her? I read to her a lot. She likes it. I read her Oh The Places You'll Go and Green Eggs and Ham. She likes Dr. Seuss."

Lauren nodded, "Elise, your Mommy needs to sleep right now. You can visit with her for now and if she gets better then yes, you'll be able to read to her again."

Elise nodded, "She doesn't want me to be near her. She's afraid I'll get sick."

"Well, right now your mommy is sleeping because she has a very high fever."

The young girl lowered her head, "Like Daddy did. He was burning hot."

Lauren nodded, "If you want to sit in the room with her, that's fine. As long as you don't share food or drink, you should be fine."

"So you know what's wrong with my mommy?"

Lauren smiled, "I think I might. I just don't have what I need to make her better. That's why we have to take a ride down south to get her help."

Elise nodded, "I wish they would have called you sooner."

"Me too, Elise. There's just not enough doctors to go around with everyone who is getting sick. But your Mommy has just given me answers to a lot of questions, so I think we know what's wrong now."

"Can we finish my math before we go? Then I can put it in the mailbox so my teacher can pick it up. Mommy doesn't want me to fall behind. She wants me smart like her and Daddy."

Smiling, the doctor nodded, "Of course. Let's get this math finished."

Lauren watched as the child set to work on her homework. While she worked, Lauren did her own homework starting with a mental checklist of things she needed to do before they left for the hospital. Since she didn't have the proper antibiotics for the suspected condition and she still needed a urine sample to confirm her suspicion, she would at least hang an I.V. to give Mary fluids. She was clearly dehydrated. Once on the plane, they would pack her in ice to try to drop her fever which was currently topping out at 106 degrees F. She needed to have Elise pack her belongings and she wanted to take a precautionary urine sample from the child as well. They could do that at the hospital.

She needed to call Molly to see if they would be willing to care for the child until the mother was well. If she didn't survive, she would have to call protective services to figure out the next steps. She hated to see another child end up in foster care, but that was the system.

Finally, she would need to call Bo. She was definitely going to be late. Very late.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_


	8. Chapter 8: Clashes and Clemency

_**A/N:**_ Just in case you missed, Chapter 7, go back! This is a double chapter update that includes Chapters 7 & 8.

Enjoy!

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **CHAPTER 8: Clashes and Clemency**_

Mary was on her way to the airstrip with the local emergency services ambulance. Lauren had managed to get a urine sample when she regained consciousness and asked for the bedpan that was under her bed.

Elise appeared in the kitchen where Lauren was seated, making notes from her conversation with the conference call she'd just finished with the researchers at the CDC, Portland and Seattle. Everyone confirmed their agreement with Lauren's train of thought… they were dealing with a new strain of Legionella… Legionnaire's disease. Statistically, only about five percent of the exposed population usually get the disease, but about thirty percent of those who get it will die. It was not contagious person-to-person but was spread through drinking water containing Legionella if the water was accidentally inhaled. It could also be inhaled through means such as ventilation systems.

When Kurt had come in to check on her progress, he has assured her there was no ventilation system in the house, so it had to be the water. Mary may have simply choked on the water and inhaled it through her nose or inhaled the droplets in the shower. Unfortunately, the only way to test for and treat the disease was with a urine antigen test and, if the test is positive, fluoroquinolone antibiotics such as Cipro or Floxin are required and she simply did not have those with her or in her clinic at this time. Since the fire, only her penicillin-based antibiotics had come in with her deliveries. Delaying the drug was going to decrease Mary's chances of survival, but there was nothing she could do about that right now.

After the conference call, she placed a call to Evony explaining the need for Cipro for the entire community. Her next call was to Molly who, once she heard the whole story, was all too happy to help even knowing that the situation could become more long term if the mother did not survive. Molly was going to get to work trying to figure out what the protocol was in a situation like this. She had a lawyer friend in town who she was going to ask for advice.

Lauren's next call was going to be to Bo, but Kurt came in again after a weather check and said it was now or never. Now, she was watching as Elise packed her bags. So far, she had almost all of the clothes she owned, a framed picture of her mom and dad, a framed picture of all three of them, two coloring books and a box of crayons, an iPad and charger, her mom's cellphone, her dad's cellphone because her mom always carried it with her for some reason she couldn't explain to Lauren and her socks and slippers.

"You have to take this with you." Elise said, handing an envelope to Lauren.

"What's this?" Lauren asked, taking the envelope.

The little girl pulled her snowshoes from her closet, attaching a strap to them before throwing them over her head and onto her back like a backpack. She pulled out a pair of mukluks and a full set of winter gear as well as a helmet,

"Are we riding a snow machine to the air strip?" Elise asked.

Lauren nodded, "We are, so you can put that gear on, sweetie. Can you tell me about this?"

Elise looked at the envelope, "My mommy told me that if anything ever happened to her, that she would write a note if she could, but if not, what's in that envelope would take care of me forever. I don't know how an envelope can take care of me, but she said it would."

She got back to her packing, heading for a hammock filled with stuffed animals, "Can I take three?"

Lauren smiled, "You can take five if you'd like."

"Thank you, Doctor Lewis. You're nice."

"You're welcome, Elise. You're very brave."

"I am?" she asked, her eyes welling with tears, "I don't feel very brave."

Lauren nodded, walking to the child and putting a hand on her shoulder, "I'm sure this isn't easy for you, but you're packing and doing what you have to do so that we can get your mommy help. I think that's very brave."

Elise shrugged, "Even if I cry?"

Lauren smiled, "Even if you cry."

"Mommy said it doesn't do any good to cry or argue about things we can't stop. We just have to do what we have to do."

No little girl should have to learn that lesson this early in life. Lauren could only offer a smile as Elise wiped her face and returned to her packing. The doctor opened the envelope and looked inside. She paged through a stack of documents, her eyes wide with disbelief as she found signed custody consent forms that stated the person who would select the guardian would have a letter in her handwriting. Lauren immediately pulled the note from her pocket and put it in the envelope.

Also included was a summary of Elise's medical records, her school records and a summary of her favorite hobbies. She found photos of when Elise was a child, on the reverse side of each was a summary of the photo. Another page directed Lauren to a second envelope that contained financial records that would transfer the parents' wealth to Elise's name when she turned twenty-one years of age. It specified that their material assets and house were to be sold, the money added to the same trust that would hold her financial wealth.

Until her eighteenth birthday, the guardians would receive a monthly stipend for her care. She had a college fund – something that didn't surprise Lauren considering the amount of schooling her parents had accessed. If anything were to happen to Elise before her eighteenth birthday, all assets were to be liquidated and all monies donated to a memorial scholarship for a student going on to a career in medicine named for the Valaria family.

Mary had thought of everything, "Elise, when did your mommy put this together?"

Elise shrugged, "After my daddy died. She said it was because I didn't have anyone else."

Lauren nodded, "Is there anyone here you would want to live with if it came to that?"

"No ma'am." She looked up at Lauren, her bottom lip quivering, "Do you mind if I'm not so brave for a few minutes?"

Lauren's eyes filled with tears as she opened her arms to the child. The little girl cried hard for a few minutes, before she finally pulled back and looked up at Lauren,

"I feel better now. Sometimes I just have to let out the sad stuff."

"You don't have to be brave all the time, Elise. You just have to feel the way you feel, okay?"

The little girl nodded, "Okay."

She looked around the room, "I need to get my cans of soup."

Lauren sighed, "No, sweetie. We have food where we're going."

"But Mommy said regular food wasn't safe for me."

Lauren nodded, "She meant the food that was here in the house, sweetie. Where we're going, the food will be safe."

"Promise?"

"I promise." Lauren smiled.

She watched as the youngster looked around the modest home once again, picking up odds and ends as she moved from room to room. Finally, she stood in her parents' office. She walked to her dad's desk and picked up his pen and put it in her bag. She turned to the shelves behind the desk and picked up a golf ball that was perched on a stand,

"My dad hit a hole in one with this ball. I don't know what that is, but it made him really, really happy. I want to take this to remember my dad's happy face."

Lauren smiled, "A very good choice then."

She walked over to her mom's desk and opened her desk drawer, removing two small velvet boxes

"These are my mom's rings. They're very special to her because they're from my dad. She always keeps them here when she wasn't wearing them."

She opened the other drawer and pulled out a larger velvet box, "And this was my grandmothers' brooch. My mom said that when I got married, this would be mine. She wants to make sure it always stays in the family. I think these shouldn't stay here while no one's here, right?"

"I agree." Lauren replied.

The little girl went to the book case behind her Mom's desk and took a Rubik's Cube from the shelf, "My Mommy plays with this all the time. She would make me mess it up and then she would fix it. She said it helped her think."

Lauren smiled, "I can see how that would help someone think."

"Really?" Elise asked, "It hurts my brain when I try it."

Lauren tried not to laugh as she watched the young girl crawl under the desk and pull out a box, "I don't have room in my backpack for this, but Mommy said if anything ever happened to her, I should open it. It's locked but she said the key was in the secret envelopes."

The doctor opened the first envelope and pulled out the papers. Sure enough, there was a small key in the bottom,

"You're right. There is a key."

"She's fine, so we'll keep it locked. Can you carry it?"

Lauren looked around the room and found a stack of oversized mailing envelopes. She grabbed one and put the two envelopes inside, then inserted them into an attaché case with a shoulder strap that she found. She took the box from Elise,

Lauren knelt down, taking Elise's backpack, "Let's tuck your Mom's things deep into the bottom of your bag to make sure they're safe."

"With daddy's golf ball?" she asked.

Lauren smiled, "With daddy's golf ball."

"I have to grab my toothbrush." She said, running to the bathroom and back again.

"Anything else?" Lauren asked, "Remember, it's not like we can't come back."

Elise nodded, "Yea, but some stuff I just don't want to not have."

"I understand. All ready?" Lauren asked, the two gathering all of her bags and heading for the door where Kurt was waiting for them.

"They had a snow machine in the barn with a covered sled for the kid behind. I'm thinking we put all of her belongings on the sled and put her between us on the machine."

"Sounds perfect. She has her own helmet and has the right clothing to wear." Lauren replied.

Kurt nodded, "They have some visqueen back there. Let me go grab that."

"Vis-what?" Lauren asked.

"Visqueen. It's a waterproof wrap that will hold everything tight and keep it dry."

"Oh, that's great." Lauren said, deciding that the document bag she'd brought would probably be best wrapped in as well.

"Perfect. The pharmacy delivered this bottle. Where do you want it?" He replied, handing the bottle to Lauren who secured it inside the zipper compartment of her parka while Kurt took the bags and put them into the cart he'd hitched to the back of the snow machine. He then took the spool of plastic and wrapped the entire cart.

"Thank you for the Cipro. I'll give it to her on the plane if she's conscious. If not, we'll have to wait until we get to the hospital for an I.V. delivery system."

He nodded as the three got onto the sled, "I talked to Bo. She's been home and back to Talkeetna a few times today. She has a few things she has to do, but she plans to be there when you get back unless you want her at the hospital."

"No need for her to go to the hospital. We'll meet in Talkeetna." She leaned in and whispered to Kurt, "I'd like Elise to meet Harper. She's so good with kids. Especially if the Mom doesn't make it. She'll need someone to cuddle with."

Kurt nodded, "A friend in need is a friend indeed."

"Something like that." Lauren smiled as Kurt started up the snow machine and headed for the air strip.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **Talkeetna, Four Hours Later…**_

Bo pulled up at the clinic to find it dark, so she walked over to the General Store to check in with Mark and Molly. She entered the store to find Molly with a customer near the cough remedies and Mark with a customer in the fishing supplies.

She slid quietly to the back and took a seat at the sample tables they had in outdoor furniture and pulled out some trail mix. Looking at their stock made Bo smile thinking of the Adirondack chairs she had finished today. They were definitely of equal or better quality than the table where she was sitting. Maybe she could seriously make a go of selling furniture. Of course, she may also just be trying to keep her mind occupied because she wasn't sure what Lauren was going through right now and it worried her.

Kurt said she looked very upset about the situation with this little girl and her mother. Were they both sick? If the mother died, she was sure Lauren would work her way through that eventually, but if a child died on her watch, Bo was sure that the doctor would be devastated. That was probably the thing that Bo respected and admired about Lauren the most – she truly cared about her patients and would do anything to save a life.

Bo was fairly certain that when it came to Lauren the doctor, she knew her heart. She became a doctor to save lives, so when she lost a patient, she struggled to recover no matter how old they were. She had told her the story of a baby who had been born with a hole in its heart. She'd performed the surgery to repair the hole, knowing that she would need additional surgeries down the road. When the child was about seven years old, she was brought into the emergency room with chest pain. Lauren was called down at the mother and father's request. Tests showed that there was valve damage inside of the child's heart.

Chances were that the damage was there from infancy, but because the valves were so small, it went unnoticed at the time. Over the years, as the heart muscle grew, it was only a matter of time until blood flow was disrupted.

She was scheduled for emergency surgery during which, Lauren found a tumor in the heart wall that had been invisible in the scans. She was put on the transplant list, but died before a donor could be found. Lauren had confided in Bo that it was the hardest death she'd ever had to recover from as a doctor.

"Hey, Bo. How's the house?"

"Hey, Mark. It's good. Looks like you opened for business early?"

He shook his head, "Nah, just opened for this couple. They called and asked if they could come in for two very specific items, so we said we'd open the doors for them."

"I guess a sale is a sale, right?" Bo smiled.

Mark nodded, "I guess so."

"Bo! How are you?"

"Hi Molly. I'm good, I guess. A little tired."

Molly nodded, "Pops told us you made three trips back and forth to your house tonight. Now you're going to go back again?"

Bo shrugged, "Depends on what Lauren needs from me, but yes, that's the plan. Pops had a little surprise for me on the last trip… bit of a curve ball, but I'll make it work."

The two looked at Bo, confused but she waved it off, "Never mind. It's not a big deal. We'll talk about that later. I was just telling Mark how nice it was for the two of you to open up for that couple. You're good people."

"If we're such good people, I would offer you some of that stew we have in back. You must be starving!" Molly said, moving towards the back of the store, but Bo stopped her,

"It's okay, Molly. I've got this trail mix and dinner is ready to go as soon as I get home."

"Oh nonsense. You'll be hungry again by the time you get there. Just a little bowl." She was off towards the back room before Bo could protest.

Mark laughed, "You know my wife, always feeding the neighborhood. She doesn't like for food to go bad and right now, we have a lot of food that's going to go bad if we don't share. We couldn't refreeze what we'd thawed to sell and with the store being closed all that time, she cooked it all and froze meals."

"Good idea." She said, just as Molly appeared with a bowl of stew and a piece of bread,

"Now, you eat that up. It'll warm you from the inside out. Lord knows you must have dropped twenty pounds during that race, Bo Dennis. You look like a skeleton."

Bo laughed, "Well, it's not like you have any pounds to spare, Molly. Did you eat a big bowl of stew like this?"

Molly laughed, "That bowl is small for you, Bo. I know you can eat four of those after race week. You haven't been takin' care of yourself. Don't think we haven't noticed. You're all run, run, run and work, work, work. You need to slow down, Bo or mark my words, you'll be Lauren's next patient."

"Oh, don't even say that. She'd kill me before she would heal me." Bo laughed, "Mmmm… damn, Molly. You should be selling this in the store. Heck with selling the meat. Put a cooler in there and sell prepared meals. I'd buy them."

Mark agreed, "She's got a point there, Molly. Everyone loves your cooking."

"Well, if you two are going to mind my shifts at the store, do the books and take care of the stock orders every week, I'll be happy to spend additional time cooking meals to sell on top of the meals I already have to cook for you and that starving nephew of yours."

Mark laughed, "I see your point, darlin'. We'll just keep things as they are."

"Well, that's unlikely, considering. Things are definitely going to be different from now on."

Mark wrapped an arm around Molly's waist, "I just hope we're not biting off more than we can chew here. We don't know much about taking care of girls."

Bo looked confused, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Didn't Lauren tell you?" Mark asked.

"I haven't talked to Lauren. She had Kurt call me. You spoke with her?"

"Soon after her patient became unconscious. It doesn't look good." Molly explained.

Bo shook her head, trying hard to keep her feelings under control that Lauren had called Molly, but not found the time to call her. She was sure there was a good reason.

"So, who is sick? I heard there was a mom and a little girl." Bo asked.

"Right. Well, the mom is sick. The father has already died – almost a year ago from what I understand. If the mom dies, the child has no one. There are no surviving relatives on either side."

"So where is the kid?" Bo asked.

"She's on her way here from the hospital with Kurt and Lauren."

"So, Lauren is babysitting?"

Molly looked at Mark, "No. She asked us if we would take her until this whole ordeal is over for her."

"Oh. So, Lauren called you to ask you if you would take the child… for how long?" Bo asked, cursing herself for being such a jealous idiot. She really couldn't wait until her appointment with that shrink tomorrow. Something was seriously wrong with her.

Molly shrugged, "Possibly indefinitely unless the girl decides she'd rather be elsewhere."

Bo nodded, "How did Lauren sound?"

"Honestly, she sounded like the night of the fire. She was in that intense doctor mode, running down her checklist, but… something was different. She sounded… off… distracted."

"I'm sure it's the child more than the sick patient. Did she say anything about her progress with the disease?"

Molly shook her head, "Not really. Just that she'd been on the wrong track. Something about what the mom told her about her husband mixed with her symptoms giving her a lead."

"Well, hopefully that's good news." Bo replied.

Mark interjected, "One thing Lauren did say was that she wanted the little girl to meet Harper. She said that hospitals often use therapy dogs for sick patients or grieving family members. She thinks that your Harper might be the perfect medicine for her."

Bo nodded, "I think I have a better idea… if you two are up to it."

Molly took her bowl to the back and Bo stood, walking with Mark towards the front of the store,

"You know the puppies that Tosh confiscated?"

Mark shook his head, "Puppies?"

Bo laughed, "That curve ball your Dad through me today?"

"Did someone say puppies?" Molly asked, pulling on her parka as she joined them at the door.

"I did. Your Dad surprised me."

Mark laughed, "As if your kennel isn't full enough, you're now suddenly the owner of puppies?"

Bo grinned, nodding, her eyes bright as she spoke, "Well, apparently one of the reasons that Big Jim was so bent on killing Harper was because she was stealing the spotlight from the rest of her line."

"Her line?" Mark asked.

Bo nodded, as they stepped into the night, heading for her new truck. She'd driven it down to see Tosh rather than take the sled. The truth was, it handled like a dream, the stereo system was amazing, and she absolutely loved the leather interior with the seat warmers. She turned to Mark to explain,

"All of Big Jim's dogs were bred from Harper's parents… the very same parents... their line. Big Jim had one of the first pups Harper ever had. I thought he'd sold them all, but apparently, he kept two. One was male and died in some accident Tosh didn't know much about. The other was a female who he'd been breeding, keeping the females in his kennel and only selling the males."

Bo sighed, "Today, Tosh told me that Harper's great granddaughter just had a litter of puppies. Harper's sire was Big Jim's dog, Kodiak. Only he wasn't Big Jim's dog at all. The Feds told Tosh that Kodiak was stolen from one of his victims. He left the guy for dead out on the ice up there… took his team so he couldn't get back."

"Bastard." Mark replied, "I cannot believe what an incredible psycho he was all of this time."

"Yup. That's for sure. Anyway, Kodiak had a great grandson who is the sire of these pups. So, it's literally the same bloodline. Pretty cool, huh?"

"Very." Mark smiled, "So who owns the granddaughter?" He asked.

Bo smiled, "Apparently the dogs that your grandfather gifted to LJ were from Harper's line. He knew he was too old to train them so he gave them to LJ knowing that he would never sell any of the family dogs.. Your dad found the dogs' papers in a safe and traced the lineage. He'd never known."

"Wait… do you mean that…"

"So when LJ bred your Hercules with his dog Wonder who are from Harper and Kodiak's line…"

Bo smiled, shrugging, "He added a whole new generation to their canine family tree."

"Wow. So, Harper's line will continue."

Mark nodded, "So, Pops gave you the puppies because they're rightfully yours. They came from your mother's family."

Bo smiled, "Yes, and they'll be loved now and that's all that matters. It would be nice if I could track down my Dad's victim…"

Mark shook his head, "Bo, you cannot spend your life with the weight of Big Jim's sins on your shoulders. If they come looking, then you can make good on it. If not, you move on with your life.

Bo shrugged, "I guess. It's just nice to know my Mom's line lives on after Harper."

Mark nodded, "Very true. Very true."

"So… um… I was wondering if you two would like to have a puppy in the family… as long as you promise not to sell any puppies that may come from his or her line? You can kennel him or her with me and LJ when they're older if you want. I'll give you the family discount." Bo winked.

The pair looked at each other and immediately nodded, "Puppy therapy… just what the doctor ordered," Molly replied, "I think it will be a great distraction for this little girl. No doubt her mom will be on her mind. You know a little something about that, Bo."

Bo frowned, "I do." She took a deep breath, "And, speaking of my mom, apparently Tamsin is coming back to town tomorrow. She wants to talk to me… more questions than answers, I'm sure, but she has some new ideas based on our interview with Big Jim. Well, at least that's what I'm told, but Pops said she'd been up snooping around the North Slope?"

Mark nodded, "That's what we heard. No idea why though. Dyson and Hale are keeping pretty tight lipped about it."

"Dyson was here?"

Mark nodded, "Came in just after you left today to check on our store licenses. Everything was in order, so he headed back."

Bo nodded, relieved that he was gone, "Hopefully tomorrow it's just Tamsin asking the questions. I'd prefer that Hale and Dyson stay far away from this now."

"Let us know if you need any backup." Mark smiled.

"I'll do that." Bo smiled, "Most definitely."

Just then, Kyle's truck pulled up. He exited the vehicle and looked at Mark, making a slicing motion across his neck.

Mark squeezed Molly a bit tighter as Bo asked, "Does that mean what I think it means?"

Mark took a breath, "If you think it means that the mother died, I'd say it's a good bet."

They watched as Lauren exited the vehicle, a small curly blonde-haired girl with bright blue eyes highlighted by red, tear stained cheeks clung to her leg. Bo's gaze moved to Lauren's pained expression,

"Elise, this is Molly and Mark. They're going to be looking out for you until you and I get something permanent figured out, okay?"

The young girl looked up at Lauren, pulling her down and holding her hand up to her ear so she could whisper to her, but still all of the adults heard as the youngster asked,

"Can't I stay with you?"

Lauren gave the child a soft smile, squatting down in front of her, "Elise, I told you that I live in a very small apartment. I don't have a room for you and I work all hours of the day just like you said your parents did. Remember when you told me at the hospital that you wished your mom would have taken less cases so you could have had more time with her before she left you?"

Elise nodded, "I know, but… I don't know them."

Lauren smiled, "You know, you just met me about six hours ago… maybe less. I'd be willing to bet that six hours from now, you'll know Mark and Molly even more than you know me. Plus, they have a son named Michael. He's not home right now because he's working at his Uncle's store down in Anchorage, but their nephew LJ is here and guess what?"

"What?" She said quietly, not quite enthusiastic as her head remained buried in Lauren's torso.

"He works with Bo Dennis."

The little girl looked up, "The Iditarod champion?"

"One and the same."

She nodded, "That's cool" She looked up at Lauren, "I know I should be happy that I might meet Bo Dennis, but… well, I'm very sad right now. You said it's okay for me to feel that, right?"

Lauren nodded, "It's okay for you to feel anything you're feeling, Elise. We'll all understand."

"It's kind of weird." Elise said.

"Feeling sad?" Lauren asked.

Elise shook her head, "Feeling sad, but feeling kind of excited."

"Oh? What are you excited about?"

"I watch the Iditarod every year on TV. Before my dad died, we went and saw the first time Bo won. My daddy held me up on his shoulders at the finish line. It was really dark out because it was really, really late at night, but I was allowed to stay up past my bedtime because I love her so much."

"Did you meet her?" Lauren asked.

Elise shook her head, "No, but daddy said we would meet her one day. But then he died."

Lauren grinned, "How would you like to meet Bo now?"

"That would be like a dream come true. My mom wanted to meet her real bad, too. We were supposed to go to the race this year. My mom was going to try to get her autograph for me, but… well… that's when she started to feel confused. She forgot when the race was… she forgot where our house was… we drove around for hours until I finally called my teacher and he came and found us."

Lauren wrapped her arms around the little girl, "I'm so sorry you had to go through that, Elise. And I'm sorry you missed the race. But maybe your mom just found a way to get that autograph for you."

"How would she do that from heaven?" Elise asked.

Lauren smiled, "By calling for me to come, then asking me to find someone to take care of you which led me to call Molly and Mark who told Bo to come and bring one of her former champions."

Bo held up a finger up to Lauren, signaling her to give her a moment before moving back to open the door of the super cab. She reached in and lifted Harper out of the truck, quietly telling her to stay. The dog obeyed, allowing Bo to go back into the cab and retrieve a snow-white puppy from the pile of straw she'd laid for the pups in the back to keep them warm.

Bo glanced at Molly and Mark who had still not given her an actual yes or no answer about taking the puppy, but Molly's eyes said it all as she absolutely melted at the sight of the adorable pup.

Bo moved back towards the group, Harper by her side as Lauren put one knee in the snow and said to Elise,

"If you look behind you, I think you'll see a familiar face."

Lauren pointed, watching as Elise turned towards Mark and Molly. Molly smiled, "Look over at the truck, Elise." She pointed towards Bo who waited until the little girl turned her head the other direction and looked over her shoulder, still unwilling to let go of Lauren.

The little girl's eyes went wide as she stood, frozen staring up at Bo. Lauren laughed, as she asked,

"Well, aren't you going to say hello?"

Bo knew from experience that in these situations, often it was the dogs that broke the social boundaries best. She walked Harper forward, leaning down to whisper to Harper,

"Harper, say hello to Elise. Go on, girl."

Harper stepped forward and nudged the youngster's hand with the top of her head. Elise smiled, as she said to Lauren,

"This is Harper. Do you know what she does on the sled?"

Lauren shook her head, fairly certain that answering yes would ruin Elise's big reveal, "I don't. Do you?"

Elise nodded, "She's a swing dog. She's next to Af… Afadite or something?"

Lauren smiled, "Aphrodite."

"Yup! Do you know that Harper can't run a whole Iditarod anymore because she's old? But Bo takes her anyway? You know why?"

Lauren shook her head, taking a peek at Bo who was laughing, "I don't know why. Do you?"

Elise nodded her head, "Bo loves Harper best. They're BFF's and she won't leave her behind even if she spends all of the checkpoints in the sack thing on the sled."

Lauren smiled, "You mean the basket?"

Elise nodded, "I wanna be like Bo someday."

"You do?"

Elise smiled, "My mom and dad worked too much. Now they're gone and they never got to play much. My mom said that Bo had the best job in the world because she got to play at work."

Lauren grinned, "I think she'd agree with you. Do you want to ask her?"

Elise lowered her eyes, "I'm embarrassed."

Lauren looked confused, "Why?"

Elise whispered, "She saw me cry over my mom."

Lauren looked up at Bo, her eyes pleading for help. The brunette sighed. This conversation was hitting a little close to home, but how could she not help this little girl. She'd just lost her mother and Bo knew exactly how she felt,

"I cried over my mom." Bo said, drawing Elise's attention, "I still cry over my mom."

"Did your mommy die?" Elise asked, now sitting on Lauren's bent knee.

Bo shrugged, "I don't know. Some people say she died, some say she ran off and left me. Either way, I don't know where she is or what happened to her, so sometimes it makes me so sad that I cry."

Elise looked at Lauren, "I guess crying isn't so bad if Bo Dennis does it."

Lauren smiled, "I guess so."

Elise looked at Bo, "Can I have your autograph for my mom? She always wanted me to have it."

Bo nodded, "If you're going to stay with Mark and Molly, I'll be seeing you around. We're family."

"Really?" Bo nodded.

"It will seem strange, but Mark is actually my nephew even though we're about the same age. Molly is his wife so that means we're related by marriage."

"Wow. So I'm gonna stay with your family?"

Bo nodded, "You sure are and do you know what's even better than them being my family?"

Elise shook her head, "No."

"They're my favorite people because they're really kind and caring people. They own that store over there and they take good care of the people in our town."

Elise eyed Mark and Molly suspiciously before smiling at Mark and Molly, "It's very nice to meet you."

Molly grinned, "It's very nice to meet you as well, Elise."

Lauren gave Bo a thumbs up, saying thanks for the motivation to move towards the couple.

Molly nodded towards the road where LJ was headed towards the kennel. Bo gave a whistle and waved him to her. She saw Diana and Nike in the lead and smiled,

"Elise, do you know who my lead dogs are?"

"Sure! I know all your dogs. My daddy's friend got him some book about the Iditarod the first year you one and he read it to me at bedtime. It had all about you in there. All about your dogs and how you made your own sleds and all that stuff."

Bo smiled, "You read my bio, huh? As a bedtime story?"

Elise shrugged, "I liked it. I like Harper a lot, but it said that your lead dogs Nike and Diana are super smart. Is that true?"

Bo smiled, "Let's see if we can show you just how smart they are."

"How do you do that?"

Bo smirked, "Well, the musher is only holding on with one hand and the dogs can feel that. LJ thinks that they'll listen to the driver, but the truth is…"

"You're their real musher so they'll listen to you?"

Bo smiled, "You're absolutely right. Watch." She said as she gave a whistle and called out, "Nike! Diana! Come on, girls! Let's see if you can put LJ on his butt!"

Elise giggled as the two leads accelerated, and the rest of the team followed, causing LJ to lose his grip and fall off the back of the sled. The team was now running top speed at the group without a musher, so Bo quickly handed the puppy off to Molly and stepped in front of her team,

"Whoa! Whoa! Nike, Diana! Whoa! Haw! Haw!"

The leads turned left and came to stand right before Bo. All of them looked back to see LJ crawling to his feet, covered in snow from head to foot. They couldn't help but laugh.

Bo turned to face Elise, "Want to say hello to a sled dog team?"

Elise looked at Lauren who nodded. Bo waved Lauren forward, wanting her to stay with the child as she approached only because they dogs might be in a bit of a mood after a run with LJ.

Elise slowly, hesitantly, stepped towards Bo, who held tight to Diana's collar,

"Hold your hand out for her to sniff. She'll probably slide her head under your hand. That's how they tell you they like you and it's okay for you to touch them."

Elise smiled as Diana did just that, "Hi Diana."

The youngster looked up at Bo, "I can't believe this is happening."

Bo nodded, "Well, this is just the beginning of what you can do with these dogs. Do you want to help us out with the dogs tomorrow?"

"You mean help you take care of them?" Elise asked.

Bo nodded, "Yup. We have to feed them, play with them, take care of their coats, exercise them and… well, we have to shovel their poop!"

Elise laughed with Bo as she pinched her nose with her fingers.

"I can't wait!" She turned to Lauren, then Molly and Mark, "Do I need… permission? Who do I ask?"

Lauren could see the little girl's face drop at the memory of her mom, "I wish I could ask my mom. I wish she could see them."

Bo placed a hand on her shoulder as the tears began again for the youngster. Trying to gather herself, Elise looked up at Bo, "Can I hug you?"

Bo smiled, pulling the little girl into her arms and holding her as she cried. It broke Lauren's heart, but she took the time to talk to Molly and Mark while Bo had her,

"Her mom died of complications from pneumonia due to a bacterial infection. She was talking to her mom when she began to have trouble with her breathing. Elise pushed the nurses' call button. They ran in, she coded, they went to work with the crash cart, but no one ever noticed Elise was standing in the corner. She watched the entire thing unfold. When I came in, she was lying in bed with her deceased mother. It took me a few minutes to get her out of the room."

"Oh God." Molly said, her hands covering her mouth as she leaned against her husband.

Lauren nodded, "She's going to have a rough week, Molly. Apparently, since the ground is still too frozen, they won't bury her until spring or summer?"

"We know, Lauren. Funerals around here are always put off until the spring thaw. The ground is just too frozen to dig. There's only a few months where burials can take place. Does anyone know the mother's wishes?"

"Actually, it's probably in the paperwork Elise gave me. I'll check on that tomorrow." Lauren replied, "Are you sure you want to take this on?"

Molly and Mark both nodded, as Mark explained, "We always wanted more children, Lauren. It just didn't happen for us. We promise that for as long as we have her, she will be loved and have every experience we can offer."

Lauren smiled, "Thank you. I'll help you when I can and…" she looked over her shoulder at Bo who now had Elise focused on the dogs again, "I think you can count on Bo as well. LJ and Michael will have the sibling they never had – maybe that will be a good thing, too. Hopefully they'll be on board."

Mark nodded, "I'm sure they'll take to her as if she were their blood."

Elise had met all of the dogs on the small team when she turned to Bo, "It was really cool to meet you and the dogs." She turned back to Harper and wrapped her arms around her neck, "Good night, Harper. You're still my favorite."

Harper licked the young girls' face causing her to giggle and turn to Bo, "She kissed me, right?"

Bo smiled, "She certainly did."

"I hope my mommy can see that I'm meeting her." Another tear rolled down her cheek, "I think I'm tired now."

Bo looked up at Lauren who nodded. She looked back to Elise, "You've been through a lot today, kiddo. It's normal for you to be tired."

"Will I see you tomorrow, Bo?"

Bo smiled, "I have some appointments, but I'm sure you will." She looked up to see LJ walking up to the group, so introduced him,

"Elise, this is LJ. He's Mark and Molly's nephew. He'll be staying in the room next to yours. If you need anything you just ask him. He's my right-hand man and he'll be there for you no matter what you need."

Bo looked up at a confused LJ who just nodded and went along with it, "Yes I will."

Elise whispered to Bo, "So he's like my brother?"

Bo nodded, "Yes, LJ will be like your big brother."

"I never had a brother or sister before."

LJ smiled, "Well, that makes two of us. Nice to meet you, Sis!"

He held up a high five which the young girl slapped as she said, "Nice to meet you… what does LJ mean?"

He laughed, "It's short for Little Jon."

"Oh." She replied, turning back to Bo, "So I'm staying at Mark and Molly's house?"

Molly smiled, "If that's okay with you, we'd love to have you stay with us. Now, let's get you inside and settled so you can get some sleep."

Elise turned and gave Lauren a big hug, "Good night. Thanks for staying with me and thanks for trying to save my mom. I don't blame you that she didn't live… just so you know."

"Thank you, Elise." She leaned down and whispered, "Give Molly and Mark a chance, okay? They're really nice people who helped me a lot when I first came to Alaska."

She looked up at Lauren and nodded before turning to face Molly and Mark, "Are we going to your house now?"

Molly smiled, "Is it okay if we go to our store first? We have to lock up. Then we can go home."

Elise nodded, "I don't want to be a bother. We'll uh…" she thought for a moment, "…play it by ear. I don't really know what that means. My mommy and daddy used to say it a lot when I asked to do stuff."

Molly nodded, "Okay then, we'll play it by ear." Turning around, Molly looked down to see that the puppy Bo gave them was playing with the boughs of one of the pine trees behind them, snow falling down around her,

"Elise?"

Elise looked up at Molly, "Huh?"

"I'm wondering if you want to take on that puppy over there? She's going to be a champion one day."

"She is?" Elise asked, "How do you know?"

Molly smiled, "Because she's Harper's great granddaughter."

Elise turned to Bo, "She is?"

Bo smiled and nodded, "She is, and she needs someone who is going to be firm with her, but give her a lot of love. Are you interested in the job?"

"Yes! Will you teach me how to train her?"

Bo smiled, "We'll all help you with that, sweetie."

Molly picked up the pup and put her down in the snow in front of Elise. She waddled her way to the young girl, jumping into her lap immediately. Elise petted her, giggling and smiling. It warmed the hearts of everyone standing there to see the youngster have this moment.

"Does she have a name, Bo?"

"Not yet. Do you have anything in mind?"

Elise smiled, "She seems to love the snow and her fur is snowy white."

Bo looked at LJ, "Can you handle more Disney Princess names?"

LJ nodded, "As long as the rest of them are the tough girl princesses, I'm on board."

Bo smiled, "Tough girl princesses it is."

Elise looked up at Bo, "How 'bout just Snow? Snow storms are really strong."

"They certainly are, Elise."

The young girl smiled, "I think Snow and I are really tired now."

Molly nodded, "Well then, let's get going."

Mark picked up the puppy for the youngster while Molly held out her hand for Elise to take. The little girl hesitated for a moment, but then accepted the gesture. The three turned and walked towards the General Store.

Lauren turned back to the Bo and LJ,

"She's gonna have a rough road."

LJ pulled his goggles up, "Can someone explain to me what's going on?"

Lauren sighed, turning to the young man, "I went up to Chase to see some patients. I'm still waiting for confirmation, but I believe we've solved the problem of the disease plaguing the villages and towns. If so, we still have to find the source which will mean the EPA and CDC will have to come in to figure it out. Until then, we're going to treat everyone for the suspected bacterial infection… including both of you and there will be no discussion about it."

Bo and LJ both closed their mouths, stopping their intended protests.

"So, it's not a virus?" LJ asked.

Lauren shook her head, "Hopefully not, which would be a good thing. Anyway, Elise is the child of two parents who had the disease. Her father died earlier in the year. Her mom fell ill a few weeks ago. The doctor started treatment, but he fell ill and died. The mom was too sick to know that she was waiting for help that was no longer coming. By the time someone got through the doctors' charts and realized she was ill, she was already bed ridden. Her daughter had been caring for her."

"That little girl?"

Nodding, Lauren continued, "What I saw gave a whole new meaning to a child who had to grow up too fast. In the kitchen, the dinner table was covered in cans of soup. On the stove was a pot and a spoon for stirring. In the sink was a bowl and a spoon. There was a step stool in front of the stove. She has been surviving on soup and bottled water for three weeks and from what I can gather, the last two of those weeks, she's been cooking for her mother and herself."

Bo and LJ stood there in disbelief as Lauren continued,

"We worked as quickly as we could to get the mother transported here, but we simply started treatment too late. When I listened to her lungs, there was very little air exchange taking place. I think her heart just gave out from trying so hard to get oxygen."

"So, we're waiting for the little girls' family to show up then?" Bo asked.

Lauren shook her head, "There is no family… absolutely no one. The mother and father were lawyer and doctor, respectively. They had no friends in the community willing to take her. The mother drew up all of the papers in case of her death, so all we need is a couple willing to adopt her. She clearly states that under no circumstances is her daughter to be permitted to be confiscated by any government agencies or the foster system."

LJ nodded, "So you're hoping my aunt and uncle will actually adopt her?"

Lauren shrugged, "I haven't discussed that with them yet. This is purely temporary for now. The mother named me executor of her will."

Bo's eyes went wide, "She didn't even know you."

"She looked me up on the internet – her research was in the envelope I received with a note explaining her wishes to me. I think the whole reason I was called there is because she knew she wasn't going to make it and she needed someone she could trust to take her daughter. The good thing is that in addition to the discussion we had and the note she wrote from her bedside, it's pretty clear cut what is to be done with regards to her daughter. She even contacted my attorney back in Boston. I'll be calling her tomorrow since she apparently knows about all of this but never told me."

"Why wouldn't she tell you?" Bo asked.

Lauren shrugged, "Maybe because I haven't been in touch with her at all?"

LJ smirked, "You're a terrible client and I'm being a terrible big brother. I'd better get in there and help her navigate the mess I left in the bathroom. See you two tomorrow?"

Bo and Lauren nodded, Bo stopping him as he went to grab the team, "I'm just going to take this group home. I'll put Harper and the pups in the basket."

"You're staying out at your place tonight?" LJ asked.

Bo nodded, "Not completely sure, but might be."

"Okay then. I'll go help them get my new little sister tucked in. Then, I need some grub. It's way past my dinner time."

They watched as LJ headed off towards the General Store before Bo turned to Lauren,

"I know you may not be in the mood for dinner tonight. If you want to stay here and be on your own, that's fine, Lauren. If you want me to stay, I'll kennel the dogs and stay, but know that you'll have Harper and puppy guests. I can't leave them out in the kennel. Whatever you want is fine. We can reschedule."

Lauren turned to Bo, "If your plan was to put me on that sled and take me deep into the woods to your new home, feed me a great meal and then take me to your bed, I'm 100% on board with that plan."

"Y-you are?" Bo asked, suddenly nervous.

"I am. I've had enough sadness, enough heart ache and enough of taking care of everyone else for the day. Tonight, if your plan is to take care of me, I am relinquishing all control to you. I just don't have the strength to do anything for myself. I'm exhausted and I need to sleep, but I'm incredibly hungry so I need to eat first."

"Okay then. Have a seat on the sled seat. I'll stand."

Lauren looked confused, "You're not putting me in the basket?"

"You want to be in there with Harper and the puppies?" Bo asked.

"Hell yes! She'll keep me warm! Besides, she loves me and I need some lovin' right now. Puppies are wonderful lovers."

Bo looked at Harper, "You trying to move in on my date?"

Lauren laughed, walking towards Harper, "I'll drop her like a hot potato, my darling Harper."

Harper licked Lauren's cheek causing the blonde to laugh.

"Traitor." Bo mumbled, walking to the sled.

She turned to Lauren and smiled, "You're not wearing a husky coat, so zip up, Harper's date."

"Come on, girl." Bo said, calling to Harper who walked slowly to her side. Bo lifted her up, holding her tight, "You should probably get in first. She'll hog the whole space if she gets in first."

Lauren climbed into the space, getting comfortable before Bo passed Harper to her, "Gawd, you're heavy."

Bo smiled, "That's a good thing. The Vet said she had lost thirty pounds during chemo."

Lauren nodded, "She's coming along really well, though."

"And she's cancer free." Bo smiled.

Bo zipped up the front of the basket and put up the windshield she'd added, then stepped behind the sled. She pulled up her hood and reached down, handing Lauren a pair of goggles,

"You'll need these so you don't get your eyeballs burned out."

"Thank you, but it's getting dark, Bo."

The brunette nodded, "They're not tinted. You'll be able to see just fine. Hold tight, ladies. I've got some gear to load."

She walked back to her truck, pulling out a gear bag and the things she had picked up at the store. Hopefully the salmon hadn't been cooking for too long. If so, she'd have salmon soup and would really need that open fire grate for cooking some new salmon filets. She grabbed the bag of pillows and then walked back to the sled, putting them into the pull cart LJ had on the back.

She walked back to the truck and pulled out two backpacks, one that had the bottle of white wine she'd picked up at Molly's recommendation earlier in the day. Once everything was stowed, she zipped the bag shut and checked to be sure the cart was secured correctly to the sled. She walked back to the truck for one last pick up, locked the doors and headed towards the front of the sled,

"I hope you ladies don't mind three more passengers. Three more of Harper's tough princess granddaughters." Bo smiled, unzipping the compartment once more and handing Lauren the puppies.

Lauren smiled, "Oh, Bo. They're adorable!" Lauren said, taking the puppies one at a time and laying them between her and Harper, "Do you think she knows they're her blood? Look at her with them!"

Bo smiled, "Just as I expected. Dogs have a sense for this type of thing. I'm sure she knows."

Bo stood watching the four dogs and Lauren for a long moment before she pulled herself back to reality,

"We've gotta get going or it will be completely dark before we get there. Here's a headlamp for you." Bo said, handing the device to Lauren who pulled it over her head, then returned her attention to the dogs.

Bo moved to the front of the sled and mounted three headlamps on the special cross bar that were part of all of Bo's sleds. She switched each of them on and then checked on each of the dogs as she walked back to pull the ice hook from the ground.

"Okay everyone! Let's head for the house! Diana! Nike! Hike! Hike!"

They headed off down the trail for the first night in Bo's new home. The musher could only hope that after a day of tragedy and sadness, she could do something to lift the doctor's spirits. Looking down to see Lauren smiling amidst a basket full of puppy fun, she thought the evening was headed in the right direction.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

Bo stopped outside of the garage and opened the code box. Punching in the numbers, the battery powered door opened, revealing a space for her sled and gear. She drove the sled in, the dogs veering around to the right and back towards the sled before coming to a stop. Bo unhitched the team, wrapping the lead line around the hook that was permanently mounted outside the bay door. She then pushed the sled into the garage the rest of the way, unzipping the basket so Lauren could get out.

She moved back to the door and unwrapped the line, pulling the dogs around to the other side of the sled before lowering the door again. Lauren helped her to wipe down each of the dogs with a rag before she watched Bo open a door to the other side of the garage and walk through,

"Come, girls!"

Lauren watched the girls follow their master before she asked, "Do you want Harper and the puppies?"

Bo nodded, "Yup. There's room for everyone."

Lauren gave each of the pups a pat on their behinds, sending them through the gate. Harper followed without need for any action on Bo's part. The blonde walked through the gate and smiled,

"You've thought of everything."

Bo smiled, "The other side is for a vehicle… snow machine, car, truck, whatever. I don't want the dogs to get spoiled sleeping on furniture in the house. It wouldn't be fun for them to sleep on the hardwood floors either, so this is really the best. It's what they're conditioned to do. They'll get some house time and backyard time as well. Just not on a regular basis."

Putting food down for each dog, she re-filled the trough with water. The dogs came running out of curiosity just as the previous three teams had throughout the day. She pulled out a large dish pan and dipped it into the trough, pulling out enough water for all of the puppies so they would be able to drink from something they could actually reach.

"Dog food will have to do for them for tonight. I'll get a puppy version of the kibble tomorrow."

"So, I take it you weren't planning on puppies?"

Bo smiled, "Not at all. Tosh dropped that one on me today. Can you believe she has grandkids?"

Lauren grinned, "It's incredible, Bo."

"It's a long story too. I'll tell you another day. Right now, I want to get you fed and watered. I'm sure you haven't eaten since this morning."

Lauren shrugged, "Guilty as charged."

"This way then." She headed through the door that went into the kitchen, calling back to the dogs, "You all behave! Harper, you're in charge! Protect the kids!"

Harper gave a bark as the two women entered the home. Bo turned on her headlamp and Lauren's as well.

"Sorry, no power yet."

"Uh…Bo…"

"The solar panels don't come in until sometime this week. I have candles and lanterns, so we're fine for light if you just give me a minute to get them lit. Besides, the moon is out and we're not really doing anything that requires electricity. I'll have to show you how to use the water and toilet, but it's really quite simple."

"I've been using a toilet since I was two." Lauren replied, arms folding over her chest, "It's cold in here."

Bo nodded, "I've been in and out all day… mostly out. I just need to restart the fire. The place will warm up quite nicely."

Lauren sighed, looking around the house, "Wow. This place is much bigger than I thought it would be."

Bo nodded, "I've got a few things to check on. Feel free to look around. I'm running outside for a few minutes. I'll be right back."

Lauren nodded, heading into the living room while Bo exited to the garage. She went to the sled cart and grabbed the backpack that had the things she'd picked up today and headed outside. She quickly threw the cushions on the chairs before going to fire pit and grabbing the shovel. She dug quickly, using the shovel handle to pull the hot meal from the coals. She placed the pot in the sand between the two chairs, then returned to the wood stack by the fence to get what she needed to beef up the fire.

She threw kindling in the pit, then larger pieces on top of those before putting crisscrossing layers of wood over the pit. She grabbed the three burlap torches she'd made before she'd left and thrust them into the ground around the them, lighting them with a match.

Finally, she grabbed the small wooden table and put it in the sand between the chairs, adding a plate and fork to each. She reached into her backpack and pulled out the metal bucket and bottle of wine. She walked to the water pressed the bucket into the sandy river bottom, watching it fill with running water. She put the bottle of wine into the bucket,

"Chilled wine in five minutes, salmon… check the salmon to make sure it's not soup!"

She hurried back to the dutch oven and used a piece of kindling to lift the lid. Grabbing a fork, she poked at the salmon,

"So, salmon looks good." She took a bite, "Ohmagosh. That is so good!" She poked a potato and made sure the vegetables were cooked, "My compliments to the chef!"

She replaced the lid and headed back to the backpack, pulling out the vase of flowers she'd picked up for Lauren from Kenzi's greenhouse. She unwrapped them before burying the bottom of the vase in the sand between the chairs. She didn't want them to tip or be exposed to the wind. She'd give them to Lauren after dinner.

Finally, she set the backpack behind the chairs not wanting the other items to get cold before Lauren came outside. She looked up to be sure that the shelter she had built was holding in the river wind and determined that it would be fine.

Bo took one last look around, trying to figure out if there was anything else she could do to make this night perfect for Lauren. But she couldn't think of anything at the time. Hopefully it was enough to help her relax and forget the serious stuff she'd been through for now.

She headed back inside to get her date. When she entered the house, there was a fire roaring in the fireplace and the blonde was sitting on the couch in front of it.

"This is cozy." Bo smiled.

"I thought I'd help you out. This place is… I can't believe you did all of this. It's amazing, Bo. It's absolutely beautiful. I was expecting a shed at best. This is… I mean… it's a real family home."

Bo grinned, "It's much bigger than I had originally planned, but I'd start doing something and would think of a reason it should be different… eventually all of the differences added up to all of this."

"Well, you did a great job." She stood, "So, are we ordering take out?" Lauren laughed.

Bo shrugged, "Well, the downside of living out here is that no one delivers."

"Except LJ, I'd think." Lauren chuckled.

"I'm sure he'll be here quite a bit. I can ask for deliveries in lieu of rent."

"Brilliant idea." Lauren laughed.

"Well, let's get this dinner party started, shall we?" Bo asked, offering her arm to Lauren.

The blonde smiled, slipping her hand through the crook of the brunette's elbow, "Absolutely, but really… what are we eating? I don't see any food anywhere."

"Outside." Bo replied, seeing the look of terror on Lauren's face, "I promise, you won't be cold and the food will be hot."

"Bo…"

"Trust me?" Bo asked.

Lauren sighed, "Of course."

Bo pulled up the zipper on Lauren's coat, "But I will bundle you up until I get you where we're going."

She led the blonde out of the house and through the backyard. Once she opened the gate, there was enough light for Lauren to see a massive river, a snow-covered mountain range and some sort of structure beyond the fence.

"My God, this is beautiful."

Bo smiled, "Can't beat this view."

Lauren pointed to the structure, "What's that?"

"A local restaurant."

Lauren laughed, "Oh? What's it called?"

"Bo's Riverside Café?" Bo replied with a light chuckle.

She led Lauren around the lean-to structure and to her seat, "Comfortable?"

"Very. I love this chair." Lauren smiled.

Bo disappeared behind the chair, pulling out the backpack. She walked back to Lauren and unfolded a heavy wool blanket,

"This will keep you nice and toasty." She laid the blanket over Lauren's legs and torso, the blonde moaning with delight,

"It's warm." She smiled, cozying the blanket up to her neck.

Bo nodded, pulling a blanket out for herself, "It's been in a backpack that has heat packs in it for hours."

Leaning down between them, she opened the dutch oven, "Salmon Bake Surprise. Every ingredient has been grown or caught right here on the Bo Dennis Estate."

She used Lauren's fork to make a plate of salmon and veggies before pulling a baguette out of the backpack and tearing off a piece for the blonde,

"That bread may be warm enough to burn your tongue, so be careful." She smiled, handing Lauren the plate.

She walked down to the river to retrieve the bucket, making sure to leave cold water inside to keep the wine chilled. She reached into the backpack and pulled out the opener to pop the cork on the bottle. After pouring two glasses, she handed one to Lauren and put the other on the table by her plate.

When she was finally settled next to Lauren, the fire was roaring, and the blonde was taking her first bite of the meal. Bo watched in anticipation, hoping she would enjoy it. The look on her face said it all,

"You can cook! You can really cook!"

Bo smiled, "The dogs wouldn't run for me if I fed them food that tasted like crap for the whole race. I've honed my skills to keep them satisfied."

Lauren laughed, "Bo, this is delicious. You may have to go out there and catch more fish!"

Bo lifted the lid to the kettle, "Trust me, there's plenty."

"Oh gawd! That's a lot of fish!"

"Well, I was hoping for leftovers for breakfast, but if not, I've got more in my cache. I caught five today."

"Good day of fishing." Lauren replied.

"Good enough for what we need." Bo replied.

"What's in the burlap bag?" Lauren asked.

Bo smiled, "Oh, I almost forgot! I had to dig up the pot and put those in before I left Tosh's place. I had a few crabs in my traps down river, so I cooked them up as well."

Lauren looked in the bag that Bo was holding out, "I love crab! You do know I'm from Boston, right?"

Bo smiled, "I know, but you do know that most of the crab you eat in Boston is from Alaska, right?"

Lauren nodded, "The Alaskan King Crab, yes. But most of the other is from our waters."

Bo laughed and Lauren caved,

"Okay, so the king crab is much better than anything we have, but you haven't lived until you've had our clam chowder."

Bo nodded, "Can't say I've had that."

"One of these days, you will. I'm going to get you to travel the world with me, Bo Dennis. Someday, you'll see Boston."

Bo had to admit, the thought of traveling the world was… terrifying. She didn't know how to reply, so she looked out at the river,

"So, is the view to your satisfaction, Miss?" Bo asked.

Lauren laughed, "It's beautiful here, Bo. Absolutely beautiful. Can I have more?"

Bo smiled, "Of course. Do you want me to…" She pointed to the oven, grabbing the stick to lift the lid so that Lauren could help herself to more of the fish and veggies.

"This is amazing and I'm actually quite comfortable with the temperature."

"Warm meal, warm blanket, raging fire and a shelter of pine, brush and visqueen to keep the heat in."

"That's the second time I've heard that term today."

"VIsqueen? It's just a plastic we use up here to keep things waterproof. They wrap boats and all kinds of things in it. This piece will last me years."

Lauren nodded, "So this is how you live while at the Iditarod?"

Bo nodded, "This is luxury compared to that. I don't always make a fire. If I have all of the dogs in a smaller space, there's plenty of heat. I have a few caves or sheltered areas I've found over the years that are also fairly warm. All of the open stops – especially at night – I fire up the Heet and burn wood. It also helps to keep unwanted guests away. Mostly, I sleep in the open, especially the stretch through Iditarod."

"Would the other mushers harm you or the dogs?"

Bo shook her head, "I was talking about wolves and bear."

"Oh. Oh yes, of course." Lauren said, now remembering that Big Jim and his men hadn't been the only dangers Bo had faced.

They finished their plates and sat back, relaxing in the comfort of the chairs. Lauren reached her hand over, covering Bo's with her own,

"Is this okay?" She asked.

Bo smiled, "It's more than okay, Lauren."

The blonde smiled, looking out at the river. Bo, having seen the beauty of the river many times, chose to look at Lauren.

"If you get cold, just say the word and we can go inside. Someone was kind enough to make a big fire in there."

Lauren smiled, "I've got many skills."

"You certainly do, Doctor."

Lauren turned back to the river, "So, what are your dreams, Bo? What do you really want to do in your life before you get so old that all you do is sit here and stare at the river?"

Bo smiled, "Well, I'd like to have the record for the most Iditarod championships. I feel like if I did that, people would know that my mom did something great with her life despite having accepted life with my father."

"You're mad at her for that?"

Bo shrugged, "I buried who he was so deep I didn't remember him or my brothers. I'd say I must have been. I plan to talk about that at my therapy tomorrow."

Lauren turned to Bo, "You still plan to go?"

Bo nodded, "Of course I do. Is that a problem?"

"Absolutely not. I just thought that there might be a reason you couldn't go."

She shook her head, "Apparently I have to see Tamsin for another meeting tomorrow, but I'm not going there until after my appointment no matter what she says. There is nothing more important than that therapy right now. I did a lot of thinking today." She looked at Lauren,

"I'm sorry I didn't hear you at the banquet that night. You were right. I wasn't listening. I was only focused on myself and what I wanted… I wasn't even thinking about my feelings… I haven't been in touch with those for a long time. I think… and I'm not making excuses for my bad behavior… all of those years wandering on my own, I was the only person I had to take care of… everything was on my schedule and my way… even the dogs had to follow my schedule in a way. I mean, I would never push them beyond what they were capable of, but I'm sure there were days where they wanted me to play with them or let them sleep with me, but I didn't pay attention to those details."

She looked back out to the river, "I'm not sure when I started putting them first… probably when Big Jim came back into my life because I was always worried about him killing my new dogs like he did my old." She shook her head, "Honestly, I don't even know what I'm saying other than… I want to be a better person. I want to see a little girl in need like you did with Elise and put her first. I want to put my brother and my nephews first. I want to put you first. I want to be more generous, more kind, more caring… I just want to be more."

Lauren nodded, "Well, I'd say wanting to, is the first step, although I think you've already done that by helping that little girl and her family at the race. Seattle is taking her case, by the way."

Bo smiled, "That's great, Lauren. Thank you for looking into that. I truly appreciate it."

Lauren smiled, "Of course, Bo."

Bo turned to Lauren, "I want to help other people learn how to train dogs and build sled teams. I'm starting the business at the kennel with LJ. I'd like him to be the next champion in the family – if it's what he wants."

Lauren smiled, "Well, it looks like you're off to a great start with a new generation of champions in those adorable puppies."

Bo smiled, "They are cute, aren't they?"

"They most definitely are." Lauren laughed, "What else do you dream of?"

"Well, Big Jim is gone, so that's done… sort of. I mean, the nightmares still come, but not as often. Also, I have a family now, so I can check that off the list as well. I'd still like to find my mom and I'd still like to turn this house into a home. I mean… it feels more like a home now, but I just want to fill it with love and people… lots of people."

Lauren smiled, "You should have a house-warming party and invite the whole family out."

Bo nodded, "Absolutely."

"What else?"

"Build your hospital. Build… a lot of things… with you."

Lauren shrugged, "Well, it's not my hospital. It's Evony's. Just to be clear."

Bo nodded, "But you'll be working there, right?"

"I'll be working wherever she tells me to. Contract, remember?"

"Right. Contract." Bo replied, hanging her head, "So you could be back in Boston."

Lauren nodded, "It's a real possibility, Bo. I need you to keep that in mind."

"I know. I do know. It's just that… I guess I just like to ignore that small fact most of the time." Bo sighed, putting her thoughts aside, "But enough about me. What about you? What are the dreams of Doctor Lauren Lewis?"

She smiled, "Well, first I want to cure this damned plague that's killing people. I want to get the clinic back up and running, and then get the hospital up and running."

"All work-related, so what else?"

"I want to drive my sled with you side by side for at least twenty-five miles. I'd like to do an overnight trip just to get an idea of what it's like."

"Adventurous Dr. Lewis. I like it!"

Lauren smiled, "Cautiously optimistic, is more like it."

"What else?" Bo asked.

"I'd like to go back to Boston for at least a little while. I know that's probably not something you would like to hear, but if you could…"

"Lauren, I'm sure you miss your home as much as I would miss this one if I left for a year. It's another thing I was thinking about today."

She saw the doctor's shoulders relax, confirming her fears. Lauren missed home, wanted to go home and likely would go home at some point. As much as it broke Bo's heart to think of being without her, there was nothing she could do about it other than learn to deal with it. Now she was especially grateful she was starting counseling tomorrow. She wondered how long the appointment was. She would need days to talk about everything she needed to talk about.

"Bo?"

"Yea. Sorry. I kind of zoned out for a minute there."

"Are you okay?" Lauren asked.

Bo nodded, "Of course. I mean, what I want to say is that I understand how it might feel to be somewhere you feel like an outsider… like you said the night of the banquet. I've been thinking about it today. I don't have any answers for how to make you feel less like an outsider other than to help you to feel like you have a home here."

Bo looked out to the river, "Since I'm sort of an outsider as well, I may not be the answer. I just hope that you'll start to realize that Molly, Mark, LJ… they all think of you as family, Lauren."

Lauren shrugged, "But if it wasn't for you tonight, I'd be back at the lab on my own. I don't get invited places unless you're invited, Bo. I'm an attachment to you, not a person of my own."

Bo nodded and smiled, "And I realize that I can't help you with that, no matter how much I wish I could. It will take time for you to break into the community fully and feel like you have a place here. Lauren, you may not realize this, but the night that we went to Molly and Mark's for dinner – well, that was only the third time I'd been invited to dinner with them. Every time I have been, Little Jon… I mean LJ… has been there. I think he is secretly working on my behalf to get me the invite."

The pair laughed before Bo added,

"I've never been invited to have dinner or sit and chat with Pops. Now that he's my brother Tosh, he's calling me all the time. And, by the way, this texting thing? You have to show me how to do that. Kenzi's getting mad at me because I didn't respond to any of her texts. LJ was trying to reach me all day, but we kept missing each other and Kurt apparently tried to text me before he called. Forget it, I can just get Kenzi…"

Lauren smiled, shaking her head as she took Bo's phone to check it, "Bo! You've got twenty-seven text messages!"

"How do you know that?" Bo asked.

Lauren showed her on the screen, "This little red number over this green quote icon says twenty-seven, that's how. Why didn't you respond?"

"Because I don't know how! Besides, I really haven't looked at the screen all day."

"Well, when a sound comes from the phone, you need to check it."

"It doesn't make any sounds." Bo replied.

Lauren checked the phone, "You put it on vibrate?"

"LJ did it for me. All the noises were driving me insane. It's not like I can let go of the rail and check a phone. I'm on deep trails in the back woods that are ungroomed. I'm running a good bit of the trail, so…"

Lauren waved her off, "I get the picture. So how do you know to pick up the calls?"

"Well, I happened to be here or in the village both times Kurt called today."

"I'm sorry I didn't call you myself, Bo. That must have seemed very impersonal, but the situation…"

Bo waved her off, "You don't have to explain, Lauren. Really. But you do have to explain all of those noises."

Lauren laughed, checking the settings on the phone, "Emails, calendars and reminders. You set up those but don't know how to check a text?"

Bo shrugged, "Kenzi took my phone and set up a bunch of stuff. Of course, she didn't show me how to do anything." Bo sighed, "Okay, if I'm honest, I was in a hurry and didn't let her." She hesitated, but then finally admitted, "That was three weeks ago."

"Three weeks?"

Bo shrugged.

Lauren handed the phone back to her, "Well, since I'm the one that essentially forced the phone on you, I'll be the one to teach you the essentials. From there, you'll start picking things up, I'm sure. We'll do that tomorrow."

Bo sighed, "I'm not so sure about that. You'll have to make up for lost time in the clinic, distribute the cure and deal with Elise. I have my counseling session at noon followed by who knows how much time with Tamsin, then I have to get over to the hospital and check on the progress there."

Lauren nodded, "Never enough time."

Bo shrugged, "In addition, LJ wants to put the kennel on social media. Tosh said that Mark did it a few weeks ago and he can't keep up with the online business stuff."

"Well, the good thing for you is that you are running a very much in-person business. It's not like you can ship boarding and training services." Lauren smiled.

Bo nodded, "I guess. Well, anyway, my point is that we're both super busy. Maybe that's why you haven't gotten any invites within the community, but they have been nice to you, right?"

Lauren chuckled, "Edith paid me for taking a splinter out of her little boy Carter's hand with a casserole and 'Handsome Hank' paid me for patching up his wife's finger with a pair of snow shoes."

"See, they're gestures of kindness."

"Why do people call him Handsome Hank?"

Bo laughed, "He made a handsome amount of money off of a gold find… and, I suppose he is quite handsome."

"If you're on that side of the fence."

Bo laughed, "You really are opposed to any relations with men."

Lauren smiled, "What can I say? The fairer sex has always appealed to me more."

"You'll get no complaint from me." Bo smiled, "Anyway, all of those gestures are people's way of saying welcome to the community."

"Edith said I was too skinny and Hank said he saw me trying to walk through the last snow fall without snow shoes. He stopped short of calling me Cheechako, but he did remind me of what a novice I was to Alaska – as if I haven't heard that enough." She looked at Bo, "You know, Bostonians are not unaccustomed to snow – and a lot of it. I'd like to see you handle a Boston winter."

"Is that a challenge, Dr. Lewis?"

Lauren smiled, "I suppose it is, Miss Dennis."

"Well, before we get around to me coming to experience a Boston winter, we need to get you through another Alaskan one before you leave."

"Been there, done that." Lauren replied.

Bo shook her head, "You weren't here for the worst of winter, Lauren. That's why Evony brought you here when she did. The worst is yet to come. You hit the tail end months. Of course, you will get to experience an Alaskan Christmas this year."

Lauren thought of the timing. She hadn't realized she hadn't been here for Christmas. She smiled thinking of Christmas with Bo… but then again, she would probably want to be with her family. She supposed she would probably be invited by association to Bo, but that was still a long way off.

"Lauren?"

The blonde smiled at Bo, "Sorry, guess it was my turn to drift off."

"I was talking about Christmas… how you'll probably have lots of invitations by then, but by the time the invites start rolling in for the community's beloved doctor, you'll be headed back to Boston. Once you're there and feeling comfortable and welcome again, you may not want to come back."

Bo frowned, angrier at herself than about the fact that Lauren might now come back, "Sorry. I didn't mean to make it sound like…"

Lauren shook her head, "I understand, Bo. Look, I can't make any promises, you know I can't. I can only say that while I'm here, I'm going to live in the moment and do my best to connect with everyone who is willing."

Bo nodded, "Live in the moment. That's a promise we made when we first started seeing each other."

Nodding, Lauren smiled, "It is."

She smiled, "This is great, Bo. Good food, good company and the most gorgeous scenery I've ever experienced. I can't believe this is your back yard."

Bo nodded, "It is pretty great."

"When you come to Boston, you'll understand just how lucky you are. The difference between the skyline I see and this… well, you'll have to see it to understand. The air here is just… clear… no, crisp… no, it's… fresh and clean."

Bo chuckled, "Lots of trees and mountains. Nature's air filters."

"Thanks for this night, Bo. It's beautiful."

"You're welcome, Lauren. I just really wanted you to relax for a while."

"I'm certainly relaxed."

Lauren looked out across the river. The sky was a dark shade of lavender just above the snowcapped mountains that soared above the river of fast-moving water that was covered in white caps. The moon wasn't far above the peaks and despite the full light provided to the mountain tops, stars were still visible in the sky. The dark sand of the river bank now only dappled with small mounds of snow as far as she could see – a sign that spring would be here soon. She looked forward to seeing Alaska in the spring and summer. She was sure there would still be snow in some places, but she had been told there would be greenery, wildlife and a reprieve from the cold.

Nothing could ever top the beauty and sense of serenity she was experiencing in this place. Boston would never come close. She felt like if she went back east, Alaska would forever call to her very soul. But sadly, it would be one helluva commute. She sighed, turning her attention back to Bo who was sitting quietly watching the river. She heard the dogs bark and her attention was immediately on their needs. She loved the care Bo showed for her dogs. They were her children in every sense of the word. She was not surprised that same nature was conveyed to the child Lauren brought into the community tonight.

Bo turned to Lauren, "I'd better go check on them. The puppies might be going through a little hazing and I'll need to set the record straight with my veterans. I don't want Harper going into protective mode and getting herself injured when she's doing so well in her recovery. Do you mind?"

Lauren smiled, "Of course not, Bo. Go check on them. I'm quite comfortable here eating this delicious crab, drinking this amazing wine and enjoying the scenery."

Bo nodded, "Full disclosure, Molly suggested the wine. I'll put a few more logs on just to be sure it stays warm unless you think we'll be going in soon… unless, of course, you want to go back tonight. I'm not making any assumptions here. I wanted you to see the place and have that fresh salmon. I will absolutely take you back to your place tonight if that's what you want. It wouldn't be a problem at all. I can just as easily stay in my apartment at the hotel. All of my belongings are actually there anyway."

"We've got time to decide, right?"

Bo nodded, "Absolutely. I just want you to do what you want to do, Lauren. You've been doing for everyone else lately. I want tonight to be about you."

"Thank you, Bo. I'm fine here for now. Really."

"More wood coming up then." Bo replied, standing up to put some wood on the fire, but Lauren took her hand,

"Thank you, Bo. For the dinner, the ambiance, for being so kind to Elise. Really, I truly am grateful."

Bo smiled, raising the back of Lauren's hand to her lips and giving it a soft kiss before rubbing it with her thumb,

"You're truly welcome, Lauren." She released the hand and added some logs to the fire before heading in to check on the dogs.

Lauren turned in her seat, watching through the small gaps in the shelter as Bo moved through the gate into the yard and around the house to the garage. When she disappeared from view, Lauren turned back to the river,

"I never wanted to cause you any pain, Bo. I love you, I do… I just… I need to go home… I need to be sure… I need to do this for myself to make sure that the reason I was okay being in Alaska for so long wasn't just because of you. I need to know that the reason I was okay being in Alaska wasn't because I was avoiding Boston because my relationship went up in flames."

Lauren's eyes brimmed with tears, "Leaving you will be hard on me, too. I wish you could believe that. I feel like you don't. I wish you could trust me, but I know people have given you so many reasons not to trust them that it must be hard to give into the fears that must come with so many betrayals. I hope that we can just enjoy each other's company until I must leave. I hope that our love can grow so we can truly know what we'll be giving up if we live on opposite sides of the country. I hope… I hope…" She chuckled, "Wow… now who's making it all about themselves?"

Lauren shook her head, "Why would I come walking into her world and expect her to be the one that uproots herself and changes everything about how she's lived all of these years? I've had a loving, caring family. I've had a roof, education and all of the advantages of wealth." She laughed, "I'm finding myself to be quite the spoiled brat."

She looked down at the large black cast iron kettle and tapped the lid to make sure it wasn't too hot to touch. It was hot, but not unbearably so. She lifted the lid and pulled out one of the large crabs,

"Speaking of spoiled brat, let's try another one of these. Bo Dennis, you've been holding out on me." She placed it on her plate and cracked off a leg, working it open to get to the fresh meat inside. She waved the long piece of crab meat in the air, celebrating having pulled all of the meat out in one expert tug, then took a bite, the juices of the marinade caressing her palate,

"Ohmagawd. This is… this is amazing. I think I'm going to eat all ten of you. Bo better hurry back or she won't get any." She went to work on another leg, again celebrating her expertise in extracting the delicate meat. In minutes, the crab was history, and another was on her plate.

Unbeknownst to Lauren, Bo had come around the hut and now stood in the shadow of their fire, watching Lauren enjoy the crab. Her little meat extraction celebrations were adorable. Bo thought she'd seen every side of Lauren Lewis, but clearly there was still much to learn. She was starting to think it would take a lifetime. Since she only had a few months, she would have to step up the list of activities so that she could experience Lauren having experiences enough to last her… well, possibly a lifetime if she never returned to Alaska.

She hung her head, taking a moment to collect herself. It was so easy to cry over the thought of not seeing her again. But for now, she needed to draw on the strength of the musher and the child who was left alone to survive. That strength would allow her to show Lauren a good time for the remainder of her time in Alaska and if it meant she got to see more of this version of the good doctor, then it would be well worth it. She really needed to learn how to take pictures with that damned phone.

"Bo?"

The brunette quickly wiped her cheeks and walked around the fire to where it was darker. She wanted to hide the evidence. Lauren needed her to be fun and happy and relaxed. Not a blubbering idiot filled with doom and gloom over her coming departure.

"I was secretly observing your crab-eating skills. It seems you are quite happy with yourself, Dr. Lewis. The dancing crab celebrations are exquisite. I give you a ten."

Lauren laughed, "Okay, I'll have to admit I'm just a tad embarrassed right now."

Bo smiled, "Hmmm… Is a tad closer to a bit or more like a smidge? I just want to make sure I have my blush measurements correct since it's too dark out for me to actually see your cheeks turning red."

Lauren licked her fingers clean, replacing the lid on the kettle and putting her plate aside before pulling her blanket over her head,

"More like a lot than a bit and definitely much more than a smidge."

Bo laughed, pulling the blanket off of Lauren's face, "I brought you a friend, if you don't mind."

Stepping into the light, Lauren laid eyes on the white puppy with a full black mask and two deep blue eyes. She licked her fingers clean, taking the pup from Bo, "Oh, how precious! She looks like she just woke up!"

Bo sat down, holding a white puppy with a gray mask, one blue and one brown eye, "Yea, more like trouble, these two. They were the only ones awake in there and they were climbing all over the other dogs. Golden rule, kids… stay in your own crate. Don't trespass without permission."

Lauren laughed as Bo scolded the two pups who were busy chewing on anything they could get their teeth into. Bo gave up, standing and handing the second pup to Lauren,

"Sorry, I forgot. They're teething big time. I'm going to run back and grab them something to chew on." She handed Lauren the second pup,

"Good idea." Lauren said, cuddling the two puppies together in their arms. They both looked up at her, heads cocked to the side, "You may be trouble, but you're still utterly loveable. She doesn't know it yet, but one day in the not-so-distant future, you're going to be her champions. You may just be the record breakers. You're energetic and curious. You're clearly not afraid of taking on the big dogs and you're likely smarter than we suspect at this point, aren't you? Yes, you are. Yes, you are."

Bo came running back to the shelter, "Here we are. Two homemade puppy bully sticks. It will take them a very long time to get through these." Bo smiled, taking one of the pups from Lauren and handing her the treat in exchange. The young female immediately settled into the doctor's lap, dragging the chewy stick in a circle with her until she finally found her comfy spot.

"So, what happens next with this new litter?" Lauren asked.

Bo shrugged, "Training… lots and lots of training. They'll still have about two weeks of doing as they please as permitted by the older dogs. The beauty of a well-trained kennel full of dogs is that they teach the youngest in the group animal etiquette right off the bat. They'll also learn some human commands by their example. They'll get daily sled runs in the basket so they can watch the dogs run and hear the commands. Eventually, we'll put them in a harness and see how they do with dragging twigs, branches and then logs. If they won't run with those attached, then they won't be racing sled dogs. We'll send them off to be trained as family sled dogs, search and rescue, farm work or therapy dogs."

Lauren looked surprised, "I didn't know there were so many options for these dogs."

Bo shrugged, "A dog is a dog. It's a life. Every dog has a purpose just like people. We just have to help them find it since they can't really do that for themselves. You seem surprised."

"No… I mean… well, I guess it's because my limited education about what happens to dogs who don't make the cut comes from a reporter at the Iditarod that asked Kenzi what she thought of dogs being put down who couldn't win a trophy."

Bo laughed, "Now you know better, Doctor Lewis. There are at least two sides to every story."

"Of course. I'm sorry for assuming…"

"Lauren, you didn't offend me. You're new to sled dogs and I know you're a very intelligent woman who wouldn't judge based on one opinion."

"Of course, I just…"

"Lauren, really… it's okay. You probably didn't give it a second thought when he came snooping. There are always reporters at the race looking for that story. The truth is that if they won't run, owners sell the dogs to new owners. Unfortunately, some of those new owners are people who think they can turn a dog bred and trained for running into pets. Sometimes they're also cocky enough to think that the professional musher or handler didn't know what they were doing and that they can make a go of them as sled dogs. Ultimately, these are service and work dogs It's simply what's in their genetics. They don't make good pets because they need a lot of veterinary care, a lot of exercise and a lot of attention. When people think pets, they think lap dogs and dogs that they can open a door and they'll be fine in a small backyard. They'll end up with fence jumpers who want to run because that's all these dogs want to do… run - plain and simple."

"So, the real story is what happens to the dogs after the mushers retire them or give them up to new owners."

Bo nodded, "I can tell you that retired dogs who are too old for breeding are usually kept and live a good life in retirement, courtesy of their owners. Personally, I don't know of any dogs who have ever been put down unless it was for medical reasons. Dog owners throughout the world put their dogs down when they have chronic diseases because they simply cannot afford to treat them. Even humans without health insurance have conditions that go untreated. Let's face it, in the dog world, there's not many options out there for health care insurance and if they carry it, it doesn't cover much. We've got a health care plan for our dogs because we have so many of them, but you know as well as I do that Harper's treatment just cost me a mint. I should rename her Jamie Sommers, the Bionic Woman!"

Lauren laughed, "Well, I was simply the care giver, not the billing official, so I'm not actually sure what it costs. You told me to make sure she got the best of care, so I never asked about prices."

Bo smiled, "And that's exactly how I wanted it. Fortunately, Evony is paying me well for this job at the hospital and I've got plenty of other jobs that give me the money I need to care for the dogs. Harper may have been expensive, but she's worth every penny. I would put this house up for sale if it meant Harper would live one more day."

Lauren nodded, "I know you would, Bo."

Bo shrugged, "I just hate that mushers get a bad rap when most people would have just put Harper down."

They sat silently for the next little while, each watching the puppy in their arms enjoy their snacks. The truth was, they were both avoiding the conversation that they knew they needed to have… badly.

"I know we need to talk…" Bo began, "… but I want tonight to be relaxing for you. I don't want to bring any stress into it. Can we just… be?"

Lauren smiled, "Like we agreed from the beginning."

Bo nodded, "We did."

Lauren nodded as well, "I'd love to… but honestly, Bo, there are a few things I'd like to get off of my chest if you're in the mood to listen."

Bo laughed, "That's the point, isn't it? I shouldn't need to be in a certain mood to listen to you, Lauren. Loving someone means I should listen all the time. This may sound strange, but… well, I've been watching Mark and Molly… I've noticed… I mean, never having had role models of my own… I'm learning things I should have learned from them a very long time ago about how couples treat each other. I think my past… it sort of handicaps me in a relationship and I don't want you to be the victim of that. You deserve better."

"Wow sounded an awful lot like a break up… I mean, if we're calling ourselves a couple." Lauren replied.

Bo shrugged, "I sort of thought you had already broken up with me… I mean, everything you've been saying lately seems to me like you're leaving for Boston in a few months and that's that. If you come back, you do, but you're not coming back for me. You're coming back for Alaska – if you come back."

Lauren thought about the past few weeks and her comments, "I guess you're right. It has sort of sounded like that, huh?"

Bo nodded, "And I'm fine with that. If you don't want to be with me, you don't want to be with me. There are other things to life than girlfriends and you've said from the very start that you had just gotten out of a relationship with Nadia and were in no hurry to jump back into one. By the way… she's a real peach."

Lauren laughed, "She got dumped, so she came running back."

Bo hesitated for a moment, but then decided to ask, "Do you still have feelings for her?"

"Feelings of regret, anger, disappointment… yes, but not love. She's a great surgeon, but I feel like she's lost her way. She's become everything we hated when we met. The high and mighty surgeons that put money before the needs of our patients. I wish I could say when it happened… I've thought about it… but I can't. I mean, do we ever really know the moment when we change for the better or worse?"

Bo smiled, looking down at the pup in her arms, "I do."

Lauren looked towards Bo, "You do?"

She nodded, "The night that I found you in the snow… I know I said it was stupidity, but honestly, I was shocked that you had the guts to try, let alone actually do everything right in trying to survive. I mean, you had no experience in this type of cold and yet you knew to release the dogs, to keep one with you for heat and protection…"

Lauren laughed, "A good amount of that was being a doctor and my experience in search and rescue in Afghanistan. It's not all desert and heat there like some might think."

Bo smiled, "Well, I didn't know you were a soldier at the time, so I was impressed. But, while you were laying there unconscious, something in me just… I don't know… I just felt like I needed to know you. All of a sudden, I found myself telling you things I'd never told anyone. I shared random thoughts and feelings… something I'd never done with anyone. That was my moment. I've been changing… I guess, evolving ever since… not out of obligation to anyone… just because I want to be better. I don't want to be feared anymore… it was always my armor and what kept people from asking questions that I couldn't answer. Now, I want to be cared for by those around me."

"You are, you know." Lauren replied, "Loved."

Bo's throat tightened and again she could feel the burn behind her eyes as she struggled not to cry. The truth was that she felt like the love she most wanted was slipping away.

"Bo, I want to say that, well, for my part in this, while I've accused you of being selfish, I've been pretty self-focused as well. The clinic, wanting to learn to sled, train dogs, snowshoe, meet Seline and learn about native medicines, have my own team, meet people and have friends. I just want to say that we've both been looking out for our own needs. It hasn't just been about you. But I do think that a lot of what you're doing right now you're doing out of fear. That is probably hard to hear because you pride yourself on being fearless, but I think it's a different type of fear."

Bo smiled, "I'm well aware of my fears, Lauren. A lot of how I'm thinking and behaving is about fear. It's one of the main reasons I want the counseling session so badly. If I could, I'd walk into her office right now and have absolutely no problem leaving you and the dogs sitting here alone. I feel like the fear is going to swallow me whole. That's how bad it is."

"Oh, Bo…"

"No, Lauren. I don't want your pity, but I do want you to know that I don't need you analyzing me. You're a doctor and you tend to do that a lot… and it sort of bugs me. I don't think I can live my life under your microscope being studied and tested all the time. I know I'm afraid… I've been afraid most of my life because I've been on my own. I just hide it well when in social settings. Out there on your own, you can't hide from fear. You're forced to face it or die. But… do you know you're afraid too?"

Lauren shook her head, "I don't believe I am, Bo. I'm doing what I have to do. I need to be here now for work and I need to spend time with you and everyone else because I know I have to leave soon and I'll miss all of you, terribly. But I know that I must put the sadness of leaving aside so that I can go back to my life and be sure that this is what I want. I need to see who I am in Boston without Nadia. I need to see who I am in Boston without Bo. I had a plan and I need to see it through."

Bo nodded, "So you have to leave me to know if you want me… to know if you are willing to give up all that Boston has to offer… because heaven forbid you should change your plan."

"I have a life there, Bo. I never intended to stay here. I never intended to like it here. I never intended to love anyone here. I came to do a job and leave."

"To turn off all of your emotions for a year and just work." Bo suggested.

Lauren laughed, "Honestly, my emotions were already turned off. I was numb."

"Well, you came to the right place to be numb." Bo joked, "Well, I'll try not to be offended that your love for me could be replaced by a city."

The brunette carefully stood holding the pup and turned to throw her blanket down on the chair before laying the puppy on top and covering her torso. She was completely absorbed with her treat, so wasn't going anywhere. Bo turned to Lauren,

"Do you want more of this?" she pointed to the kettle, watching as Lauren shook her head, "I'm just going to go store it away and clean up so I have the leftovers and we don't attract any unwanted guests out here."

Lauren nodded, "Do you need help?"

Bo shook her head, "I'm good. You enjoy the scenery. I've been cleaning up after myself for years."

Lauren's shoulders sagged, sensing the change in Bo's demeanor as she set to cleaning up the kettle. Lauren knew that if she wasn't careful, she was going to push the brunette back into the Bo she was before they'd become friendly. She didn't want to be the cause of Bo retreating within herself again. She'd come so far in recovering from her past. Bo stopped what she was doing and looked at Lauren,

"I'm sorry, Lauren. That comment was uncalled for. It's just… I don't know where to go from here. I don't know how to do… us… from here. Knowing that you see me as this… I don't know… wounded animal. I feel like you see me as damaged goods. It's why I was so upset with Little Jon for telling you anything about my past all of those months ago. I wanted you to know the me that I am now. Part of me wishes you had come next year so all of this would have been behind me and you would have met the new and improved Bo."

She shook her head, "I just don't see how you'll ever see that I'm stronger than you've come to think I am. I've never allowed fear or loss to stop me before. Do you really think I'll let it stop me now?"

She pressed a leaning torch further into the ground, picked up the stick she'd used to move the kennel lid and tapped it on her chair as she thought carefully about what she wanted to say. She moved closer to the fire before she continued,

"Lauren, I loved my mother more than I could ever explain. She was the only positive thing that ever existed in my life but despite her absence, I survived. I survived and I became a successful business woman, a successful bush pilot, a successful trapper and hunter, a successful builder and woodworker and a champion musher who is on track to set new records. I've conquered the man who brought me some of the darkest years of my life and I've found my real, blood relatives. Now I'm about to start a new business with the kennel and for the first time in my life, I'll have a partner in that business. Despite being sad about the situation between us, I feel stronger than I ever have and I'm growing in ways I never imagined I every would."

She threw the stick into the fire and turned back to Lauren,

"I wish you could see that woman. But lately, it seems all you see is poor Bo, the woman who has had so much suffering and loss. The woman who, when you leave her, is going to crumble to pieces and regress into the callas, hard woman she was when you first arrived here. Well, that's not going to happen, Lauren. Life will go on here without you. I'm sure that is hard for you to hear since you seem hell bent on telling me over and over again that you're going back to Boston. I mean… do you have to keep saying it? It just seems like you're _trying_ to hurt me… what do you want me to do? Beg you to stay?"

"No, of course not. I…"

"Well, then stop saying it, Lauren. I'm well aware it is your intention to return to Boston. And by telling me as much, you cheapen what we have had here. It becomes something that you can live without... a fling… an itch that you need scratched… something disposable. So, tell me then, Lauren – you're so convinced you can leave and not look back, how can you honestly look at me and tell me you love me? At least it looks like my mom was either killed by Big Jim or she was forced to leave. I know in my heart it had nothing to do with how she felt about me. You are choosing to leave."

Bo laughed, shaking her head,

"You know, I've never stopped seeing you as a bad-ass woman. But now, I think it's you, my dear, who are afraid. You're afraid to stay here in Alaska because things may get tough for you. You have the best of everything back at your luxurious home in Boston. At your fancy hospital. Let's face it – it's easy to save patients there when you have the budget, the support staff and the equipment to go with it. You don't have to worry about trying to save someone with a respirator made by a garage mechanic from a snow machine engine, truck compressor, some plumber's tubing and a stop watch timer. All of your instruments are precise, so there's no actual challenge to the medicine. Here, there's no awards for saving a life. Here, there's no fancy banquets to stroke your surgeon ego. Here, you just may not measure up, so you're afraid."

"How dare you!" Lauren said, her temper flaring as she stood up, forgetting the pup on her lap.

Bo's eyes went wide, as she rushed to the puppy, "And I have the bad temper?"

Lauren pushed her away,

"I've got her. I'm sorry." She said emphatically before lifting the pup into her arms and checking her from head to tail. Satisfied she was no worse for wear, she laid her on the blanket on the chair, covering her as Bo had the other pup and gave her the treat. Assured that she was settled back in, Lauren turned to Bo to speak, but the brunette wasn't done yet,

"I'm sorry if that's hard for you to hear, but just consider what I'm saying through my brutal honesty. Professionally, you've looked down your nose at this place from the day you arrived, just like Nadia did when she saw your upgraded clinic which you now think is so wonderful. Your perspective has changed because you gave this place a chance. You sounded just like Nadia when you first arrived and I suspect it's that perspective that led Evony to think we needed a hospital built here at all."

She took a breath, "In your personal life, if you go back to Boston, you won't have to admit you wanted a life with me, you wouldn't have to stay with me… you wouldn't have to risk failing at another relationship – one where everyone would see your failure because in Boston, unlike here, there are so many people, no one would notice and if they did, it would be ancient history in a matter of days. There, you don't have to tell anyone I ever existed. I mean, who would ever know? There, you can just hop from bed to bed and put up the walls you built when you first arrived. But here, you'd have to admit to loving me and do the work to stay with this wounded animal that is me. If you can't handle it and our relationship fails, it stays with the community for decades and you might even have to watch me fall in love with someone else. That would sting, huh?"

Lauren stood, silent, her eyes moving to the fire. Bo walked to the shed and grabbed another piece of burlap. She carefully poured the contents of the pot into the cloth before lifting it and allowing the liquid to drain off. She wrapped it into a bundle, returned it to the dutch oven and walked back to the pit. Picking up the shovel, she walked to her snow-covered yard and began digging a hole as deep as she could manage. When she hit frozen ground, she set the oven in the ground and covered it with snow, then soil and finally more snow.

She walked back to the fire and picked up the plates, carrying them to the river to wash them clean before taking them to the shed. She returned to the fire,

"You know, I had it all planned tonight. You called me out on my mistakes earlier and I was prepared to make good on them. I told you how sorry I was for being a bad listener, for being too self-centered, for being an emotional infant and for not taking better care of you when you were going through so much. I said it all and I meant it all… deeply."

Bo shook her head,

"And in response, I got a new diagnosis about my fears… just another check in the 'no' category, Lauren? Is that what you're doing here? A pros and cons list? If so, I should just take you back to town and avoid you for the rest of your time here because I promise you there will be more cons than pros. So why don't we just get them all out here tonight so that you can decide…"

Bo pulled a piece of kindling from the wood pile and drew a line in the sand, placing a 'C' on one side and a 'P' on the other.

"Bo…"

"No, Lauren. I'm helping you get over me. Here we go… anger… con…" she put a slash beneath the 'C', "… poor listener… con… selfish… con… didn't have a mom into adulthood to teach her about relationships… con… backwoods, uneducated girl… definitely a con… not wealthy… con…"

"Bo, I never said…"

Bo looked up at Lauren, her eyes dark despite being illuminated by the fire, "You didn't have to. Let's face it, the reason you've just thrown out general suggestions about me coming to Boston and not suggested we actually do a long-distance relationship for a while is become if I come to visit you, you're afraid I'd be the Alaskan version of Crocodile Dundee and embarrass you in front of your fancy friends and colleagues."

"What?" Lauren asked.

"Crocodile Dundee? Movie about a dude from the Australian Outback who falls in love with a woman from New York City. It took like, three movies for them to figure it out, but they made it in the end."

"I don't know the movie." Lauren replied.

"Wow… terrible taste in movies… another con for Bo. Let's see… is there a pro in there anywhere? Oh, right… I'm a pretty good lay, right?" She grinned, "Yea, you've enjoyed at least that. I did save your life once… I hope that's a pro. I've gave you a sled to get around… pro. Of course, I refused to give you the lessons. Kyle had to do that, so I guess that's another con, but then again, I did introduce you to Kyle which is a pro, but then again, I am the reason for the fire and therefore the reason Kyle is laying disfigured for life in a hospital bed so that's a big con. Oh… wait… I see a pattern in those pros…"

She threw the stick into the fire, "And now I just feel used. All the things you've liked about me were things where you were getting something out of it. I've never used you like that, Lauren."

She turned to get the puppies, "Let me know when you're ready to go back to town, Lauren. Clearly you aren't going to be staying here tonight. I think I've figured out for you how you really feel about me and where we really stand. I have nothing to offer a woman who is as smart, accomplished, strong, self-sufficient and beautiful as you are. There's an entire city of women in Boston who would kiss your feet for the chance to be with you."

Lauren watched as Bo picked up the pups and headed around the house to the garage. She stood staring into the fire, unsure of what just happened. What she did know is that most of what Bo had said was true. Was she just using her? She was the one who had set the terms of their relationship from the start. She was the one that crossed the line and made it a daily thing. She was the one that got upset when Bo wasn't stopping in to see her but was instead, avoiding the clinic to keep Big Jim away from her and the clinic… to keep her safe. She did treat Bo like a project… and she was right, she did think of her as damaged. She did pity her. That was not love.

Lauren turned and spoke silently to the fire, hoping to make sense of her thoughts after all that Bo had just said to her,

"She's right, Lauren. You weren't ready for a relationship. You weren't ready and you knew it. You wanted some fun… really, you wanted sex… and it was the best sex I've ever had in my life. Who could turn that away? Well, I should have turned away before she told you she loved you because you knew then that you weren't going to give this a real shot and you knew she was opening herself up to you in a way she'd never done with anyone else. But you were flattered. She was stroking your ego."

Lauren chuckled to herself, "She's right on point about the surgeon's ego. As much as I hate to admit it, being recognized for saving patients that weren't expected to live by a room full of amazing doctors is something I've grown accustomed to." She shook her head, "It's funny that I criticized Nadia for being all about the money and not about the patients anymore. I've lost track of it to."

She laughed at herself, "All of that stuff Nadia said when told me she was divorcing me… well, she was right, Lauren. You weren't any fun anymore. You were completely absorbed with work. You took every extra shift you could. Even your friends weren't calling anymore after you'd stood them up so many times. You only stayed with Nadia for as long as you did because you were afraid divorce would make you look like a failure."

Smiling and shaking her head she added, "You were the Bo Dennis of Boston. The nurses went stiff in your presence, doctors and your assistants were afraid to question you during a surgery… wow… it's been a long time since you analyzed yourself, Doctor Lewis. Doctor Archer would be very upset with you."

She thought about the man who had been her mentor when she'd arrived at the hospital and became her most cherished friend in his retirement,

" _Any doctor worth their salt will continually evaluate their performance each and every day of their life. I'm not just talking about your surgical performances, Lauren. I'm talking about how you treat others, how you treat your patients, how you treat your friends and loved ones, how you treat yourself and how you feel. Feelings are very important, Lauren. When you stop feeling, you stop healing."_

She replayed the day she walked into the hospital and told the nurses they were getting divorced. To say that she was embarrassed was an understatement. But of course, she pulled the professionalism card to get the women to stop talking about it,

"Oh, yes. Aren't we little Miss Perfect?" She shook her head, "Mom always taught you about casting stones without considering your own sins first."

She looked around the fire and, for the first time, saw the flowers. She moved to the bouquet between the chairs and pulled it from the sand. She turned it, looking at all of the beautiful colors that glistened in the flame,

"Where in the world could she have gotten these beautiful flowers at this time of year?" Lauren asked as she thought about how difficult it might have been. She saw a full-sized card and smiled, "I guess they don't have small arrangement cards this time of year."

She put the vase on the small wooden table and opened the envelope, pulling out the card and a note,

"Wherever you go…" She opened the card, "…My heart goes too."

Her eyes welled with tears as she tilted the page towards the light of the nearest torch to read the note that Bo had written,

 _I think we're both well aware by now that I'm not very good with the spoken word… especially around you. My thoughts get twisted and nothing comes out the way I want it to. I get frustrated with my social incompetence and then everything just comes out angry. For years, I've written in journals, so I thought I'd try this instead of using my voice._

 _You've awoken something in me, Lauren and for that, I shall always remember you and be grateful for the time we've shared here in Alaska. You've taught me things about myself that most likely would have taken many more years for me to learn had it not been for you. You've helped me to open up to the world around me, which has allowed me to make friends… true friends… and true family._

 _I've always considered myself brave… but when it came to Big Jim, I was the little girl I was when he was my father up north even though I didn't remember him. That little girl was too afraid to face him, challenge him or call out those around him for letting him do wrong. You helped me to find the courage within to finally fight the battle that would give me the freedom to pursue the life I choose._

 _I must say – and this might be hard to hear – but I feel like you've somehow come to view me with the same lens as many in my community. I'm sure their stories are compelling, but I'd always thought I'd get a fair shake from you. That rather than judging me from what you heard, that you would judge me from first-hand knowledge. When you first decided to close the gap between us, it was because you knew me… the real me. Now, it seems your focus is on my past and the stories that are coming to light. I can't help but feel that it has changed the way you see me, treat me and look at me. I can see it in your eyes. My past may be horrible and it may not have afforded me the expected social skills and behaviors that others have had the luxury of being taught, but it has also provided me the opportunity to be who I am today. And frankly, I'm proud of myself and the woman I am becoming. I'm clearly a work in progress, but aren't we all?_

 _I may not outwardly show love, but I do love, deeply and with all of my heart. As you said, it's what led me to pull Little Jon from the water that night and risk my own life and the lives of my dogs. I do whatever I can for those in need including running medicines from Point Siku to Talkeetna all winter long until you arrived. When trucks and snow machines couldn't get through, my team made the runs. I'm getting better at demonstrating affection for others as I further immerse myself in the community, but it's not without difficulty. I'm breaking a twenty hear habit of keeping my distance. All I ask is that you look for the good in me, rather than pity my past and see me as some hardship case you need to take care of or fix._

 _Hopefully, you haven't stopped reading after those two paragraphs. If you haven't, please know that I'm not making any assumptions, nor do I hold any expectations of you or us. I don't know what the future will bring for us… together or apart. What I do know is that I'm better for having known you. I'm better for having been challenged by you. I hope that I've offered some of the same to you, although I'm not sure I really have anything to offer you. You are so strong, so independent, so intelligent and so brave. You have an amazing career and are a highly respected doctor. I may have saved Little Jon's life, but you save multiple lives every day. That's pretty special stuff. Still, I hope that when you think of me in the future, that you will have at least some fond memories of the time we've shared… that you won't think of me as the angry, damaged, selfish Bo you seem to be seeing now._

 _I'm sorry for my emotional instability, my distance, my crazy past, my anger, my lack of social skills and my general lack of knowledge about relationships and how I should treat a partner. I really have zero experience in anything lasting this long and I have even less experience handling such powerful feelings. I am growing and learning every day – again, thanks to you for opening those doors for me._

 _I offer these flowers to remind you that even in the harshest of climates, living things can grow into something beautiful. You've started me on the path to becoming more beautiful… inside… something I never thought I could feel or be until now. My past has unraveled, and my future feels… brighter, somehow. Again, I owe so much of that to you._

 _I've spent all day thinking about our time together. I pulled out my personal journal this afternoon and read some of the things you had said to me during our time together. I know you didn't plan on finding love and I don't know what kind of love this is, but please know I love you enough to let you go if that's what you need. I love you enough to do what you need me to do for you to find happiness._

 _That said, tonight and every night from now until you leave, I'd like to put you first. After the fire and my race, you've spent most of your days and nights taking care of the people in this community and me… so tonight, whatever you need is yours. Whether that is dinner and a ride home or dinner and a home to use for the night, either is yours. You'll get no pressure from me for anything. I want you to feel free to explore your newfound freedom from marriage and the obligations of the east for the time you have remaining in Alaska – be that with me or others. Consider me your tour guide, teacher, colleague or companion – whatever you need – no expectations or pressure. I can even provide a dog to snuggle with if you don't want to snuggle with me._

 _Sincerely and with all the love in my heart,_

 _Bo_

Lauren held the letter to her chest, unable to stop the tears streaming down her face. Bo was letting her go… out of love. She walked to the edge of the water and stared up at the majesty of the mountains, the crystal-clear skies and the brilliant stars. She took a deep breath, savoring the crisp, clean air,

"I'm going to miss this. I'm going to miss Molly, Mark… oh, LJ… I'll miss him so much." She looked down river, watching as the moonlight danced back and forth off of the small ripples in the current, "I'll miss my little baby dog sled team."

She lowered her eyes, "Bo was right about so many things. She was brutally honest. I suppose I needed someone to hit me between the eyes with my own shortcomings. The clinic… it was a challenge. It's so much easier in a hospital with a big budget."

She thought to herself, Bo was right about so much more. She did tend to 'doctor' a lot. She was always analyzing people and their motives for doing things, though that may have been because of Nadia and not necessarily because of her profession. She had been very focused on herself and her feelings of being an outsider, possibly because she felt rejected after the end of her marriage. Regardless of why she felt like she didn't belong, it wasn't Bo's fault that she was new to Alaska and it certainly wasn't Bo's responsibility to help her get a social life or invites to places. Bo had graciously invited her to just about everything she was doing since they started speaking. The truth was, Lauren had been socially awkward since the day she was born.

Lauren shook her head, "And here I am, blaming Bo for people only inviting me as an extension of her. She didn't have to invite me at all. She's not my personal escort. I've made no effort whatsoever to make friends on my own. I wait for people to come to me. I stay in my clinic and wait for people to come to me."

She thought for a moment, "Except Kyle. I found her number and called her. I forged the friendship with her…"

Lauren circled the fire, realizing something about who she had become since being here,

"… and I haven't tried since. Everyone I get close to… I'm the one that pulls away. But with Bo, for some reason I expect her to conform. I don't allow her to feel what she needs to feel. When she's angry, I take it personally rather than ask her to stop and think about why she's angry. I just judge and judge and judge with Bo. My expectations for her are… well, much higher than I have a right to set them considering I've been blatantly honest about the fact that I do not intend to stay around. I'm also blatantly honest about the fact that I do not intend to continue this relationship with her when I leave… despite telling her that I love her. I'm just keeping her close right now so that I'm not alone. When did I become so needy and dependent? Dammit Lewis! She's right about that, too."

She laughed, "I've been judging and diagnosing Bo and every aspect of our relationship." Laughing harder she threw her arms up to the mountains, "What relationship? I've destroyed any chance at a relationship!"

She shook her head, deciding that she needed to let Bo take her home now so that it wasn't too late for her to mush her team back here if she wanted to. She definitely wouldn't want to stay with her tonight, and she wasn't sure if she would want to stay at her apartment in the hotel.

Lauren wiped her face and tucked the letter into her pocket. She looked to the fire and decided to fill the hole, so Bo didn't have to. Once the fire was out, she smothered the torches and turned on her headlamp. She picked up the two blankets and the seat cushions, fairly certain Bo wouldn't want those left outside overnight and headed back to the house.

She entered quietly through the front door and headed to the sofa where the fire was fading to small blue flames. It was very hot, despite being mostly coals. She lowered her hood and unzipped her parka before extending her hands towards the glowing logs.

She looked around, not seeing Bo anywhere. She supposed she might be in the garage with the dogs but wasn't completely sure. Of course, she wouldn't blame Bo if she had taken off to go stay in town for the night and left her here on her own. Lauren really needed to go to the bathroom. She looked around and saw a staircase,

"It would only make sense for the bathroom to be near the bedroom." Lauren said and headed for the staircase.

She'd taken only a few steps when she heard a sound she'd heard all too often lately. The soft sound of Bo's sobs as she released her emotions – whatever they may be. Lauren was sure she was probably feeling a little bit of everything just like she was. They really needed to stop this pattern of hurting each other.

Unsure if she was welcome, she started down the stairs, but stopped, summoning the courage to face the music. She sat on the step, listening to the painful sound of another person's emotional pain. Hadn't this woman been through enough? How is it that she, whether as a person or a physician, couldn't find it in themselves to be kind enough not to continually slather her with the ways she was emotionally wrong.

This was on her… she'd been brutally honest with Bo for weeks despite being fully aware of the abuse she had suffered at the hands of an entire community in her past. On top of that, Bo was right about her incessant need to remind Bo of the fact that she was going back to Boston. After all the ways she'd said it today alone, she couldn't stop the list of the ways she'd said as much over the time they'd shared since she'd arrived,

" _Twelve months and then I'm out of this godforsaken place…"_ or _"I don't know how you people live like this. I cannot wait to be back in civilization next year…"_ or _"I can't wait to be back home where we have actual intubation equipment…"_ or _"You would love skiing. I spend a lot of time on the slopes of Vermont. If you ever come east, I could take you. You'd probably be very good at it…" or "I miss my car…"_ or _"I miss the beach at Cape Cod. I have a summer home in Provincetown and it's simply magnificent there. I can't believe I won't get to even remove the storm shutters this summer let alone feel the warm sand between my toes…"_ or, the worst one _, "I'm looking forward to being back in my bed…"_ when she was at Bo's hotel apartment, naked in her bed after making love.

Lauren was sure she would not have fared half as well as Bo if she had lived her life. As a matter of fact, for someone who had a history of running, Bo had showed tremendous resilience in staying despite the ongoing criticism and judgement in the stretch from Point Siku to Talkeetna. Now, the one woman who had showed her kindness and caring had jumped on the same bandwagon. The one woman who had allowed Bo to fall in love with her despite knowing just how hard that door of her heart would be for her to open had turned her back on her, destroying the trust that Bo had invested in her. She'd kicked Bo when she was down, and she was ashamed. It was a power play she despised among other strong women she associated with and now, here she was, doing the same.

She took a deep breath and moved up the stairs, quietly walking to the loft. It was a large U-shaped space that circled the main living area below. It was sparsely filled. There was a small dresser, a closet and a desk with a stool. There were two baskets that Lauren recognized as the same type that Bo would weave and sell. There was some snowshoes and what looked like climbing gear mounted to the walls. Since Lauren had arrived, Bo had only served as a Denali guide for one climb. She'd returned to the clinic that day swearing she was done taking stupid tourists with a death wish up the mountain.

She slid her hand along the hand-carved wooden railing, her mind connecting with the fact that Bo's hands likely sanded this down to beautiful surface that lay beneath her fingertips. It was amazing what this woman was capable of doing. People would pay millions of dollars for a home like this back east.

She shook her head, thinking of how she was constantly comparing things here to things back east. She supposed it was normal to do so, but she needed to be more aware of when, where, in who's company and in what context she made such comments. Thinking something is fine as long as you don't speak it without taking the feelings of others into consideration. She shook her head thinking that was something she learned in kindergarten.

She looked up to see a lantern was glowing in the corner of the space that illuminated four pictures on Bo's desk. One was of a woman with long dark hair behind a sled with a full team of dogs. Lauren guessed it might be Bo's mom. Another picture was of Harper. She stepped closer to see she was in the other two photos. She smiled, knowing that Bo took the time to frame pictures of her for her desk. One was of her kneeling between Harper and Elsa. The other was of her with LJ. Bo was in the background hooking up her three-team sled for her very first sled ride… well, the first Bo-supervised ride that didn't result in near death. She smiled, remembering the day that she first stepped foot on the rails behind a team.

She turned the corner to see a small flame flickering next to Bo's bed. She was laying on her side facing a window that provided a view of the mountain range and the moon. She was quiet now, but it still hurt that Bo was in pain because of her.

"Bo?" She spoke softly just in case the brunette had fallen asleep.

Bo quickly sat up with her back to Lauren. The blonde could see her wiping her face with her sleeves as she moved to face her, sitting with her legs off the side of the bed.

"Sorry. I must have dozed off." She reached back and grabbed a large sweatshirt that was on the bottom of the bed, her eyes still lowered as she wiped at her cheeks with her sleeve.

Lauren couldn't blame her for trying to save face. She had said it all. She thought Lauren saw her as damaged goods… as weak. The truth was, Lauren saw her as anything but. She had spoken her mind and said exactly what she thought. She had stood up to yet another bully who was telling her everything that was wrong with her rather than focusing on the reasons she loved her.

"Bo, we don't have to go back tonight. You're tired."

Bo shrugged, pulling her hoodie over her head and moving to sit on the edge of the bed, "I'm good. The nap helped."

Lauren shook her head, "The pups are asleep, Bo. Really, we can sleep here tonight."

Bo looked up at Lauren, "I'm not sure I'm comfortable with having someone here who doesn't really want to be here. When we wake up in the morning, it will be awkward and… well, I'm sorry if this sounds selfish, but I've spent a lot of time building this house and years from now when I recount my first night under this roof, I'd like to be able to say I was alone with my dogs and we had a blast or I was with someone who loved this house… and me."

Lauren shrugged, "I haven't had the grand tour of the house, so can't speak for my love of it yet, but it is beautiful and particularly amazing because it was crafted by those two hands alone. I know that you had some help on a few things that were impossible to do alone, but apparently, I'm not so good at listening all the time either. I believe I've found it very easy to spend my time judging you, because it makes it much easier to not have to look at myself and my own issues."

She shook her head, lowering her eyes, "For the record, you're right about Nadia. One of the reasons I didn't want a relationship when I arrived was because I knew I needed to process my own faults and weaknesses in what caused our relationship to fall apart. I had blamed it all on Nadia when in fact, I did my own version of running from the relationship – I withdrew into my work like I always do when I don't want to face things. When I talked to you about Nadia, I continued to make excuses by blaming the whole thing on Nadia rather than process and admit my part in it like I promised I would do when I came here."

She looked up at Bo again, "You know, it's ironic that I'm supposed to be a fabulous doctor – one of the best, in fact – and yet I didn't take the time to analyze my own condition. Instead, I tried to spend time fixing you… something you didn't need because you'll find yourself in your own time and in your own way. I blew up a relationship with Nadia and in being too afraid of the same thing happening with you, I've done it again anyway." She offered a tight smile, "It's also amazing that my specialty is cardiothoracic surgery and yet I suck in matters of the heart."

Lauren shrugged, "The bottom line is, the Bo I loved was all of a sudden the Bo I was criticizing. You are beautifully imperfect. You know it, you own it and you made me feel safe to be the same. I have always felt like I had to be this strong, perfect doctor. Here, you taught me that it was okay to fail sometimes… it just wasn't okay not to try."

"Lauren…"

"No, Bo… please let me finish." Bo nodded, offering the same courtesy Lauren had given her outside.

"It's not okay not to try. It's not okay to let fear stop you from trying. It's usually the way I operate. The night I took the dog sled out when I didn't know a kid sled from a dog sled proves that. If we end this thing between us now, it's over and it ends because of my fear – not yours. I can't and won't do that to us."

Bo was confused, "So… what are you saying?"

Lauren laughed, pulling the letter from her back pocket, "I'm saying no one has ever written a love letter quite like this one to me. I'm saying that no one has ever had the guts to stand up to the great Doctor Lauren Lewis. I'm saying that no one has ever wanted to provide a night where they wanted to meet all of my needs. I'm saying that everything you said out there was true, Bo. It was brutally honest, just like I had been with you. It was hard to hear… very hard to hear… but you were right."

Bo nodded, "Just like you were right with the things you said to me."

Lauren smiled, "How many couples can be this honest with each other and still… one of them makes the gesture to talk about it?"

"I guess I should have been the one to make the gesture." Bo said, her eyes down.

Lauren knelt down between Bo's legs and reached up with her hands to cup her face, "You did… this afternoon when you set up everything on the beach by the river. You made the gesture and I came in here intent on setting you straight on how I thought things should be… the 'my way or the highway' speech. You had this beautiful evening planned and my plan was to come here judge you."

Bo nodded, giving Lauren a smile as she took her hands in her own, "I'm sorry if I hurt you with the things that I said."

Lauren smiled, "And I'm sorry for hurting you with the things I said, but we were both right and we both have work to do."

Bo smiled, "Life is a journey through a series of experiences that create the person you are meant to be."

"Wow. That was profound, Miss Dennis."

She let out a chuckle, "I wish I could take credit. It's another Mom Dennis quote."

Lauren lowered her lips to Bo's hands and softly pressed them to her skin, "I hope I get to meet her someday."

Bo nodded, "Me too."

They heard a squeal and turned to see one of the pups running in her sleep. They both laughed as the other pup rolled over and stood, staggering over to her sister and plopping down on top of her.

"Comforting her during a nightmare, I suppose?" Lauren asked.

Bo smiled, "They do take care of each other. They were separated from their mother way too soon. I think Big Jim was trying to hide the evidence."

"Sounds like him." Lauren replied.

"Are you sure you want to stay out here tonight?" Bo asked.

"I want to test these waters with you, Bo. I want to be here with you or at my place with you or in your hotel apartment... I want to be smothered by you before Evony sends me packing. I want to know as much as possible about a life here with you before I leave, Bo. I want to know exactly what I'm missing when I got back to Boston."

She lowered her eyes and gripped Bo's hands a little bit tighter, "I do want you to come to Boston. I want you to see where I came from… how I've lived… I mean… if you'll come."

Bo smiled, "I will come and visit, Lauren. I promise."

Hesitating for a moment, Lauren floated an idea, "Just an idea – you don't have to decide now – but the day that I fly back, it would be nice if you could come with me. That way, you wouldn't have to fly alone."

Bo shrugged, "You'll be really busy when you get back. I think I'd just be in the way. Besides when you came, it was the start of my Iditarod training season. If you're going back at the same time, I'm not sure if…"

"Like I said, Bo. It's just an idea. I mean, there will always be a reason for you not to come to Boston. You've got thirty-five dogs and counting in you care, but you've also got a business partner now… and family. I'm sure they would cover for you for seven to ten days if you asked. But like I said, it's just an idea."

Bo nodded, "I've got to learn to compromise sometime, right?"

Lauren smiled, "We both do."

They were greeted by a little squeaker walking towards them. Bo saw her start to bend her knees and quickly picked her up, grabbed her legs and pulled them straight,

"Don't you dare! Emergency! Grab that pup and follow me!"

"Bo?"

"Full bladders, Lauren!"

"Oh crap!" Lauren laughed, picking up the pup and pulling her tightly to her body.

She watched as Bo opened the front door and put the pup on the grass before running back inside to grab her parka and gloves. Lauren headed right outside and watched the pair, pulling up her hood, zipping her coat and pulling her gloves from her pocket to put them on.

She turned to see Bo coming outside, her legs covered in fur, "What are those?"

Bo smiled, "I'm a trapper, remember? Nothing goes unused. Had to put down a bear who wasn't threatened by my team. It was him or the dogs. I made the decision for him. I kept some fur to make a new pair of boots and sold off the rest. I hate killing bears. They're really peaceful, playful animals for the most part. It's not their fault we run into each other on occasion."

Lauren nodded, chasing after one of the pups who tried to make a get away, "Come here, you little adorable ball of fluff!"

Bo laughed as the small black and white came to stand at her feet. She sat down and looked up at her new master,

"Well, aren't you the obedient one? Are you hoping for some extra kibble?"

The high-pitched bark echoed through the night, yielding a bark from the garage, "Uh-oh. You woke up the rest of the crew."

It was only a matter of minutes before the whole garage was barking up a storm, "Lauren! Can you make sure that gate is locked? The rest of the crew has to come out as well."

She waved, picking up the small gray and white pup before walking to the gate. Bo went around to the garage and opened the door, stepping out of the way as her team came rushing into the yard. Harper took her time, walking slowly behind the group.

Lauren and Bo stood, waiting for all of them to do their business before putting the puppies down so that they could play,

"With the rest of the dogs out, they won't make a run for it."

"Are you sure there's no gaps under the fence or anything?" Lauren asked.

Bo smiled, "There's a wooden fence beneath the snow that comes up to meet the fence. When the snow melts, you'll be able to see it. The tops of the wood are capped with steel so they can't chew threw the wood. Mark wants me to double the height of the fence due to the value of the dogs, but I'd hate to lose that view from the back porch."

"That view is priceless."

Bo laughed, "So are the dogs. I really think that if anyone came down river or on land to enter this yard, they would all bark. I'd be out here with my shot gun or rifle in a hot second even if I had to come out naked. No one is taking my dogs."

Lauren nodded, "I'm sure."

Harper came to sit between the two women, watching the activity in the yard. Bo laughed,

"Are you the recess playground supervisor, Miss Harper?"

She looked up at Bo and yawned before lying down in the snow. Lauren smiled,

"I love these dogs. I love this life you've built for yourself, Bo. The view, the dogs in the yard, the new pups… you're a very lucky woman to have all of this."

Bo smiled, "Thank you. Don't you have a lucky life back in Boston?"

Lauren shrugged, "Well, right now I'm in an apartment because I gave Nadia the house. I just didn't want it… too many crappy memories and… well, she picked it, furnished it, decorated it… I just paid for the stuff. I have the vacation home on the Cape that I've told you about, but it's too far from the hospital for me to live there year round."

Bo frowned, "Well, that sucks that you have to rent."

"Yea. I didn't care at the time. I just wanted her to be happy and by that I mean I wanted her off my back about who was getting what. She was miserable when she didn't get her way."

Bo let out a short laugh, "I guess I understand why you don't want to do a selfish partner again."

Lauren smirked, "Everyone is selfish one way or another, but she took it to a whole new level. Of course, that's just my point of view. She would say I never had time for her and our friends. She would be right."

"I'm sorry you had to go through all of that."

Lauren shrugged, "My lease is up when I get back. I'll have about three weeks to make a lot of decisions. I also have a leased car. Evony insisted I lease instead of purchase just in case I didn't like the car. It was a new model year and… well, frankly, I could have cared less, but Evony is all about dressing up her doctors so that people know how much she's paying us. Still… it is a nice car. But then again, there's plenty of public transportation."

Bo shook her head, "I'll never understand that woman."

Diana and Nike came to lay by Harper, signaling that play time was coming to a close, "Okay kids! Let's head back inside. Time for bed!"

The dogs rushed back to the garage, Diana, Nike and Harper all walking behind them.

Bo laughed, "Just in case you didn't know who the cool kids were… it's these three."

Lauren smiled, "Look who's hanging out with the cool kids."

They both laughed as the puppies ran up and walked with the three big dogs, running occasionally as they fell behind,

"I love their little tiny legs and how fast they have to move them to keep up." Lauren grinned, "Gosh, they're just so adorable."

Bo nodded, checking the water trough and tossing a treat into each dog's crate. Once they were all settled, she stood, observing the pups.

"What now?" Lauren asked quietly.

"I wait and see what the pups do instinctively. What dogs do they seem to gravitate towards, which of those dogs will accept them. From that point forward, I'll start pairing them up for play time, feedings, anything I can, really. When they're big enough, they'll pair on the sled."

Lauren nodded, watching the pair of pups wander from crate to crate, looking for someone to welcome them. Finally, it was Harper who accepted them both.

"Crap." Bo whispered.

"What's wrong with Harper taking to them?"

Bo shrugged, "Harper will be retiring well before they start running a sled. They need to bond with one of the others."

"Does that mean you'll try to keep them apart?"

Bo nodded, "Except for bedtime, yes. This is likely a mothering instinct which is fine. It's just going to take some work keeping them apart during the day if they're naturally heading towards her. Like I said, they were pulled from their mother too soon and they are from Harper's bloodline. Dogs sense that kind of thing."

Lauren nodded, "The whole nature to nurture thing."

"And be nurtured." Bo agreed, "Okay. They all look like they're settled. The pups will pee in the straw tonight, so they should be fine now. Ready to head inside?"

Lauren nodded, "Lead the way."

Bo smiled and moved to the side garage door, making sure it was locked before moving into the kitchen. She took Lauren's gear and hung it in the cold room off the kitchen, doing the same with her own. They both stripped off their boots, Lauren shivering a bit as she walked across the cold floor and back into the kitchen. Bo walked to the front door and locked it, then moved to the fire and checked to be sure the screen was properly in place. She grabbed an armful of wood and headed up the stairs, putting a few logs in and removing the hot rocks from the top of the stove for use in the bed. She walked back down the steps to find Lauren still standing near the kitchen.

"Lauren? You can head up. Take the bed."

"Uh… I still have to pee, Bo."

"Ohmagosh, I'm so sorry!" She waved Lauren from the kitchen into the corner of the living room where she opened the bathroom door,

"So, this is a composting toilet… it doesn't flush. There's a bucket beneath the seat that has water and a solution to help solids biodegrade. After you go, if you do a number two, just lift this door and pour the contents of the bucket out. It will land in my composting bin. If you do a number one, just put the lid down. When it's half full, I pour it into the outside bin. The sink is like a regular faucet, so keep in mind that there's only five gallons of water under the sink, so use it sparingly."

"Got it."

Bo smiled, "I'll leave you to it then."

She closed the door to give Lauren some privacy, "Well, she handled that well. Then again, if I had to pee like a race horse, I probably wouldn't care either."

She headed out to the living room, "Maybe we'll stoke you up a bit. Hot air rises, so it can only help to keep the bedroom toasty for Lauren."

Lifting the sofa cushions, she set about pulling out some sheets and two blankets so that she could sleep here on the couch. Bo didn't like to be too warm at night at this time of the year. Three weeks sleeping outside at night was something her body adapted quite easily to. When she came back inside, she was always a bit warmer than others. Bo laid back on the sofa, arm behind her head, staring into the fire. She loved this room and she loved the stone fireplace. She smiled thinking of how badly her fingers hurt after three days of laying the stone hearth, fireplace and the slate mantel. It was probably the most challenging part of the build.

Lauren entered the room, "Bo, you don't have to sleep on the sofa. I can sleep there if you don't want to share a bed."

"It's okay, Lauren. I want you to be comfortable."

The blonde smiled, "Well, I'll be more comfortable knowing that you are spending your first night in your new home in your bed. I insist."

Bo smiled, giving a nod to the blonde. She stood up and double checked the screen to be sure it was secured around the fireplace before starting up the stairs. She stopped, wanting to say good night to Lauren, but found her not far behind. The blonde smiled up at her,

"You said you wanted to have fond memories of your first night here. You wanted to know that if you were here, that you were here with someone who loved this house and who loved you."

She took the few steps to cover the distance to get to Bo,

"I want to be the one who loved you on your first night in this house." She reached up and slid her hands around Bo's waist, laying her head against her chest, "It doesn't have to be physically, if you don't want, but I don't want you to be alone in your bed the first night here. We can just lay and talk if you want."

She waited for what felt like an eternity before Bo's arms wrapped around her, holding her tight. They slowly separated, Lauren pulling back, her eyes set on Bo's as she lowered her lips to meet the blonde's in a soft kiss. Bo stood, looking down into Lauren's eyes,

"Are you sure?"

Lauren nodded, "I told you, Bo. I want this… us. It's going to be messy. It's going to be scary and at some point, it's going to hurt like hell, but I'd rather delay the hurt. I can't let you go without knowing for sure. I can't give up on us just because things didn't work out with my ex... I would never forgive myself. Hell, you would never forgive me. I can't give up on us just because I have to go back at the end of the year because we may decide we want to figure out a way to be together. We both have some work to do on ourselves, but that doesn't mean we can't be together while we do. I want to try. Don't you want to try?"

Bo smiled, "Of course I do, Lauren."

She led the blonde up the stairs, stopping by the stove, "I just want to put a few more pieces of wood in the stove so you won't be cold."

"You'll keep me warm." Lauren replied, walking with Bo to the bed.

They sat on the end, Lauren looking out of the huge picture window, "Look at that view."

Bo smiled, closing the wood stove door and turning the handle to lock it tight. She moved to the window to stand beside Lauren,

"It is pretty amazing, huh? When I'm lying in bed at just the right angle and look out the window, it feels like I'm floating in outer space." Bo chuckled, "As a little kid, I was obsessed with science and astronauts. That's the one thing my mom used to sort of squelch. She would somehow parlay that into a how I was going to someday be the best musher that ever lived and I would win the Iditarod."

Bo lowered her eyes, her fingers running along the wood, finding a small splinter. She lifted it up, breaking it off, "I'll have to sand that."

Lauren stilled her hand, "She was right, Bo. You are a great musher. You did win and you may yet prove to be the greatest of your time."

She shrugged, "There's been times where I've been on my way to a new town," she looked up at Lauren, "You know, those times when nothing is happening, so you're kind of stuck with your own thoughts?"

Lauren nodded, "Yea, that happens for me when I'm sitting in traffic waiting to get to work on the freeway or when I'm waiting for a patient to wake up or die… like Kyle. Once I've run out of ideas, I just start thinking about how I should have been in the Coast Guard."

Bo chuckled, "Coast Guard?"

Lauren smiled, "My childhood dream. We used to go camping a lot. My parents took me and my brother to Acadia National Park in Maine. We were visiting Bar Harbor and went out on this tall ship. They were going to cancel it because of weather, but my dad pulled out his wallet and convinced the skipper it would be worth his while to take us out. The weather got bad, the ship got into trouble. They were lowering the sail and my brother got in the way. He got bumped overboard… almost drowned, but a coast guard rescue helicopter showed up and pulled him from the water." Lauren chuckled, "They were so amazing… so badass."

Bo elbowed the blonde, "You're still pretty badass even though you aren't in the Coast Guard."

Lauren laughed, "I have my moments of crazy bravery."

"Or extreme sledding." Bo smirked.

"I'll never live that down."

Bo grinned, "Not in the near future, no. But as I've said, it was pretty impressive."

"My crash?"

"No, your survival."

Lauren turned to face Bo, "You were pretty impressive too. You saved me."

"I found you. I transported you. I didn't save you… not really."

"You knew what to do to warm me and that was the most important thing. You may not be a doctor, but you know a helluva lot about surviving. I need a medical kit whereas you find a bush of some sort and stop bleeding."

Bo shrugged, "Born and raised… we use the land because the land offers solutions to everything. Believe it or not, it's a very spiritual existence."

Lauren cocked her head, "Really? I've just never thought of you as… spiritual."

"And I've thought of you as scientific."

"Guilty as charged," Lauren replied, "I guess I've always been the more… factual sort. Were you raised with religious beliefs?"

Bo shrugged, "As I've mentioned, my mom was Athabascan, so I was raised with an animistic belief system. Basically, it makes animals and some elements of the earth, our guides because within them reside spirits that are active and powerful. What you call animal instinct, our belief system calls the spirit inside of the animal allowing them to see things that aren't apparently obvious to the naked eye. So, our beliefs translated to hunting, fishing and gathering."

She chuckled, thinking of some of her childhood friends, "There were, of course, those who took it to extremes. In some groups, there were all of these rules about what girls could do versus what boys could do. One of my friends wasn't allowed to step over her brothers' clothes because it would be hutla'nee."

"Which means?"

"Taboo. Basically, all of the traditional gender roles were firmly intact in some sects, so they believed if a girl was to look at a bear, talk to a bear, hunt a bear… well, it was all…"

"Hutla'nee."

Bo smiled, "Very good, Dr. Lewis. You are quite the cunning linguist."

Swallowing hard, Lauren turned back to the window, "And… I don't know how to reply to that. If we were on… more solid ground, I would have some nifty sexual play on words to throw back at you, but… it just feels awkward to do that right now and…"

Bo could hear the blonde's voice crack, "Hey, Lauren… hey…" she saw her eyes well with tears as one managed to escape and roll quickly down her cheek, "Come here, you."

She took the blonde in her eyes as Lauren mumbled into her chest, her hands grasping at the cloth of her hoodie,

"I'm so sorry this is where we are, Bo. I was blaming everything on you and your anger and…" she pounded both fists on Bo's chest, her eyes already red and swollen, but her face twisted in anger, "… you have every right to be angry!" She pulled back, her hands running through her hair as she walked to the banister that overlooked the living room,

"I'm so angry! I'm so angry that all that has been done to you has come between us!"

"Lauren, I'm sorry…"

"No, Bo. This isn't on you or me. That man created a disease that infested the minds of the people from Point Siku to Talkeetna and who knows where else. That disease was prejudice and hatred about you… about your birth right, about your mom, about your lifestyle, about heritage… he's the one who created the shroud of darkness around you that made people believe you were dangerous."

Lauren shook her head as Bo took a seat on the bedside, "The first week I was here, I was staring out of the clinic window watching the snow fall. You came up on your sled and pulled in on the path between the clinic and your kennel while a woman was walking past the clinic with her two kids. She pulled them away from you as you stepped off of your sled, shielding them from you as she hurried them past. Another man was coming from the opposite direction and he actually went out into the street to pass you."

She looked up at Bo, "I didn't think of it then, but between the incident at the store in Point Siku when I first arrived and that visual that has stuck in my subconscious mind until just now… he made me believe you were dangerous too. I stood up to you because I was taught to carry myself as a strong woman because I would less likely become a victim of some thug who wanted to mug me in the street."

She shook her head, "I didn't realize it until now, but in my mind… you were dangerous from the start because of all of the talk, mystery and body language that was happening around me that I didn't even pick up on."

She walked to the window, standing across from Bo, "He told everyone that you were a half breed, that your Dad was a half breed. All that trash he talked about your dad and it was him all along! And he had not one, but two families! Two wives! Who knows, maybe he had more!"

Bo sat quietly, allowing Lauren to process all that she had apparently been holding in. Bo had wondered what Lauren was thinking about this. Since the truths of her past had been revealed, Lauren had not reacted or commented… at least not in Bo's presence. Luckily for Bo, she had already had the opportunity to do the same with Tosh. Bo didn't drink often, but two nights after the Iditarod, she and Tosh had gone to a bar to grab a bite to eat and talk – heart to heart – for the first time. Bo didn't frequent the bars in Point Siku… she wasn't exactly welcome, but Tosh and the owner, who everyone called Taps, had been childhood friends. Like the rest of the community, he now knew the truth about Bo and treated her with kindness that night.

After a long chat over some grub and beer… a lot of beer… Tosh's temper flared. He started shouting at the top of his lungs about his dad, eventually directing it at everyone in the bar who had supported him and the insults he had thrown at his sister. He then turned his temper on himself for doing much the same. When he began throwing beer mugs and furniture, Taps cleared out the bar, not wanting Dyson to show up and throw him in a cell. That was all the feds would need to get wind of since they were already suspicious of Tosh's involvement in Big Jim's business dealings at that point.

Taps stood by Bo, the two working together to calm him. It was then that Taps told Bo that Big Jim used to beat the living shit out of Tosh when they were kids, so he understood his anger… and the hurt. Eventually, they were all talking, drunk as can be while lying on the three side-by-side pool tables. At some point they must have passed out, because they all woke up on the pool tables in the morning. Taps laughed saying that he should rent them out as a hotel bed because it was the best sleep he'd had in years.

Bo was drawn back to the sound of Lauren's voice once again as the volume grew. The blonde was working up to a new level of pissed as she shouted out the window towards the mountain, her breath so powerful it was fogging up the glass,

"…that man took your childhood from you! He took your mother from you! He left you to fend for yourself when you were just a kid! You should have been in school, having fun with friends, playing with your dogs, sewing dresses and making cookies in the kitchen with your mom! You're so smart! You could have gone to college and… well who knows! You could be an astronaut right now, but because of him, you'll never know who you could have been or what you could have done! He tortured you by spreading lies and rumors! He insulted you down to the very core of what makes you the woman you are!"

She turned to face Bo, "You had brothers! Clearly, they were brothers who protected and cared for you. He turned them against you! You say that I treat you like you're damaged… well, you are and he's the one that did the damage! DAMN HIM!"

Bo could see the tears falling again. She stood and walked to Lauren, placing a hand on her shoulder as the blonde placed her hands on the window sill,

"Lauren. It's okay. I'm alive, he's in jail for life. I'm okay. We're okay."

Lauren shook her head, "But despite him… despite the fear and hatred that some of the people in the town have showed you because of the vile words he has spewed about you, you've been strong… so strong. Despite all that man has done to you and your family, you're stronger than you've ever been… and now you your step brothers are finally together and you're a united force to be reckoned with. On your own, you've accomplished incredible things despite him and now you'll accomplish even greater things with your family and friends by your side. Yes, you're angry, but that anger has helped you to survive."

Bo smiled, "By the way, my mom was never going to sew dresses with my mom."

Lauren burst into laughter, her head falling to Bo's chest, "I don't know where that came from."

Bo pulled back, lifting her eyes to meet her own, "It came from the very best place inside of you… your big, adorable, caring, kind heart, Lauren Lewis."

Lauren stared into the deep brown eyes of the woman before smashing her lips against Bo's. Her tongue begged for entrance which Bo allowed, gripping her face to soften the kiss. When they pulled back, Lauren sighed,

"Sorry. I just…"

Bo smiled, "It's okay, Lauren. I'm not complaining. It's been a long time since you've kissed me like that."

Lauren nodded, "It felt good. It felt… right."

Bo brushed a strand of hair back behind Lauren's ear, "We're good together, Lauren. There's no denying that. But, for tonight, what do you say we shelve all of this drama and just… be."

"Sounds perfect." Lauren smiled, laying her head against Bo's chest.

They remained in each other's embrace, Bo's lips buried in Lauren's hair as the blonde stared out the window at the sky,

"It really is a magnificent view, Bo. I could get used to staying here."

Bo smiled, leaning back so she could speak, "You're welcome here anytime, Lauren."

"My new apartment over the clinic is very nice. I have a full bathroom and a small kitchen, a reading area and a queen-sized bed to stretch out in. I even have a walk-in closet and room to store my snow shoes and sledding gear. But my view, no offense, is of the barn for your kennel and a small patch of woods on one side and the street and snow on the other."

Bo chuckled, "I suppose I do have the better view."

"Better than most, I'm sure."

Bo smoothed out the blonde's hair, settling her head close to Lauren's, "I grew up right on the Arctic Circle, so my view of the water, sea ice and the wildlife was amazing. Polar bears and their cubs, seals and their cubs… I loved my life there. The cold didn't bother me as most would expect. It was just the way it was. I was born into it, just as you were born into the climate that surrounds you. It was beautiful."

Lauren smiled, "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder."

Smiling, Bo pulled back and looked at Lauren, her hands cupping her face, "And I see nothing but beauty when I behold you."

She leaned in and kissed Lauren softly, "What do you say we get into that bed and get toasty. You're shivering."

"Yes, well, unlike you, I was not born into this climate." Lauren stripped off her layers one by one until she was down to just her panties and bra, then climbed into the bed.

"Well, let's get you warm until your body learns how to handle Alaska." Bo stepped away, moving to the stove to filling it with wood. She opened the vent a bit more to allow more heat to escape into the room. She would likely be sweating her ass off, but at least her body heat would keep Lauren warm. It was much colder here near the mountains and river than it was in town.

"It's so warm in this bed. Do you have an electric blanket or… wait… Bo, there's a rock in your bed." Lauren said, gripping the rock and showing it to Bo. The brunette laughed,

"Hot rocks, to be exact. I put them in a while ago so that the bed would be warm for you… just in case you were staying. I didn't assume…"

"Bo, it's okay. Thank you." She grinned as Bo took the rock from her, "So do we sleep with the rest of them?"

"Not unless you want to risk a concussion or a lot of bruises." Bo smiled, pulling back the covers to grab all of the rocks, placing them back on top of the woods stove.

Lauren watched, nodded, "That's ingenius."

Bo shrugged, "My mom taught me this. We used hot rocks to cook on, to sleep with when we were on the hunt for days at a time, you name it."

"Still a great idea." Lauren smiled, propping her head up on her hand, "Do you need me to turn off the lanterns over there?"

Bo shook her head, "I've got them. You just stay there and be warm."

Lauren laughed, "You'll get no argument from me. I was just trying to be polite. I didn't actually want to get out of this bed to turn off the lanterns."

"I never would have guessed." Bo replied, turning down the wick on the first lantern before moving to the next and doing the same. She then began stripping off her layers of clothes, "Excuse me while I go relieve myself."

"Of course." Lauren replied with a smile.

Lauren rolled onto her back and stared out the window, "So many stars… it does look like I'm floating in outer space."

She chuckled, trying to make out the various constellations like she had when she was a child. She didn't see stars like this in Boston. Well, sometimes when she was out on the harbor in her kayak at night, but lately she hadn't been taking the time. She really had become all work and no play. She hadn't been out to her house on the Cape since last summer. Usually she would take a few trips out there during the year, but with Nadia unwilling to do anything but what she wanted to do, she didn't go. She used to go there on her own all the time. When did that change? When had she become so rigid?

She felt the bed moved and turned to see Bo slipping under the covers, her shoulders suspiciously bare. She blushed remembering that Bo slept in the buff and was not the least bit shy about her body. They'd discussed the culture differences where that was concerned as well with Bo teasing Lauren for hiding her body from Bo for at least the first two weeks they'd shared a bed. Of course, she could ask, but that would be awkward. Did she mind? Honestly, no. Feeling Bo's warm, hard body against hers would be welcome… more than welcome. But did Bo want that?

She lay there, staring at the ceiling, paralyzed with uncertainty until she felt Bo's hand on hers,

"Lauren, we don't have to do anything you don't want to do. Like I said, no pressure. You can just roll over and go to sleep. You must be exhausted. I can hold you or not. You can hold me or not. Big spoon, little spoon or two knives laying side by side. Whatever makes you comfortable."

"Do you… I mean… you're wearing your usual bedtime attire?"

Bo laughed, "Yes, but if that makes you uncomfortable, I'll go put something on."

"No, of course not." Lauren replied, pausing for a long moment before she gripped her panties and slid them down and off, then did the same with her bra, "I just… thought we should match."

Bo laughed, "Lauren, you really don't have to…"

Lauren turned towards Bo, "I want to feel you against me, Bo. All of you. Would you just mind holding me tonight?"

"Of course not. Roll over little spoon." Bo smiled.

Lauren leaned in to kiss her softly, "Thank you, Bo."

"You're always welcome, Lauren."

Lauren rolled over onto her side, facing the window, lifting her arm until Bo's settled around her. She felt the brunette's body press against her, the sensation bringing comfort with the usual surge of excitement. She pressed that down, reminding herself to be grateful for this woman's presence in her life, reminding herself that she wanted more than just sex from Bo. She wanted… well, everything.

"Bo?"

"Yes?"

"Are you okay?"

Lauren could hear the smile in Bo's voice, "I'm very comfortable. It's nice to have you in my arms again. It's nice to feel your body against mine. It's nice that this is the first night in my new home and that you are here with me like this. Thank you, Lauren."

The blonde turned in Bo's arms, coming to face her, "I need you to know… I'm not just doing this so you would have a good first night in your home. I really want to be here with you."

Bo kissed the blonde's forehead, "I know, Lauren. I think we've both said enough tonight to know that we are women of our word. I know that we're going to have to go our separate ways after the new year, but I'm going to vote for us figuring out a way to be together if that's what we both want at this end of this year together. It may be long distance for a while, but if that's the case, we'll either care enough to figure it out or we won't."

"I don't think I could ever bare losing you from my life altogether, Bo. That's what's making this so hard."

Bo smiled, "It's hard for me too, Lauren. Keep that in mind."

Lauren nodded, "I'm not usually this honest… with myself or with you… about things that are hard for me. I guess it's been trained into me that there is nothing that can't be fixed with good old-fashioned intellect and a strong will. This… this is something completely different."

"Well, then let's both be glad that we don't have to solve this problem tonight. Get some sleep, Lauren. You've more than earned it after the day you've had." Bo said, wrapping her arms around Lauren who crossed her arms over her chest and cuddled into Bo's arms.

Lauren smiled, "As have you. I heard you made several trips back and forth to the village, finished up your house, visited your brother and the kennel…"

"That was all just my daily routine, Lauren. I wasn't flying to a frozen village to try to save a life and a child. How are you?"

Lauren shrugged, her finger tracing Bo's collarbone, "It's sad… I mean, it's never hard to lose a patient, but if I had never gone there… if that woman hadn't had the raw motherly instinct to protect her child… she and I never would have met and I would still be searching for a cause and a cure."

"How did she find you?"

"The internet…" Lauren gave Bo the full backstory of how the woman had chosen her to become the guardian for her daughter, drew up all of the necessary legal paperwork for Molly and Mark to assume temporary or permanent custody, provided for the girls' financial future and given her a few things to remember them by as she aged.

"Wow. I'm so sorry that she lost her mom, but that's quite a sendoff. How did she know?" Bo replied, her eyes telling Lauren everything she needed to know,

"Well, I would like to think she had a contingency plan because her husband had also passed. After going through this with Elise… well, it made me think about all you've told me about your relationship with your mom. Bo, she never would have left you willingly… there's just no way."

Bo nodded, "I know, Lauren. Big Jim was the only reason I ever had any doubts. I just… this may sound strange, but… Lauren, I just know she's out there somewhere. I don't have any proof, it's not some weird spiritual or supernatural thing… I just… know."

"I believe you, Bo." Lauren replied, "And I think you should start working with Tamsin to find out if she has any leads."

Bo groaned, "I wish it was a different agent."

Lauren chuckled, "She's not that bad, Bo. It can't hurt to ask her to look into it."

Bo shrugged, "I have a feeling that's why she wants to talk to me tomorrow. Some things that Big Jim said when Tosh and I went to interview him seemed to set her off. I'm not sure exactly what was going on, but somehow it was tied to another agent and some case that guy was working on. I just assumed it was something to do with another one of my dad's criminal ventures. But then I heard she was up on the North Slope last week. I'm trying not to get my hopes up, but… well, we'll see."

They shared a gaze for a long while before Bo leaned in and kissed her softly, pulling her closer, their legs tangling together in the heat of the kiss until Bo pulled back,

"Are you warm enough?"

Lauren nodded before laying her head on Bo's chest again, her fingers gliding over the form of her upper chest,

"Do you actually work out?"

"What, you mean like in a gym?"

"No, I mean like you have an exercise routine that you follow."

Bo nodded, "I do, I just never really talk about it. If you look up in the rafters up there, you'll see a rope."

Lauren rolled back, looking up at the ceiling, "I see it. Is that your fire escape?"

Bo shrugged, "Yes and it's a climbing rope. Remember that I have to stay in climbing shape for when my buddies at Denali need an assist. I did tell them I'm done for this year though. I've just got too much on my plate."

"So what do you do with the rope?"

"Climbing drills, swinging drills, drop and catch drills, stuff like that." Bo said as though it was no big deal.

"Can I work out with you?" Lauren asked.

Bo nodded, "You really want to?"

"I haven't had a good workout since I got here. I'm dying for something to do."

Bo smiled, "A little cabin fever, huh?"

Lauren laughed, "People talk about that as if it's a real thing here."

"Oh, it's very real here. We have a very high rate of depression and suicide. Up on the North Slope, domestic violence and violence against women are two very real side effects of no sunlight and cold temps that keep you locked inside with the same group of people day in, day out. You've likely treated people with it. Be suspicious when people come in with random cuts or bruises. Compare the imprint with what they say caused it, look at their size and you can probably figure it out."

"I had no idea… I'll have to review my cases and see what I've had."

Bo nodded, "I guess I should have said something sooner."

"What's the matter, Bo?" Lauren asked, noticing that Bo had put a little space between them.

"Uh… what?"

Lauren rolled over, snuggling up to Bo, "Did I say something to upset you?"

"Uh… nope. Not at all."

Lauren sat up, the covers sliding off of her shoulders, leaning down over the brunette, "Bo Dennis, you talk to me right now."

Bo stared past Lauren's shoulder to the ceiling, "Uh… well… geez, Lauren… you rolled over onto your back bare naked with your nipples all hard and now they're hanging right over my face."

Lauren burst out laughing, falling down to lay her head in the crook of Bo's neck. The brunette, however was not laughing,

"It's not funny, Lauren. You know I love your body, but you just want to cuddle. I'm trying to do the right thing and do what you want, but I am a red-blooded all-American woman."

Lauren growled, "Yes, you are. All five and a half feet of your hard, muscle-bound torso is definitely all woman."

Lauren lifted her head and gave Bo a wink, kissing her on the cheek, "I'm sorry, Bo. I wasn't really thinking about it."

"Apparently."

"Bo, please don't be mad."

"I'm not mad. Just trying to reel in my libido." Bo replied, "And you laying on top of me is not actually helping that effort."

Lauren propped up her head on her elbow, her hair hanging like a curtain around their faces, the candlelight streaming through the blonde strands, giving just enough light to put an orange glow on Bo's face,

"I have another way to calm that libido." Lauren said, sliding her hand from Bo's shoulder down to her chest, cupping the ample flesh, "I love how your breasts spill out of my hand."

"Lauren… you don't have to…"

The blonde slid on top of the brunette, pushing the hair back behind her ear and giving Bo a mischievous grin as lowered her mouth towards the hardened peak,

"You said I could have anything I wanted tonight. Are you breaking that promise?"

"No, but…"

"I want this… I want to touch your body. I want to satisfy you. I want to be the one who makes you feel good… and feel good about yourself. I want to be the one who you feel you can be yourself with, the one you can talk to about anything, the one you can cry with, laugh with and yes, scream, yell and shout with. I'm sorry if I made you feel like you couldn't be any of those things with me, Bo. It's one of the things that I love about us and it just hit me now. This is what makes us special. I don't want you to have to deny yourself pleasure because you think it's not what I want. Okay?"

Bo's eyes brimmed with tears, "Okay."

Lauren thumbed away the tears, again lowering her mouth to Bo's breast, enjoying how the sensation was immediately reflected on her face. Her teeth covered her bottom lip, her hand moved to Lauren's cheek while the other stroked the side of her breast.

"Lay back and relax, Bo. Put your arms up over your head."

Bo did as she was asked, and Lauren sat up to admire the brunette's upper body, "So strong. So powerful. I admire your physical strength."

"Apparently I have man body. At least, that's what I've been told."

"Seriously?" Lauren asked, though it was more a statement that a question, "Bo, whoever told you that is an idiot. Did you not allow them to see these beautiful samples of womanhood?" She palmed the heavy flesh, causing Bo to move her hips as a surge of need rush through her.

"It was a comment about having too much muscle, not the obvious girl parts. It made me very self-conscious for quite a while until I was finally able to adapt the 'if you don't like it, tough shit, they're the tools of my many trades' concept. Gawd that feels good."

Lauren chuckled, "My breast masseuse skills are top notch."

"They definitely are." Bo said, lowering her hands to Lauren's hips and spreading her legs, "I want to feel you."

The blonde adjusted her body pressing her core against Bo's and grinding down, "There?"

"Mmmm… perfect." Bo said, her eyes traveling the length of Lauren's body and back up again, "Speaking of strong, powerful bodies… I love your arms…" she reached up caressing Lauren's neck into her shoulder and down to her chest, "I love all of this and your breasts are perfect."

Lauren chuckled, "I've been told I'm flat as a board."

Bo reached up, palming the aforementioned mounds of flesh, "They fit perfectly in my hands and even better in my mouth."

Lauren gave a devilish grin before lowering her chest to Bo's mouth, the angle working perfectly to press deeper into Bo's core as she quickened the pace of her hips. The brunette pulled her mouth from the hardened peaks to take Lauren's mouth with her own, deepening the kiss as their passions flared. Bo broke the kiss,

"Fingers." Was all she could say as she reached between them, allowing Lauren to do the same. A collective groan was exchanged between their lips as they entered each other, sharing the same rhythm while lips and teeth sought out any flesh they could find.

Finally, Lauren gripped Bo's jaw with her hand, finding Bo's eyes set on her own as the pace quickened, voices raised in unison as they reached their peak before Lauren crashed on top of Bo, completely spent and breathless. Bo gripped the blonde tightly as the emotions of the last month rushed through her and the tears fell again.

Lauren rolled off of her, pulling Bo into her arms, allowing her to release, "I'm here, Bo. You're here. It's all over. He's gone and you've won."

Bo shook her head, "That's just it, Lauren. I don't know that I have. He did his damage and I have a long road to fix it all."

Lauren pulled back, brushing the hair from Bo's face, "Bo, there's not that much to fix, sweetie. I told you, you are a strong, self-sufficient woman who has made a great life for herself. I mean, have you seen my life? I'm the all-important, tough Doctor Lauren Lewis and I don't even own a home anymore!"

"You own a beach house." Bo mumbled into her neck.

Lauren laughed, "It's a cottage, Bo. It's not one of those Hollywood star Malibu homes. But you're right, it's mine. I'm actually kind of pissed that I didn't stand up to Nadia and fight for more."

Bo placed a hand on Lauren's neck, settling into her embrace and heaving a big sigh, "Don't regret it. Life's too short for regrets. You loved, you lived, you lost. Time to move on and put it behind you, right? That's what you're always telling me."

"Yea, great words of wisdom from the great Doctor Lauren Lewis. I really should take my own advice. I'm very good at dishing it out."

"You actually are. I mean, what did she really take that you can't get again if you want it? Apparently, you make good money. At least, that's what Evony says. She's all 'she'll do it, I pay her enough' about this and that."

Lauren shook her head, "She said that?"

"More than once before you got here and plenty of times while they were building the clinic according to my foreman."

"Yea, well she'd better be careful or she'll never have a renewal on my contract."

Bo nodded, taking a deep breath and allowing her body to relax against Lauren's as she exhaled.

"Better?" Lauren asked.

"Yea. Thanks for the distraction."

"I didn't mean to completely distract you. I just wanted to get a little laugh so we could backtrack and little and adjust that perspective a bit. I know you're really emotional right now, Bo and there's nothing wrong with that. I just want you to make sure you're letting it out."

"I'm trying to channel it into constructive activities."

"Yea, well I'm sure swinging a hammer does a lot for the anger, but the hurt is usually best served with crying until you're angry, then swinging a hammer."

Bo laughed, "Cry, then swing. Got it."

Lauren smiled, "What I'm trying to say is that you need to let it out, Bo. It's the human thing to do. Crying doesn't make you weak. It takes courage to show your vulnerability. You're allowed to cry with me, Bo. I want to be your safe haven."

Bo shrugged, "I guess the fact that you're leaving makes me hold back a bit, honestly. I mean, I don't want to get used to leaning on you and then…"

"When I'm gone you won't have me here. Bo, there's this wonderful thing called texting. I got you an unlimited plan on that phone, so you can call me anytime as long as you're not in Canada. And there are a lot of apps that will let us talk face to face."

"Face to face?" Bo asked.

Lauren smiled, "We can see each other every day if we want, Bo. Obviously, it will depend on our schedules, because you'll be three hours behind me, but yes."

Bo nodded, "We're on the topic of you leaving again. We really have to stop this. We've still got the rest of May through until the first week of January. Let's try not to talk about you leaving so much."

"Deal." Lauren said, puckering up her lips to Bo.

"What's that?"

"Seal the deal with a kiss!" Lauren said, puckering her lips harder, causing Bo to laugh.

Lauren kept her lips together as her eyes moved into a scowl until Bo finally obliged. The brunette laughed,

"Don't you ever kiss me like that again. It was hard and wrinkly."

"Are you calling me old?"

"No, but when you pucker your lips really tight like that, your lips get hard and wrinkly." Bo said, her fingers tracing Lauren's lips, "They're so soft. I love your mouth."

She lifted her head and kissed the blonde, lightly, their lips gliding against each other before they pulled apart. Lauren laid back on the pillow, pulling Bo to her,

"I want to hold you all night. Don't get out of bed without me in the morning, okay?" Bo asked.

Lauren chuckled, "I dread the thought of getting out of bed without you in the morning. I actually dread the thought of getting out of bed at all in the morning. It will be freezing in here, huh?"

Bo shrugged, "I'm afraid so. Once the fires go out, it's going to get cold. If I wake up to pee – which I usually do – I'll load up the fireplace downstairs and the one up here too. As a matter of fact, give me two minutes."

Throwing back the covers, Bo left the bed and ran across to the loft to the staircase. Lauren yelled,

"Your boobs are bouncing and they look marvelous!"

Bo stopped and shimmied her chest at Lauren before heading down the steps. The blonde laughed, propping her head up on the pillow and pulling the covers over Bo's side of the bed to keep it warm. She thought for a moment about the day they'd shared. Two hours ago, she thought she might never see Bo again. Now, she didn't care if she ever went back to Boston. It was confusing, being in love.

She heard a crash downstairs and jumped out of bed, running to the railing, "Bo! Are you okay?"

"Lauren, go back to bed! You'll freeze. I just knocked over the screen. I'm fine, really."

The blonde nodded, climbing back into the bed and pulling the covers up over herself, "Brrrr…"

Bo came running up the steps, jogging around the corner to the woodstove. Lauren smiled, "Yes, those boobs are magnificent."

Bo chuckled, but continued to feed the fire. She pulled a burlap sack from beneath the wood stack, then picked up what looked like an oversized pair of salad tongs. Lauren watched as she lifted the hot rocks from atop the wood furnace and tossed them into the sack. When they were all in, she nudged them around until they were in a straight line and then rolled them over and over until the sack was a long roll of rocks. She lifted them up and carried them to the bed, placing them behind Lauren.

"There, you'll be toasty in just a minute and because they're outside of the covers and in the sack, they'll last longer and they won't burn you."

Bo slid into bed, opening her arms for Lauren to cuddle into her chest, "Okay. You need to get some sleep since you have to be at work before I have my appointment."

"Workout in the morning?" Lauren asked.

Bo nodded, "That's up to you. I need thirty minutes to get you back to Talkeetna and I'll need thirty minutes to get the dogs fed and hitched up."

"Okay, so we'll see what time it is when we wake up and go from there." Lauren agreed.

"Sounds perfect." Bo replied, pressing her lips to Lauren's forehead, "Good night, Lauren. Sleep well."

"You too, Bo." Lauren said, her fingers cupping Bo's breast.

"Lauren?"

"Yes?"

"What are you doing?"

"I couldn't resist. Can we just have one more round before we sleep?"

Bo grinned, "I thought you'd never ask."

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **A/N:**_ Some of you have asked for more information on the Iditarod. As I've mentioned, I'm no expert in dog sledding, but I've researched a lot to write this story. While it's fiction and therefore not 100% factual, here's a more realistic look at the race from the 2008-2009 race. It's one of the best comprehensive videos I've viewed. This is the northern route of the race. The one that I had Bo taking was the same one they used this year, the southern route. They basically start the same, veer off in two different directions to make the north versus south route and then come back together at White Mountain through Nome. If you're interested, here's a link to the movie. It's almost 3 hours long but follows the entire race. It gives you a visual to the scenes I was writing while I was doing the race chapter and the stretches of river and mountains give you an idea of what Bo's homestead land looks like, although hers is right on the water that runs at the base of the mountains that loom directly over her property. Enjoy if you'd like! watch?v=wqFVYci_Dpc


	9. Chapter 9: Romance and Recovery

_**A/N:**_ _Here's another multi-chapter update… Chapters 9, 10. & 11 - three chapters to keep you busy for a while except for those of you who have apparently taken speed-reading courses or literally consume fanfiction for breakfast! Disclaimer: I am not responsible for loss of employment for anyone caught reading at work! Haha! Ya'll crack me up! Let the roller coaster chapters begin!_

 _Again, I appreciate the continued support through reviews and messages. Thank you all so much!_

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **Chapter 9: Romance and Recovery**_

Bo lay on her side, her head propped up on her elbow watching Lauren sleep. She rarely slept until dawn even if she was up late at night. She was super light sensitive… always had been. Growing up, Bo hated this stretch of time from late April to mid-May... still did. Of course, she lived on the North Slope in the northernmost town of Utqiaġvik where daylight would increase by ten minutes a day until somewhere around the tenth of May, the sun would never rest… and neither did Bo.

She laughed, remembering how she would fight her mom at bedtime because she was still wide awake. Her mom would sew black pieces of cloth to hang in her bedroom windows to trick her mind into believing it was dark and time for bed, but Bo loved the darkness. She would lay on her bed staring out the window at the arctic sea and ice, the stars twinkling all the way down to touch the water. It was the main reason she had put in the gigantic window near bed. It calmed her when she was a child, she decided it would calm her as an adult… and she was right.

On the last day of July, her Mom would sit up with her just to watch the sun go down for an hour… well, not all the way down, but at least part of the way down so that they could sit in the twilight and watch the stars become clearer in the sky. Her mom would sing to her as she sat on her lap, head on her chest. When she was too old for her lap, they would sit side by side on the bench that she and her mom had built together. Bo would lay her head in her mom's lap and they would talk until the sun rose again… each day welcoming back the darkness ten minutes at a time, Bo savoring every inch the sun moved lower on horizon.

So, now they were in that stretch where the sun would not be passing below the horizon. While the view is fantastic for the few hours of twilight they still had, she was going to have to get used to having the sun all day again. Kenzi had told her there were these things called room-darkening shades that she could hang, but she really didn't want to lose her morning view. She supposed she could rig something that attached to her bedpost so she wouldn't have to get out of bed to look outside, but… well, that would be for later.

Here in Talkeetna, it wasn't as dark or light for as long, as it was on the North Slope, but she still felt as if it was. On top of that, her construction crews would work longer hours to make up for the time they'd lose on the job starting in August when the darkness started to creep in again. Her days at work were about to get longer. But then again, she had December twenty-first to look forward to again. It was the day with the shortest amount of light. Of course, this year, she didn't think she'd be looking forward to that day. Lauren would be leaving in two weeks.

She looked down at the blonde and smiled at how perfectly restful her sleep was. She'd had such a horrid day and no doubt, more would die before she could get the cure to them. While Bo felt just as bad as the next person about the number of people getting sick, all she really cared about was that Lauren could sleep at night. Hopefully, she was correct about her suspicions and would receive confirmation today that her idea would bring the cure she had been seeking all of these months. She could easily worry about Lauren's mental health, but she knew that her doctor was resilient. She supposed that death had been a part of Lauren's life for as long as she had been a surgeon of hearts. She couldn't imagine what that must be like… holding someone's heart in your hands, knowing that – while you had only so much control over if they lived – one mistake and they would definitely die because of your mistake.

Bo guessed that was why Lauren needed to be strong and in control all the time. She wished she could let go more often – be vulnerable more often. But only she got to see that side of Lauren. She grinned, thinking of how much control Lauren had released last night. Sometimes she was like a wild animal when they shared their bodies. Bo looked down at the scratch above her right breast, smiling at the proof of just how much control the blonde could release. Still, she was lucky to have found a woman who was strong enough to love her with all of her faults. She knew she pushed Lauren's limits, but after last night's chat, she was sure that if they could find a way, she would love this woman for the rest of her life.

For today, she decided it looked like it was going to be Lauren's kind of weather as it looked like it might hit sixty degrees, or close to it. Of course, the dogs were going to start getting sluggish. Anything above thirty was uncomfortable for them. She had already noticed the familiar signs that they were beginning to blow their coats. She would be pulling thick plugs of fur for the next month or so, keeping the fur to use to make a blanket Lauren to take back to Boston with her.

She would talk to LJ today about getting out the training sleds next week. The wheeled carts would allow them to give the dogs some exercise in the absence of snow, though the wheels made it exceptionally easy for them to pull. LJ had talked to her about starting a business for tourists to get rides on the carts and was looking into insurance and business models. Putting passengers in the carts would give them a bit more resistance to keep them in running shape. Their runs would be shorter because of the heat, so there would be more doggie cabin fever and more fights among the dogs. It would be crucial that her dogs be kept separate from any dogs they were boarding for others. Strangers do not make good bedfellows in a kennel. Her dogs came from a long line of dogs bred from the wolf, so like wolves, it was instinctive for her team to protect their pack.

There would be more puppies, there was no way she could prevent that when the females went into heat, but she and LJ had already discussed the steps they were going to take to keep the risk of pregnancies down, especially now that they had pups to care for.

She sighed, there was a lot to do today and really, all she really wanted to do was spend more time with this beautiful woman in her bed. She reached out and brushed some strands of hair back off of her shoulder. As her fingers grazed the skin, she realized it was cold. She slipped out of the bed and quietly snuck down the stairs to stoke the coals of the fire and get it roaring again. She slipped out to the garage and was greeted by wagging tails.

"Shhh… Lauren's still sleeping. Who has to go out?" Everyone pushed their crate grates open and rushed towards the door. Bo opened it, shivering as the wind rushed in against her naked skin, "Okay, so maybe not quite sixty today."

Harper was the last one out, nudging the pups along. It warmed Bo's heart to see her mothering the babies of the group. She wondered if she knew they were her great grandbabies,

"Good girl, Harper. You take good care of your girls out there."

One of the pups missed the step and rolled out of the door, "Oops. Get up, baby girl. You're okay."

Bo watched as she rolled over in the snow and shook her fur, "You are a little furball, aren't you? Go on then." She looked down to see the other pup hesitating, "Go on, you can do it. Jump little girl, jump!" She watched as Harper gave her a nudge. While she stumbled, she managed to stay on all four paws, "Good girl!" She smiled as she rushed off to find her sister.

Eventually, they'd be handling the step with no problem. They would want to stay outside for a while, so she decided breakfast was the next item on the agenda. She filled each of the dog bowls with kibble. They'd be running less now, so she was going to back off on the amount of fat the dogs received in their diet, but they would be fed twice a day from now until the temperatures dropped again.

She moved to her sled and unzipped the pocket on the rail, pulling out a bag of pastries she'd picked up from the bakery in town,

"Not exactly the breakfast of champions, but Lauren made me promise to be in bed when she woke up. There will be no cooking this morning. Besides, based on the position of the sun, I'd say it's about eight o'clock already and Lauren won't have time for me to make a fire. Of course, I already have a fire going, so…"

She opened a cabinet door, then another and another until she found what she was looking for,

"I forgot that I bought you yesterday. Almost forgot where I put you," Bo spoke to the fireplace griddle as if it were a real person or one of her dogs. She had to laugh at herself. She did that a lot. She pulled on her coat and stepped into the mukluks she kept in the corner of the garage as a backup and headed out of the side door. Walking around the side of the house, she opened the window of the camper covering her temporary cache and reached inside. Grabbing the small hand shovel, she dug down until she found the corner of burlap and lifted it, revealing the fish and meats she'd stored there last week.

She dug through the snow, looking for cloth labeled reindeer sausage and smiled when she found it, "You're going to love this, Doctor Lewis."

She hurried back inside, dropping her mukluks and coat just before the door. She wrapped the pastries in a damp cloth and put them in the cast iron skillet and she filled a bottle with water from the pitcher in the refrigerator. She grabbed the griddle, opening the legs as she walked to the living room and placed it over the fire. She took the frozen sausages and placed them on the hearth in front of the fire so they would thaw enough for her to cut then into circular slices to cook on the griddle.

Grabbing the skillet and water, she hurried back upstairs. She rounded the corner to find Lauren laying on her back, the covers at her waist, her arms over her head, hair splayed out across the pillow,

"When whatever God that exists built you, she threw away the mold." She swallowed hard, pushing down the want that coursed through her veins before she turned to the stove.

She put the skillet and bottle on the floor and grabbed another burlap sack. She loaded it with the remaining hot rocks and wrapped it up, putting it on the covers beside Lauren to keep her warm while she was partially uncovered. She retrieved the sack of cold rocks and pulled them out, placing them on the stove, leaving enough room for the skillet.

She opened the front of the stove and smiled when she saw there were still some red coals there. Tosh had recommended this model and he was right. This bad boy was staying hot threw the night just as he said it would. It was a solid investment. She stoked the fire before loading the belly with wood and closing the door. She then picked up the skillet and placed it on top of the stove. She went to the small chest next to the stove where she kept mugs, spices and tea. She pulled out two small satchels, loading both with a few pinches of tea before pulling the drawstrings tight and tying each one closes. She dropped one satchel into each mug and then closed the drawer.

Satisfied, she went back downstairs to see if the meat had thawed enough to cut. She pulled it out with the fireside tongs and felt the densely packed oval,

"Good enough." She smiled, moving back to the kitchen. She reached up to the wall and pulled down her fine, thin axe and moved to the opposite wall, pulling out the handmade cutting board that was between the refrigerator and toaster oven that were both currently without power until the solar panels were installed. Currently, she was shuttling dry ice to the fridge to keep it cold inside. When all else failed, she resorted to packed snow.

"Okay, Mr. Sausage. Let's chop you up."

She held the end of the sausage and with one blow, cut off a precise quarter inched slice of meat. She cut off three more before cleaning her axe off in the sink and returned it to hang on the wall. She carried the slices to the fireplace and carefully tossed them on to the griddle. She stood watching as they turned from a deep-frozen red to brown around the edges, waiting until the perfect moment to pull the hearth shovel and flip each of the four over. She heard the sizzle and smiled as the smell began to fill the room,

"Mmmm… protein to go with our fatty, sugary carbs." She smiled, walking to the windows to check on the dogs. As expected, they were running around the yard, puppies chasing their tails while Harper stood watch over the entire group. She really needed to get their shelters built so that when the sun started to come up hot, they were protected. She was still debating how to create a protected area for them to access the water. She supposed she could build a run from the yard to the water, but once in the water, anything could happen to them, including getting washed downstream if the current was strong or they lost their footing.

Hearing the sizzle on the griddle, she moved back to the fire and removed the sausages from the grate. She carried them to the kitchen where she plated them and then headed back upstairs, putting the shovel with the other hearth tools as she rounded the corner.

When she got upstairs, she noticed that Lauren had rolled onto her side, her long, bare back exposed to Bo right down to dip that led to her perfectly rounded buttocks. Bo had gripped that exquisite flesh for a good part of the night while Lauren road her with perfect form. She would never get enough of the blonde. She had entered her heart and stolen her soul.

She checked the clock and noticed it was eight-forty-five. Like it or not, she was going to have to wake the blonde soon or she would be late for her clinic hours. She slid into the bed, carefully wrapping an arm around Lauren before she set her eyes on the view outside. The mountain top was clear today, so it would likely be an easy run back to Talkeetna. Well, easy for the humans, hot for the dogs.

Still, Bo had to watch the time, remembering that Lauren was expecting a very important call from the CDC on her clinic landline between ten and eleven o'clock. The doctor had said that she preferred to be in before ten just in case the call was early. Even ten was late for Lauren who was normally in the clinic by eight, but she'd had a very long day yesterday so had posted a sign adjusting her hours to allow her to be coherent for her patients.

The best news Lauren had given Bo last night was the actually the last thing they'd talked about before she fell asleep in her arms. Evony had finally set up the emergency hotline, so Lauren had gotten emergency hotline signs posted on the door of the clinic as well as in every public establishment in the town. She had received two nurses from back east who had agreed to make the move and staff the emergency line, each taking a twelve-hour on-call shift, each rotating into the clinic when Lauren was not open for regular hours. They were both young, single and without anything specific tethering them to the east coast, both looking for an adventure. While it meant Lauren was on speed dial 24/7, so far, the nurses had handled everything that came their way. It had only been three days, but the doctor found comfort in knowing that she finally had the backup she'd sought from Evony for months.

Lauren had paid twelve-year-old twin brothers Sam and Scott Cardon to post the signs when then came looking for work. Both of their parents were sick and while their mom's fever had broken about a week ago, their dad was getting worse and so they didn't have his paycheck. They told Lauren that they had enough food to survive the winter, but they were running out of money to pay for their dad's medicine, electricity, phones and running out of wood for heat.

Lauren had agreed to pay them five dollars for every emergency sign they posted of the one hundred she'd offered them, in addition to free medical care for their dad. She'd told Bo it was the least she could do. She would be paid regardless of how much money she brought into the clinic and she was paid well. Those boys needed the money more than she did. Bo knew the boys but had no idea they were struggling or that their father, Colin was sick. He worked for the Alyeska Pipeline Services group that handled the trans-Alaska pipeline work for the oil companies that owned it. She knew their mother Wendy as well. She worked at the bakery where Bo had picked up the pastries yesterday. She hadn't been there when she'd gone by, but one thing was for certain, Bo would do what she could for them. While they'd never really paid attention to Bo, they had never been the type to treat her poorly. She would extend the olive branch and they would take it or not. That was entirely up to them.

She told Lauren to have the twins stop by the kennel today if they wanted work. She and LJ needed help with feeding, brushing and caring for the dogs. Now she had the puppies who needed to be trained. She could teach the boys how to train them, one step at a time. If they took to the work, if any other pups came along, she would have help. In the grand scheme of things, LJ would have the little brothers he'd never had, and they would have a good male role model if anything happened to Colin.

For now, she was happy to see Lauren so relaxed in this place. It was, indeed, an incredible first night in her new home. Her bedroom smelled like Lauren and though that scent would fade, she would still have the memory of this night to give her comfort until the next time she stayed here – whenever that night be.

Lauren stirred, rolling onto her back and cuddling into Bo's chest, "You're awake."

Bo nodded, pushing the hair from Lauren's face, "Too much light."

"You need room darkening shades."

"I need what?" Bo asked.

"Room darkening shades. They come in curtains too. The light doesn't get through them. I would think everyone would have them here."

Bo shrugged, "Most people make something themselves. I just don't want to lose my view."

Lauren nodded, "I can understand that, but if you use blinds, you just pull the string and have a look. At least it will be dark while you're trying to sleep."

"I'll have to look into those. Do you think I can make my own?"

Lauren smiled, "I'm sure you can. I'll tell you what – I'm ordering blinds for the clinic, so you pick them out. If you like them, once I have them installed, you'll have a model to copy from."

"I'm afraid I'll pick something you won't like."

"Okay then, we'll pick together." Lauren said, finally opening her eyes to look up at Bo, "Good morning."

Bo smiled, leaning down to give her an innocent little peck on the lips, but Lauren rolled her over and climbed on top of her,

"Lauren, it's almost nine."

"Shit! Really?" She groaned, falling to Bo's side, "How in the world did I sleep that long?"

Bo shrugged, "Good company?"

Lauren smiled, "That's for certain. I wish we had more time."

Bo nodded, "One day we'll have less to do."

"Can you remind me again of when that will be?"

Bo chuckled, "When Evony brings another doctor out here."

Lauren laughed, "Right. You do realize she brought two nurses out here to work twelve-hour shifts as a replacement for an additional doctor, right?"

"What kind of contract did you sign?"

Lauren shrugged, "One that basically turned me into her slave. Nadia told me her dad looked it over and that everything was on the up and up."

"I take it her dad is an attorney?"

"He actually works in contract law which is why I'm pretty sure she forgot to have him look at it and just told me he did. His office is one of the stops I plan to make when I go back. Like it or not, he is my attorney. I plan to transfer my business elsewhere when I return."

Bo nodded, "Probably a good idea. If he's harboring any resentment, he may not be all that motivated to be in your corner."

"For sure." Lauren nodded, "What smells so good?"'

Bo smiled, "Ready for breakfast? It's not the healthiest, but it's food and it's ready."

"Tell me there's something that's bad for me because I'm really craving donuts." Lauren replied.

Bo slid out of bed, moving to the stove, "It's couple pastries I picked up in town and some reindeer sausage."

"You cooked Rudolph?"

Bo laughed, "I was very careful to make sure that he was not the one that Tosh gave me."

"Tosh gave you meat?" Lauren asked.

She nodded, "There was a ton of meat in Big Jim's cache, so he gave me all of his and kept Big Jim's meat for himself."

She carried a plate and one of the mugs of tea over to Lauren, "There's two sausages and a cinnamon swirl pastry and this is a cup of tea."

"Cheat day! I love it!" Lauren smiled. But when she sat up, she realized she would be cold. She laid back down and covered herself, "Brrrr."

Bo laughed, reaching for her hoodie that was on the floor near the wood stove, "Here. Throw on my hoodie."

"Perfect!" Lauren said, pulling the garment over her head, "That's perfect… and toasty."

Bo pulled her shirt over her head before handing Lauren the plate again. She climbed into the bed and watched as Lauren tried to decide what to eat first.

"This bakery is the best. Actually, the twins you met – their mom works there, but she wasn't in yesterday."

"Well, her fever just broke, so she's probably still feeling terrible." She lifted her pastry to her mouth but glanced up to see the ropes on the ceiling, "Oh, Bo! We were supposed to work out! I'm so sorry I woke up so late. You should have worked out without me."

Bo smiled, "I promised I would be here when you woke up and I'm a woman of my word… except when I promised to teach you sledding."

"It's okay. It's probably better that Kyle taught me, so we didn't end up at each other's throats."

Bo laughed, "Plus, you made a friend out of the deal."

Lauren nodded, "This is really amazing, and the tea is great too. What kind is it?"

Bo shrugged, "The tea that's in the jars at Molly's store."

"Oh, so you don't buy the boxed tea bags?"

"Nope. Just more trash to deal with. Remember, I don't have regular trash pick-up here. I have to carry my trash into the sanitation station."

Lauren shook her head, "Another thing I never gave any though to. All of my trash is picked up by the medical waste company Evony contracted. Wow, I can't believe I slept so late. It's daylight already."

Bo shook her head, "It's been daylight for a long time. Remember, we're losing darkness this time of year. Besides, you were exhausted when you got here. Add to that, our rather long aerobic activity last night and I'm not surprised you slept late at all."

"You wore me out." Lauren winked.

"I think the jury is still out on who wore who out." Bo chuckled, finishing off her pastry, "So, I have to let the dogs back in so they can eat. Then I'll get them hitched up and ready to go. Do you need to borrow any clothes?

Lauren nodded, "That would be great. Something you don't wear much. I'll change when I get to back."

"So, do you like having the apartment over the clinic?"

"It's a very nice place. I can't complain." Lauren smiled, "Why don't you let me cook you dinner at my place tonight?"

"You don't have to do that, Lauren. You're going to have another busy day today. I was going to send you home with the leftovers from last night."

Lauren licked her fingers and clapped her hands together, "Oh, I will definitely not say no to that. There's plenty left. Why don't we share the dinner leftovers?"

Bo nodded, "We can do that if you want. Why don't we play it by ear?"

Lauren's energy changed and Bo sensed it immediately. The blonde nodded, lifting the bag of rocks so she could exit on her side of the bed, but Bo pulled her back, climbing on top of her,

"Don't do that. We promised, open communication."

"Okay, so is there a reason you don't want to have dinner with me?"

Bo shook her head, "Not at all. I just… I have my appointment with Dr. Gray, then the appointment with Tamsin."

"LJ said she told you not to make any plans for the day."

"He told you that?"

Lauren nodded, "Is there any reason he shouldn't have?"

Bo shook her head, "Of course not. I just figured you would be at work, so it didn't matter how long I was going to be with Tamsin. Lauren, honestly, my appointment with the doctor is from twelve to two, then I'm checking in at the kennel with LJ, possibly taking one of the teams out for a run for an hour if he needs the help, then checking on my own dogs before I head over to the sheriff's office to see Tamsin. Apparently, that could take hours. So…"

Lauren nodded, "I see…"

"I mean, if you don't mind meeting me down there, it would be hard for her to keep me if you show up."

Lauren smirked, "Oh, so you want to use me to get away from the feds. Sounds a little Bonnie and Clyde to me."

"More like Bonnie and Bonnie, don't you think?"

Lauren smiled, "Why don't you just come by the clinic whenever you're finished? If it's going to be late, you can stay at my place, so you won't have to run the dogs back at night."

Bo nodded, "If I don't have to run a team or two after I meet with Tamsin, I can definitely do that, but keep in mind that you may have an awful lot of prescriptions to deliver today."

"That's true, but LJ offered to help with that when I find the cure. I plan to take him up on that offer."

"I suppose that would kill two birds with one stone. He can run the dogs and make the deliveries all at once."

Bo leaned down and kissed Lauren softly on the lips, "Well, we'd better get going then. If we get there at ten, I should be able to get at least one team's run in."

Lauren nodded, "Now I understand why you're not crazy about puppies."

"It's a big responsibility and a lot of time. We'll put the pups in the basket, so we won't need to worry about leaving them alone with the big dogs."

"LJ said you're looking into hiring some help?"

Bo nodded, "That's a long way off. I'm not letting just anyone near our kennels. Right now, I think the twins are our best option. We help them at the same time they're helping us. That's the kind of arrangement I want."

"It would be great if you can help them."

"They get a great role model in Little Jon and they get something to do once school's out that won't let them get into trouble. It'll teach them responsibility and give them exposure to something that could become a career for them. Let's face it, I won't be driving a sled forever. Someone will have to take over the job and since LJ's the only one who seems interested in running the race from the family, I'd love to get some young blood in there."

Bo stood with Lauren, both moving over to the single dresser she had in her room. She pulled open the drawers,

"Take anything you want."

She stepped back while Lauren looked through the drawers, "Anyway, I'll pay the kids and they can help out with the bills around the house until Colin gets back on his feet."

"If he gets back on his feet. Bo, no one called me to tell me he was sick. The mom got better, so they assumed he would too. She got better because she got lucky. If the boys hadn't told me he was sick, I never would have sent a broad-spectrum antibiotic back with them. I just hope he's taking it. From what they said, he's had a fever for two weeks now."

"Like Elise's mom."

Lauren nodded, "If people would just see a doctor sooner…" She shook her head, "…there sure are a lot of stubborn people around here."

Bo nodded, "They're just not big on the medicine from the Lower Forty-Eight."

"I know, but they're getting better, Bo. Evony – hate her or not – is a big part of that change. Now she's giving you the emergency hotline and additional medical staff. It's not just volunteers anymore, Bo. I can make a real difference here if I can get everything set up so that people come to me rather than try to handle their ills all by themselves. Hopefully, I'll have won them over so that when the hospital opens next year, they'll feel confident about going there."

"The villagers will still likely go to Seline." Bo replied.

Lauren nodded, "But it was Seline who was smart enough to sound the alarm when she realized she was out of her depth with this disease. She's helping my efforts, Bo. I really believe that."

Bo smiled, "She likes you."

"I'm glad."

"Ready to go?"

Lauren nodded, "Toothbrush?"

"In the footlocker down in the bathroom. You go first and I'll handle the dogs, then we'll switch. I'd like you to hook up my team."

"Are you sure?" Lauren asked, a bit concerned.

"You don't think you can handle it?" Bo asked.

"Uh… well, technically I know what I'm doing, but… well, what if I mess something up?"

Bo laughed, "Then I'll fix it and you'll learn from your mistakes."

"Oh. Right." She nodded, "Okay then. I'll go brush my teeth, then hook up the team."

"Okay." Bo smiled, turning down the damper on the wood stove and gathering the remnant of their breakfast before heading down the stairway.

The two women went about their respective jobs and when all was said and done, Bo arrived in the garage to find Lauren holding two leads in her hand, her index finger and thumb rubbing her jaw as she stared down at Harper,

"What am I missing, girl? I shouldn't have any leads left, right? If so, then where do these two go?"

Bo smiled, "Those two are extra leads that I attach parallel to the centerline as backups. It's not something you'll see any other musher do unless they've been taught by my mom or someone from her family. Apparently, her great-great grandfather went over the side of a mountain. He had an extra lead attached to the center line just because he had extra rope. Turns out that the center line snapped, but because that extra lead line was attached, it saved him and his team. My mom taught me to use two parallel lines so that if I'm ever in that situation, a team of fourteen dogs and a sled isn't dangling from one thin piece of rope."

Lauren smiled, "Good idea."

Bo nodded, "But since we aren't going over any cliffs or over water, they'll just go in the pack on the rail. So, you said you wanted to get a workout in today, right?"

"Yes, but I don't know when…"

Bo closed the door, then checked the side door to be sure it was locked. She pulled open the garage door, then went to the sled and detached the center line,

"We have to get the sled out first, then we can turn them around. I usually set the sled up outside, then bring the dogs out one at a time. Your way is fine too, you'll see."

She turned the sled towards the exit, then called to her leads, "Nike! Diana! Come Haw!"

The dogs looked over their left shoulders and moved towards Bo's voice, "Hold onto the sled, please?"

"Got it."

"Put the hook in."

Lauren nodded, dropping the hook into the snow, pushing it down with her foot and sat on the seat while Bo held to each pair of dogs, making sure they made the turn and didn't end up tangling the team up with itself.

When they were all outside, she called out to her leads again, "Whoa! Whoa!"

"Now, just adjust the sled to reach the center line clip and hook them up. I'll double check your attachments and the gear. Always make sure you double check every line for excess wear and tear. One of the dogs breaks loose, the dogs near that one will take off after that dog while the leads continue on path. It's happened to me before and it is not a good situation.

She walked back into the garage, "Harper! Come on, girl! Bring your pups!"

Harper came sauntering out of the garage, yawning while the pups ran next to her, one running between her legs and almost knocking her off her feet,

"Oh boy. These kids are quite the hyper ones. Come on you." Bo smiled, picking up the out of control pup and slipping her into the basket. She gripped the other by the scruff of the neck when it tried to take off running, dropping her in with her sister. Finally, she picked up Harper and dropped her in as well,

"Okay, so workout plan, you drive and I'll rest." Bo laughed, stepping into the sled, nudging the dogs out of her way.

"Bo, I've never driven a sled with this many dogs."

Bo shrugged, "I'm right here, Lauren. You can't screw this up. Just remember you're going to be going substantially faster than you do with three dogs, so call the turns much sooner than you wood with your team. You'll get the hang of it. If you don't call the turn when I think you should, I'll give you five seconds and then I'll call it. I've driven the trail about ten times now and since there's no fresh snow, it should be carved out pretty well."

"Bo…"

The musher looked up over her shoulder at Lauren, "You want to drive sleds, right?"

"Yes, but…"

"And you're an independent, strong, resilient, badass woman, right?"

Lauren laughed, "I am."

"Okay then, end of discussion. Onward!" Bo said, pointing towards the exit.

Lauren stepped onto the sled and put a hand on the rail. She bent down and pulled up the ice hook, securing it in the sled. She pulled her googles down over her eyes and looked at Bo,

"You all tucked in and ready to go?"

"Ready!"

"Nike! Diana! Line out!" Lauren called before leaning down and whispering to Bo, "I don't have to do that with a three dog sled. Is the line tight enough?"

Bo smiled, "You know what you don't have to do with this six-dog sled? Worry about stuff like is the line tight enough. Remember, Lauren, these dogs are very well trained. They'll pretty much drive the sled for you. There's a reason everyone wants my dogs or their children. They're special… bred by a special woman."

Lauren smiled, "Thank you Mom Dennis."

"Exactly. I thank her every time I step on the sled behind these girls."

Lauren nodded, "Nike! Diana! Hike! Hike!"

The two leads gave a tug, jumping and pulling until the rest of the team responded in kind, hauling the sled out of the deeper snow and on to the trail that Bo had been using. They were quickly up to speed with Lauren holding on for dear life,

"Wow. They are really fast." Lauren commented.

Bo smiled, "Yup. Your first turn comes up quickly. It's going to be a right turn, so where do you want your body weight?"

"I turn into the curve."

"Unless?"

"Unless they turn to hard and start putting me in the deep snow."

"Correct. Now let's see you execute that little bit of knowledge."

Lauren called out to the leads, "Nike Gee! Gee!"

The sled began to turn, Bo's swing dogs moving a little too far right, causing the sled to move on a diagonal rather than a curve. She quickly adjusted her weight from a right lean to a left lean, forcing the wheel dogs to swing left, pulling the swings in that direction as well,

"Diana! Haw! Haw!" The left lead moved left, pulling the team back onto the trail and around the bend.

"Well, well! We have a musher driving the sled, ladies and gentlemen! What amazing execution!" Bo yelled, clapping her hands over her head.

"Really? Was it good?" Lauren asked.

Bo smirked, "It was good for me. Was it good for you?"

Lauren chuckled, "Are we still talking about a sled turn?"

"Sled turns. Right. Yes, that was good too!"

"Bo Dennis, you are incorrigible!"

"I didn't know we were using the word calendar."

Lauren laughed, "You can look that one up when you get a signal on your phone."

Bo smiled, "I told you, the only thing I can do on that phone is make a call and pick up a call. You have to teach me the rest if you want me to do anything else techy with you."

Lauren smiled, "Okay, okay. Phone lessons this week. Consider it added to my to do list."

The two pups stuck their heads out of the basket, climbing onto Bo's lap. Harper remained laying in the dark protected spot, content to be next to Bo,

"Well, what are you two doing?"

Bo laughed, "Lauren, I wish you could see their little faces right now. Their tongues are hanging out and they're totally watching the team."

"They're naturals, I guess."

Bo nodded, "Definitely."

The two pups started barking up a storm, yapping at the other dogs.

"What's that? Did they say they want to run?" Lauren asked.

"Definitely, but I told them they'd get run over. For now, I think they're just saying faster."

Lauren smiled, "Are they warmed up enough?"

Bo nodded, "They're good. Open it up, Doctor Lewis."

Lauren grinned, "This is awesome. Nike! Diana! Mush! Mush! Come on, girls! Let's see what you can do!"

The dogs seemingly shifted into another gear, Lauren gripping the handle that much tighter to make sure she didn't fall off. She leaned into the wind, enjoying the sensation of speed. This was the most incredible feeling she'd had since arriving here. She night have to start begging for a bigger team.

"Bo, thank you! This is amazing!"

Bo grinned, "You're a natural, Lauren. Nike, Diana! Top gear, ladies! Let's go kids! Show Lauren what it's like to run behind champions! Hike! Hike!"

"Whoa!"

"Hold on, Lauren! You have about a mile until the next turn. Make sure you slow them down a bit when you give the turn command."

"Got it." Lauren replied.

"We've got a hill ahead. You're going to have to peddle because of the extra weight in the sled. Have you practice much peddling?"

Lauren shook her head, "Only a little."

"Wait for their momentum to slow for just a bit, then run. Be sure you don't let them momentum slow too much or you'll have to actually push the sled. That will put a lot of strain on the dogs."

"Are you sure you want me to drive for this?"

Bo laughed, "I'm confident, Lauren. I'm just giving you some tips. You're doing fine."

Lauren nodded, seeing the hill up ahead, "Hike! Hike!"

She got the girls to give her all they had to get the momentum up and just as they broke up hill, she felt the momentum slow. She stepped off the rails, running and pushing the sled as hard as she could. It didn't take but a minute or two for her lungs to burn under the strain, but she stuck with it until she finally saw the crest of the hill come into view. With quads burning, she made the push for the top, watching as the dogs went over the top two at a time. Finally, the sled went up and tipped down sharply, throwing her arms over her head. She hung on for dear life, getting dragged for a moment before strong arms pulled her lower body up onto the rails. It wasn't graceful, but she did it.

She looked up to find Bo staring back at her, "Okay there, Doctor?"

"Uh… yea. That was…"

"Fine. You're still with the sled, so it was fine."

"Fine. Right."

Bo smiled, "Keep in mind that the sled has straight runners. It's like a teeter totter at the crest of a hill. If

You aren't on the rails when it goes over the top, the back rails will throw you off. It's simple physics."

Lauren laughed, "Tell my burning quads and abs that it's simple physics. I can't believe you did this for a thousand miles."

Bo grinned, "Now you'll understand the workouts I do when you finally do one with me."

"I'm not sure I want to now."

Bo laughed, "You'll handle it, Doctor. You're a strong, independent, resilient, badass woman."

"Yes, I am." Lauren smiled, "Nike! Diana! Hike! Hike!"

Bo grinned, looking up at a smiling Lauren. She couldn't' see her eyes through the googles, but she was sure that there was a twinkle in those brown orbs that showed all the exhilaration she was feeling in this moment. She was glad she had her drive. This was an experience she'd wanted since she came here. Bo could now check it off of the doctors' Alaska bucket list.

"Bo?"

"Yea?"

"Thank you for this. It's amazing."

"You're welcome, Lauren."

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **The Kennels, Talkeetna**_

"Whoa! Whoa, Nike! Whoa, Diana! Good girls!" Lauren dropped the ice hook into the snow and hopped off the sled, moving to the basket to take the puppies from Bo, but when she arrived at the front of the sled, she found Bo covered in snow.

"Uh… Bo?"

The brunette looked up at Lauren, her goggles frozen solid, "Yes, dear?"

"Did I do that?"

Bo smiled, "Well, I wasn't driving, but I'd guess you could blame it on Nike and Diana."

Lauren planted her hands on her hips, "I would never blame those precious ladies for my mistake. I'm so sorry, Bo. I didn't see the turn and…"

"Turns, Lauren. Turns, plural. But, it's okay. You're learning and that's all that matters. It's not easy handling a sled for the first time at those speeds. You handled most of them nicely…" She pulled up her goggles, Lauren helping her to brush off some of the snow so she could access the zipper, "…and, bright side, you only hit that one little tree."

Lauren blushed, "It was really little."

Bo stood, handing the puppies to Lauren, "Which is why I was wondering how you actually hit it. I mean, there was a five-foot-wide trail and a slight turn left, but you somehow managed to hit that tree that was no bigger around than my forearm on your right."

Lauren shrugged, giving Bo and innocent grin, "I turned a little late?"

Bo laughed, "I'd have to agree with that. Definitely turned a little late. I'll have to put a sign on the back of the sled when you drive that says, 'this sled makes wide turns', of course if I put it on the front of the sled, it will be fair warning to all tiny trees."

"Really, Bo. I am sorry."

"Lauren, my first time on a sled, my mom was in the basket. I fell off the sled when I hit a snowbank and the dogs took my mom right into a creek." Bo smiled, her eyes looking down at the sled, "I must have run for a half mile before I found them. My mom was stripped down naked wearing nothing but her mukluks and the blankets we had in the sled. She and the dogs were running around playing in the snow. I called out to her and she turned around, looked at me and…" She shrugged, "All she said was 'what took you so long?', then she started laughing and playing with the dogs again."

She looked back up at Lauren, "God, I loved that woman."

Lauren smiled, "Love, Bo. You still love that woman."

Bo nodded, taking a deep breath as she opened up her coat, "It's really warm here."

Lauren nodded, "It's amazing… the temperature difference, I mean."

"Thirty minutes north is still north. Add to that the glacier-fed river and the mountains around my property and you have a completely different weather forecast than you have here in a town where the mountains are much further away. The paved roads here also attract sunlight as do black roofs on buildings, so everything will melt a bit quicker here. It could be as much as ten degrees colder at my place than here. Likewise, in the summer months, if they hit the nineties here, it will likely be in the eighties at my place so that's an excellent trade off."

Lauren nodded, "You don't like the heat?"

Bo chuckled, "You, my dear Doctor Lewis, will likely treat more patients for heat exhaustion and heat stroke than you will ever treat for hypothermia and frostbite. We definitely know how to handle cold better than heat. You'll see everyone you know to be happy and carefree become sluggish and grumpy when the temperature goes over eighty-five. If we hit ninety, they'll be downright unfriendly."

Lauren laughed, "That's good to know. It's the complete opposite back east. We tend to get very happy and active in the spring. If it's super-hot, we hit the beach or the pool. You would love Cape Cod in the summer… I mean, once you get over the culture shock and all."

"Culture shock?"

Lauren shrugged, "I'm guessing you haven't spent a lot of times around throngs of tourists, wall-to-wall businesses, boats everywhere, needing a fishing license to fish, drag queens and parades?"

Bo hesitated, "Uh… I think I'm in culture shock just hearing all of that. Maybe… never mind."

Lauren smiled, "What?"

"I uh… I just never thought of what it would be like there… I mean, when we talked about me visiting."

"Bo? Would you mind driving the sled into the kennel chute? I'm not confident in…"

Bo smiled, "It's fine, Lauren. Believe me, I'm not fully comfortable with it yet. I wish the chute was a little wider. I mean, it's cool that you can drive in and circle around the barn to exit, but the dogs are still nervous about entering the chute, so it's a bit hairy. Diana and Nike are fine, but when some of the other leads come in, it's like trying to move a moose off the highway."

Lauren looked confused, "Is that hard to do?"

Bo laughed, "I'll have to introduce you to some moose before you go. First, they're massive. Second, no one tells a moose what to do. Elk are the much the same. Reindeer are really domesticated Elk… I guess kind of like cows are back east."

Bo hopped on the rails of the sled and made her turn to swing left into the barn chute,

"Hike! Gee! Gee!"

Lauren watched as Bo had Nike and Diana lead the team to the right, then readied to make the turn,

"Diana! Haw! Haw! Hike Haw!"

The two leads slowed to a walk and Bo shook her head,

"Come on, girls! Hike! Haw! Haw!"

They strained, pulling the sled slowly, the other dogs following more quickly which put a good deal of slack in the line,

"Lauren, can you grab Diana's harness and pull her in there, please?"

Nodding, "Give me a second to put the pups inside."

Bo waited while Lauren hurried inside to secure the pups, then came back outside and took Diana by her harness,

"Come on, Di! Come on! It's okay! There's plenty of room! Come on!"

Finally, Diana picked up the pace, forcing Nike to do the same. Lauren released the harness and ran ahead of the pair, stopping when she reached the yellow line on the boards beneath her feet. She turned and put up her hands,

"Whoa, girls! Whoa!"

"Whoa!" Bo called out, leading all of the dogs to stop, preventing Nike and Diana from moving the sled any further forward.

Lauren leaned down, rubbing both lead dogs' heads, "Good girls! See that? No problem! Good girls!"

Bo turned and closed the gate to the team entrance. The way the barn had been designed allowed for an entrance chute that went around the exterior of the barn at ground level. The idea was that mushers could pull right in out of the weather and never have to take the dogs off lead in an area where they could take off if the handler let go of their lead. It also allowed for the sled to be pushed all the way around to the other side where they could exit the barn without ever having to lift the sled. In the rear of the barn behind the chute was the sled repair shop, so any sled could be steered off the chute and right into the repair area if needed.

It was nice to not have to lift the sleds, but the release process was now much safer for the dogs. The chute was separated from the kennels by a rail fence so the dogs could be released and easily move under the bottom rail to enter the play area where the dogs were free to roam, but not leave the barn. There was a ramp on the ground floor that led up to the second floor where Tosh and Mark had designed a kennel area that was much like the stalls in a horse barn. If the dogs wanted privacy, they could go to their crate and if they wanted to socialize or just be in the vicinity of the other dogs, they could stay in the straw-covered ground floor of the barn.

On the third floor were offices, veterinary rooms and soon, their new kennel store. They planned to sell the larger items that Molly and Mark didn't sell as well as higher grade leads, lines, sled runners and other musher supplies.

While Bo tended to the lines and began releasing the dogs, Lauren opened the basket and lifted Harper out of the sled, walking her around the fence to put her in straw. The pups immediately came running to her, barking a jumping with excitement. Lauren grabbed a brush from the shelf, released Nike from her lead and began to work through her fur as she spoke,

Lauren nodded, "Does it make you nervous?"

"What?" Bo asked.

"Traveling by commercial airliner to Boston? Traveling to Boston? Being in Boston?"

Bo shrugged, "You're asking if I'm nervous about going to a big city on a massive plane that I have no control over?"

Lauren stopped but kept a firm grip on the dog as she looked at Bo, "Yes."

"Nervous? No." She took Nike by the harness, grabbed a brush from the shelf and went to work on her coat, "Terrified, yes."

"You know, I never asked… have you ever been on a commercial airliner?"

Bo shook her head, "Commercial? No. There's no need for that here. I have a bush plane. That pretty much gets me anywhere I need to go."

"You own a plane?"

Bo shrugged, "It's in a barn down in Point Siku. During tourist season, I'm for hire for private aerial tours."

Lauren released Nike to head into the kennel, then took Aphrodite by the harness. She looked down and saw blood on her paw,

"Bo? She's got blood on her paw."

Bo released Nike to the kennel and walked to Lauren, "Let's have a look."

She lifted her left front paw and wiped away the blood. The dog whimpered and tried to pull her paw away, but Bo held fast,

"Easy, girl. I know." She stood, lifting the dog with her, "There's something in there. I'm going to run her up to the Vet and have her take a look."

Lauren nodded, "I'll keep working on the rest of the team."

Bo shook her head, "Lauren, you're going to be late if you don't leave now."

She nodded, placing the brush on the shelf, "Bo?"

The brunette turned back to the blonde as she spoke, "I had fun and… I really liked how open we were with each other. I don't want to lose that progress."

Bo walked to her, Aphrodite leaning back to give Lauren a kiss, "I'm so sorry your paw hurts, baby girl."

Bo smiled, "You know it's not your fault, right?"

Lauren shrugged, "I was driving the sled."

"And do you have X-ray vision, doctor? If so, I would think you wouldn't need those big machines that are in your new clinic."

Lauren chuckled, "That would be kind of cool."

"My point is, you can't know what's under the snow, Lauren."

"But I made bad turns and went off the trail twice. I know that the deep snow is where things hide. Any one of them could have broken a leg in a hole or we could have hit a rock. We had puppies with us."

Bo laughed, "So do you want a 'baby on board' sign for the sled too?"

Lauren slapped Bo on the shoulder, causing Aphrodite to growl, but Bo was on that right away, "Hey! No growling at Lauren. I deserved it."

Aphrodite turned and kissed Lauren again, the blonde stroking her head, "I have to get going. You're good here?"

"I've been doing it alone for years. LJ will be in at some point. Don't worry. Let me know how things go with the call. I'll be leaving here for Anchorage at eleven-thirty for my appointment."

"Good luck, Bo."

She nodded, "Thanks."

"Are you taking your truck?"

Bo nodded, "Yup." She turned to leave, but Lauren placed a hand on her shoulder. Leaning in, she kissed the brunette softly,

"I love you, Bo."

The brunette smiled, "I love you too, Lauren. See you soon."

"See you soon."

Bo watched as the blonde left the barn and headed next door to her clinic. She hoped that she hadn't missed the call. She looked at Aphrodite,

"Okay girl, let's go see what's in your paw." She turned to walk away, but the door opened and a sled came in. She quickly backed up to the yellow line on the boards and halted to the two lead dogs,

"Whoa, Kikkan! Whoa Rosie!" Bo called to the leads of her rookie team of lead dogs. This was her youngest group, so she was surprised that LJ had taken them out together as a fourteen-dog team.

"Hey, Bo! Boy did these ladies rock the dog sled world today!" LJ said, pulling off his googles and hat all at once.

Bo smiled, "I was surprised you took this crew out together."

"Well, I knew you had appointments today, so I thought I'd shorten the number of runs we had to do."

"Thanks for that, but still… don't you think it was a bit of a risk to taken all of these two-year-olds out together?"

LJ pulled off his gloves, stowing them on the shelf next to Bo's, "I understand your concern, but they've been doing awesome as teams of seven, but… well, honestly, I feel like Kikkan and Rosie are better leads than Reese and Sadie. It turns out, Reese and Sadie were great swings. I moved Scotty and Logan to wheels and, of course, they were great because they are incredibly strong. I ran Tyler and Callan together. I ran Corey and Hill together. Then I put Jesse and Cait together and Casey and Keegan together."

He pulled off his parka and hung it on the hook by the door, closing the door behind him, "I just ask that you give it a chance, Bo. You said you trusted me, so…"

"I like it."

LJ stopped disconnecting the center line and looked up at Bo, "You what?"

Bo smiled, "I like it. I just needed to hear the arrangement. I like it. You have my blessing."

"I… I… uh… thanks." He said, scratching his head.

Bo nodded, "Well done. I've got to get this one upstairs. She's got a bloody foot."

"Aw, poor girl." He said, walking over to rub her between the ears, "Well, would you mind waiting a sec so I can take her up? Just let me get the team unhitched. I'll brush them all down after I take care of her."

"Why do you want to take her up?"

"Because you have prospective employees waiting outside for the interview you apparently promised them."

"I have what?" Bo asked, handing Aphrodite off to LJ.

"It's the twins – Sam and Scott Cardon. They said that Lauren told them…"

Bo waved him off, "Right, I forgot. Let me explain that one. Wendy was sick, but her fever broke. She's still on the mend, so not working at the bakery right now."

"I wondered what happened to her. She always gives me a baker's dozen when I order donuts."

Bo nodded, "Well, Colin got sick a couple of weeks ago, but no one told Lauren. She sent some kind of antibiotic to him through the twins, but she's afraid it may be too late. If she gets a call in the next hour that her results are correct, they'll start shipping mass amounts of the right drug to treat the disease. If not, she said it will be up to each person's body as to whether or not they survive. It could be as high as twenty percent of the people who get sick."

He nodded, "Well, that doesn't sound good."

"LJ, you should know that we'll be doing a lot of deliveries to remote areas. You'll have to do the shorter ones by sled or ATV. I'll head down to the Point, gas up my plane and fly the drugs into the bush areas with Kurt, Bob and Meg."

"What about the locals?" Little Jon asked.

"Your Uncle Mark has a group of volunteers on call who will drive the local routes. Your Pops had the idea to use the train. He said you can put the word out on the internet for people to come to the train to pick up the medications. Lauren can print out directions, we can make copies and deliver them that way."

LJ nodded, "Sounds like a plan."

"Good. So, I'm going to give these boys a shot at working here. I'm thinking that if Colin doesn't make it, they're going to need a good male role model."

"My Uncle?"

Bo laughed, shaking her head, "You, ya goof. You're a great young man. You can show them the ropes, they can help to raise the pups, you can show them why this place, sledding and the dogs is something they could really fall in love with… maybe have a future as mushers or vets or handlers, or just business owners. I want you to inspire them, LJ."

"Sort of like you inspired me?" He asked.

Bo smiled, "Pay it forward, buddy. That's all I ask."

"I can do that, Bo. Hire them and send them in. What are we paying them?"

"How much are you and I taking a week?"

He laughed, "Right now? Nothing."

"We have no money left?" Bo asked.

"Oh, yea. We have money, but I don't need any. Do you?"

"Nah, I'm covered by Evony's salary. Did you order stock for the store?"

"Yup."

"Are we putting up signs or something?"

"That guy… uh… the artist from Anchorage that paints signs? He's doing it for us. Said he's sending it up on the train this weekend."

"The train? The train is a passenger train. Not a freighter."

"Yea, his sister is bringing it."

"I thought it was…"

"Bo, I don't know how he's getting it here and I really don't care as long as the design and size match what we agreed on. If not, I'll send it back with his sister on the train."

"Wow. You're quite the businessman."

"No, it's just that Aphrodite is really heavy and I'm still holding her while you drill me with questions about something you don't need to worry about because the twins are waiting for you and you have to leave for your appointment in an hour."

Bo's eyes went wide as she cocked her head, "Standing up to the boss. I like it."

"I learned from the best." LJ replied.

"Go. Take care of her and I'll see to the twins."

"Thanks, Boss."

"You're welcome, Mr. Vice President."

LJ chuckled, "Get them started on the coats! Show them how to use a brush!"

"Bossy, too." Bo mumbled, opening the door and stepping outside, looking for the twins. Finally, she saw them sitting over on the side steps outside of the clinic. Their blonde hair was something that always stood out. She walked over to the clinic and started talking to the pair before she reached them

"Are you trying to get a job at the clinic too?" She asked, pointing up the building.

They both jumped up, brushing off their backsides, "Uh… well…"

"He means… uh… wow… you're…"

"He thinks you're pretty."

"Shut up!"

"Well, you do!"

"I do not! I mean…"

"You love her. You have her poster in your room!"

"Shut up!"

Bo walked to the two boys, "Hey guys? So far, your job interview isn't going so well. You see, my employees cannot argue on the job. It would be upsetting to the dogs. They don't do well with raised voices unless they're hearing very specific commands."

"Sorry." The boys said in unison.

"Okay, so how do I tell you boys apart?"

"I'm Scott. I have a scar on my lip."

Bo looked at the youngster's lip, "So you do. Okay then. Now, let me ask you something, Scott. Do you always share your brother's secrets?"

"Huh?"

"You heard me. Do. You. Always. Share. Your. Brother's. Secrets?"

"Uh…" He looked at Sam who looked away, "I guess I sort of do."

"Why?"

He shrugged.

"Okay, why did you just feel a need to tell me about his personal feelings?"

Scott's eyes welled with tears.

"Oh no, you don't. You don't get to cry, Scott. Sam is the one that got burned here, not you. Rule number one about working for me? Don't dish it out if you can't take it yourself. You understand me?"

The tears fell as he nodded his head.

"No more tears. You have ten seconds to pack those away. Turn around."

He turned, facing the clinic. Bo counted down, "Ten, nine, eight…" she looked up at the window seeing Lauren standing with her hands on her hips. She didn't look happy, but she also didn't now the situation, "…three, two, one."

He turned back around, his face dry, "Good man. Rule number two, family is everything. Now, when I say family, I don't just mean blood kin. I mean the people that would do anything for you. Now, you guys think about it. If you were in a lake right now, freezing cold and drowning, who would you trust to risk their life to pull you out?"

The two boys looked at each other, Sam saying to Scott, "I'd pull you out."

Scott nodded, "Me too."

"I'd save Mom and Dad cause they would save both of us." Sam replied.

Scott nodded, "Me too."

Finally, Sam said, "You. You would pull me out."

Bo looked at him for a moment before she asked, "What makes you think that?"

Sam shrugged, "I know people say bad stuff about you, but I watched you at the Iditarod in 2017. You treat your dogs like people. You saved Little Jon Morton, no matter what Mr. Morton said. I heard they killed your dogs, but you stayed and have been helping people ever since."

Sam pulled off his hat and scratched his head, "My Dad said you got character and character is important."

"Sam has character like you." Scott added, "Dad said I need to work on my character."

Bo nodded, "Well then, let's make a plan to improve Sam's character and build yours. Sound good?"

"Yes." The two boys replied in harmony.

"So, this is serious work, boys. Are you sure you're ready for this? You're pretty young for working with these dogs."

"Sam has wanted to work with you forever."

"Are you telling Sam's secrets again?"

Scott scrunched up his face, "Sorry."

"Don't tell me. Tell your brother."

"Sorry, Sam."

"Good." She decided to try another approached, "Let's sit down over her, boys."

She led them to the steps of the clinic, noticing the faint squeak of the door to the cold room opening. She laughed to herself knowing that Lauren was listening,

"Let me tell you a story about another pair of twins. They were separated at birth and their whole lives, they both said they felt like something was missing… they described it as a piece of themselves. They went about their lives, doing their thing with their separate families. They even grew up, got married and had kids of their own, but they both said something wasn't quite right. They were pretty old and one of them had lost both of her parents. She and her brother went to their old house to clean it out and get it ready to sell. They were going through all of these old papers when they came across her adoption papers."

"She was adopted?" Scott asked.

Bo nodded, "And she never knew. So, she wanted to see if her birth parents were still alive, but her records were sealed."

"That means she can't see them, right?" Sam asked.

Bo smiled, "That's right. So, she started using this cool thing that can compare your cells to someone else's' cells… well, that part is really confusing to me too, but in the end, there's this big computer that has everyone in it who is looking for someone who they lost. Well, it turns out, her twin sister was looking for her, too."

"And they finally found each other?" Scott asked.

Bo smiled, "Yes, they did. And they said it felt like they'd finally found that missing piece. Since they met, they haven't separated. They live in the same town now and they've met each other's children and spouses. Pretty cool, huh?"

"Yea." They both nodded, their smiles as brilliant as the sun.

"My point is that twins are something really special – especially the ones who look exactly alike. You guys both came from the very same cell. You are each other's half. Does it sound like you guys should be arguing all the time?"

Scott laughed, "I've been arguing with myself!"

Sam laughed as well, "Well, at least you always get to win!"

Bo looked at Scott, "It sounds like Sam isn't very happy with his other half. You're pretty hard on him, huh?"

Scott nodded, "Yea. I guess I am kinda mean."

"And why do you think that is?"

Scott shrugged, "I dunno. He's always getting everything perfect."

"I'm not." Sam protested weakly.

Bo looked at Sam, "Why is it that I hear a lot of talking from Scott, but hardly anything from you, Sam?"

Sam shrugged, "Dunno."

"You see, when I ask my employees a question, I expect an honest answer. Rule number three, never lie to Bo. It's better to be honest, even if the truth is going to make me mad or get you in trouble."

Sam sighed, "He always wins the arguments. He always tells me what to do. He yells at me and if I do something he doesn't like, he punches me on my arm."

Bo looked at Scott, "Wow. It's sounding more and more like you're quite the bully. You know, I knew one of those once. He's in jail now."

"You mean Mr. Morton." Sam replied.

Bo nodded.

"I heard he's your Dad. Is that true?" Scott asked.

"He's my father by blood, but he was never a father to me. Not like your dad is to you."

Scott lowered his eyes, "Our dad is really sick. Doctor Lauren gave us medicine, but he's not getting better."

Bo nodded, "It makes you sad and angry all at once, huh?"

Scott nodded, "If he dies, my mom will be all alone. We'll have to be the men of the house."

Bo brushed back the blonde hair on his head, "Scott, if anything happens to your dad, you have my word that you, Sam and your mom will not be alone."

"You promise?" He asked.

Bo nodded, "I promise."

"We need the money bad. They're gonna turn off our electricity and we're almost out of firewood and we're gonna have no food because Sam and I don't know how to catch a fish! We tried! We really, really tried!"

"We tried to take dad's traps out, but we almost took off our own hands. And then a bear came, and we didn't know what to do and…"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa boys. Okay, just calm down. All of that? I can help you with it – all of it. I promise. If anything happens to your dad…"

LJ came out causing the three to look up, "I wondered where you were. Bo, you're gonna be late for that appointment."

Bo nodded. All she wanted to do right now was stay with these kids, show them the ropes in the kennel and teach them what they needed to know. She looked up to see Lauren standing in the door. She was holding up a sign that read,

" _You can move your appointment."_

Bo sighed, "LJ, did you know these guys want to learn how to handle sled dogs, how to trap and how to fish?"

LJ smiled, "Sounds like my kind of guys."

Bo nodded, "I taught LJ everything I know and now he's teaching me things too. You see, if you're a really good student in life… if you really listen, if you really pay attention to how things are done… you may someday become our teachers."

The two boys smiled, looking at each other until Sam asked, "So are we hired?"

Bo nodded, "Yes you are, boys. You have to work really hard, right?"

They both nodded.

"No arguing, right?"

Again, they nodded.

"You listen to us and do as we ask, right?"

Another nod from the pair and Bo was satisfied, "Okay then. You're hired. The first two weeks, you'll make five dollars an hour until you prove yourselves. Then, you'll get a dollar raise a week until you're making twenty dollars an hour. Spread the word. The more money we make, the better the chance that you boys will get a raise next year if you stick around."

Sam smiled wide as he asked, "Bo? Do you think we'll get to ride on a sled?"

"I'm sure you will." Bo said, ruffling the boys' hair, "Now, I'm going to leave you with LJ because I have another appointment. Work hard, men."

"We will!" The two cheered as they followed LJ back to the kennel.

Bo looked up at Lauren and smiled, giving her a wave as she headed for her truck. It was time to get started on moving forward.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **Dr. Faith Gray's Office, Anchorage**_

Bo stood by her truck, staring down at the card in her hand, checking and double checking the address. She sighed,

"I guess this is the place."

She slammed her truck door shut and walked to the sidewalk. She hated coming into the city. There were too many people and too many cars. It was a city of almost 300,000 and she came from a village of 4,000. She moved to Talkeetna because only 800 people live there at the time. Now they were almost to 900, but she barely noticed the growing population since she knew many of the people in the areas she frequented. In another month, the tourists would start coming and Bo would stick to the skies, mountains and her dogs. It was one sure fire way to make sure she interacted with as few people as possible. Her plane could carry nine including herself. The mountain hikes were limited to groups of ten per guide and her dogs would be keeping her busy.

A group of people came walking down the street, they flanked her left and right, crowding her as she stood frozen in place. After they'd passed, she realized she was now looking at the ground, holding her breath. She couldn't move, worried that more people were coming.

"Excuse me. Are you by any chance Bo Dennis?"

Bo hesitated, being accustomed to that question leading to someone accusing her of a crime or something. She raised her eyes to find a woman just a bit smaller in stature than her with snow white hair pulled up in a bun. She had light blue eyes the color of the sky and as she smiled, they showed the kindness in her soul. That was the first thing that Bo noticed.

"Depends. Who's asking?"

The woman smiled, "I'm Doctor Faith Gray. I was looking out of my window watching the world go by when your truck pulled up and blocked my view. You looked lost and unsure of where to go, so I had a feeling you might be my new client. Would you like to come in?"

Bo hesitated, the immediate answer coming to mind being a firm 'no', but then she thought of Lauren, LJ and Tosh. She'd promised them all she'd give this a shot. More importantly, she'd promised herself she would give this a shot. She needed this. Hell, last night she was ready to leave Lauren sitting by a fire to come here and spill her guts.

"It's time."

Dr. Gray cocked her head, "It's time? Time for what, dear?"

Bo lowered her eyes, pushing the business card into her back pocket, "It's time I got this weight off of my shoulders."

"Well, let me see if I can help you with that. Come, dear. Let's have some tea. Do you like tea?"

Bo nodded, "Very much, thank you. Usually only at night, but right now, it sounds like a good idea."

The woman turned to walk inside, but Bo stopped her, "Excuse me, Doctor Gray?"

"Yes, Bo?"

"Would you like me to move my truck? I mean… so it doesn't block your view?"

"All I want to see right now is that weight lifted from your shoulders, child. Besides, I have a better view in store for our session. Come."

Bo smiled, following the older woman inside. In many ways she reminded her of Seline. Her mentor always gave her more questions than answers. She had a feeling Dr. Gray was going to be cut from the same cloth.

Entering the building, Bo found a room that held a receptionist's desk, two small benches, four rocking chairs and two recliners. There were plants hanging from the ceiling in front of the window and several paintings handing from the wall. The room smelled like lavender and vanilla with a touch of chocolate chip cookies. She could really use a cookie right now.

She looked up to see Doctor Gray holding a door open for her. Bo walked slowly towards the entrance, doing her best to muster a smile in response to the one reflected before her. When she reached the doorway, she stopped. Doctor Gray chuckled,

"My, you are a skittish one, aren't you? I'm hardly in a position to harm you, dear. My years of overpowering my rivals are, sadly, in the rearview mirror."

Bo smiled, walking across the threshold. She heard the door close behind her and swallowed hard. She felt…

"Bo, can you tell me how you're feeling right now?" The doctor asked as she poured two cups of tea on the table that separated a rocking chair, recliner and love seat from the rocker where she now sat.

"Trapped."

"Excuse me?" The doctor asked.

Bo took a deep breath, "Trapped. Anxious. Nervous. Tense."

"So many feelings." She smiled, "I noticed you were very uncomfortable outside just before I called to you. Can you tell me about that?"

Bo frowned, "I felt… invaded. Everyone was bumping into me. I was surrounded by people. I felt trapped."

"Even outside in the open air you felt trapped?"

"Being around people makes me feel trapped. I've been living on my own off grid for most of my life."

She nodded, "I see. So being inside…"

"Trapped… surrounded… like I'm in a tomb. I just feel like I… have to get out."

Again, the doctor nodded, "And what was it that motivated you to come inside when asked?"

"Excuse me?"

"Well, obviously you wanted to get back in your truck and leave. I'm asking what it was that allowed you to make it through my front door."

Bo lowered her head, pacing the floor, "Lauren."

"Lauren? Can you tell me about this Lauren?"

Bo shrugged, stopping by a bookshelf, the smell of leather reminding her of all of the new books that people had purchased for Lauren to replace those lost in the fire,

"She's a doctor…" She smiled, thinking of the blonde, before remembering where she was. She cleared her throat and continued, "…Well, she's the doctor who helped me to realize I needed to come here. She's a… friend. She helped me to realize that I didn't want to be… well… me… anymore. At least, not the me I've been."

The doctor nodded, "So you feel strongly enough that you wish to change… so strongly, that you allowed yourself to be trapped here rather than get back in your truck?"

Bo nodded, "I'll admit, I'm… afraid. I'm afraid of being here, afraid of talking about… well, a lot of things and afraid of… all of that." She motioned to the activity outside of the window, "There's a lot of people… there's a lot to handle."

"But still, you're able to push those fears aside to be here… because of this Lauren?"

"Not because of Lauren… well, not just Lauren… everyone I've come to love and care for over the course of this year. I… I scare people and I don't want to be that person anymore. I guess I'm more afraid of not changing than I am of doing what I have to do to make the change." She replied with a shrug.

The older woman nodded, calling Bo over to take a seat, "Sit anywhere, dear. I like to offer a variety of seating options so that my clients feel comfortable."

Bo chuckled, "I don't know that a chair will help my comfort."

"Nonsense. Come. Sit. Enjoy your tea. I grow it myself in my greenhouse out back."

"You have a green house?" Bo asked.

"I may live in the city, but I still live off the land. We lived off the grid up until we were too old to drive a sled back and forth between here and Knik River. I'm not about to rely on anyone else now. Looks can be deceiving. This appears to be just another store front, but before all of this was here, we purchased the land that covers several city blocks behind these stores. I couldn't survive if I didn't have open space to roam and I'm too old to hop on a sled and travel to and from the city anymore. Once in a while, I do travel up north, but I use the train nowadays."

She sat back, sipping her tea as she stared out of the large picture window, "I do dream about getting back on a sled. One of these days, maybe I'll buy three dogs and a sled just to have one last hurrah."

Bo nodded, thinking of when the time would come when she could no longer drive a sled. She's always thought that would be never. Still, she offered a weak smile,

"Well, I'd be happy to help you out with that last hurrah if you're ever interested. My dogs can do the trip down here no problem."

The doctor laughed, "I'm sure traveling from their home to here would be more like a short sprint to your champions."

Bo smiled, "It's a good training run in the off season."

The doctor nodded her agreement, "So you live in Talkeetna?"

Bo shrugged, "I've only just made the town my home, but still live off the grid. As I said, living in a populated area just isn't for me." She sighed, "I don't trust easily. I wish I could."

She watched as the doctor nodded, "So you were born and raised near there?"

Bo shook her head, her jaw tightening as she sensed the conversation going to a place that was going to be uncomfortable to say the least. But still, it was time she stopped hiding. She'd made a promise to herself,

"I grew up on the water line of the North Slope outside of the village of Utqiaġvik. When I moved south, I tried every town from the west coast to here. Now, I come to Anchorage to do business, but it's never comfortable for me. I made a home out of Point Siku for the last decade on and off, but recently I put down roots… I built a home in Talkeetna right on the river beneath the mountain range. I own fourteen acres of land, so I'm quite comfortable there… and quite isolated."

She watched as the woman wrote something down on her tablet before looking up at her, "So you don't like people much?"

Bo shrugged, "I like some well enough. I just don't like crowds."

Doctor Gray stood, giving Bo a wave, "Well, let's show you how I avoid the crowds. Let's go have a look at my greenhouse, shall we?"

"Really?" Bo asked.

The woman nodded, leading the way out thru another door in the corner of the room. They walked through a hallway, past a staircase,

"That leads up to my residence. As you can see, I abide by your isolation principles somewhat as well."

Bo smiled, "Less acreage."

"Less upkeep. I rarely stay up there anymore. The stairs are difficult. Everything I need is out here." She countered.

"In a greenhouse?"

She laughed, "You'll see."

Bo nodded, now more curious than ever about this greenhouse. The doctor opened the back door revealing a large room with many windows. Around the perimeter of the room and in aisles in the middle, there were old wooden waist-height planting tables that had small tabletop greenhouses and seed pots on top,

"Wow. Miniature greenhouses. It's like a small village. There's so many of them. My seed house is a ten by ten shed. I don't have anything like this."

The doctor smiled, "My husband and I were each born to land-owning families, both of us only children. When our parents died, we each inherited land. We decided to raise our two children near the river up north, so this land served as a kennel for our dogs. We had a routine that we shared as a family, the children learning how to survive on their own in the wild. Growing and selling our fruits and vegetables was our primary business while breeding, raising and training dogs was our secondary business. My husband was always trying new things. He loved the challenge of growing crops that others said could not be grown in our climate. The land near the river was his and this land had been in my family for generations, becoming mine when my parents died. We chose to live near the river because it had everything we needed to survive, and we wanted to raise our kids as our parents raised us."

She moved to a table the held what resembled miniature versions of the trees that Bo saw in the forest. Bo leaned down, analyzing the curved tree trunks as the doctor continued,

"When the kids grew up and moved to Seattle and Oregon, we decided to move here to my land. We moved all of this here by truck and then spent the last forty years or so building the large greenhouse out back. Since he passed, I've just never gotten out of the routine, though I do have a young man who comes in to help me several times a week. I cannot climb the trees or a ladder to prune the tallest of the trees in the greenhouse."

"You have trees in your greenhouse?"

The doctor smiled and nodded, "We brought the trees we'd planted with us because some were as old as our wedding vows and others as old as our children. As I said, we grew accustomed to a routine. There's comfort in routine."

Bo nodded, "I agree. It's nice when I'm just tending to my seedlings and checking on my planting boxes. Of course, being me, I enjoy spending time with living things that don't talk back or judge me."

"So, you feel judged by others, do you?"

Bo shrugged, "I suppose. I mean… if you knew more about my background and how I came to be in this area, you might understand why."

The doctor nodded, "I'm sure we'll get to that in time."

"You mean you're not going to ask me today?"

"You want to change, child. Now, do you want to be grape juice or fine wine because fine wine can't be rushed nor can it be bottled in a day."

Bo chuckled, "Fine wine it is, then. Will I be dry or sweet?"

"Well, I suppose that depends on how we cultivate the grapes, yes?"

Bo nodded, "Yes. Of course, I've never actually grown a grape. My boxes hold mostly root vegetables."

The doctor smiled, "Oh, you used winter boxes? I've never attempted those but have always wanted to try. Of course, this far south and having the large greenhouse I do, I suppose I just never got around to it. I have all I can handle already."

Bo grinned, "I'm sure. This is… amazing." She said, turning around in the space.

"Plants are your primary food source then?" The doctor asked.

Bo shrugged, "Being from the North Slope, my primary food source was fish… whale, actually. My Umialik was pretty insistent that I learn once my Mom and I were left on our own. I went on the hunts from that point forward."

"You were not raised by your father?" The doctor asked.

Bo shook her head, "My father left us when I was quite young. My mom disappeared just a few years after. My Umialik raised me for the next little while. We lived on his whaling ship."

"You'll have to excuse me as I'm not familiar with all of the Inuit terms. I believe Umialik refers to the captain of a vessel?"

Bo thought for a moment, "Actually, it's Iñupiat and I'm not one of them. I mean… I was just raised in an Iñupiat village. My mom was Athabascan. I'm still not sure how she ended up living with the Iñupiat people of the north since everything I remember says she was from the Athabascans of northern Canada."

She shook out her thoughts, cursing herself for feeling any need to correct the older woman. Her background really didn't matter in the grand scheme of things,

"Anyway, Wolf wasn't just a captain. The term means more than that, really. These Umialik… sorry… whaling captains… have tremendous stature in a village. They are highly respected for willingly sharing large portions of their catch with the village so that they can survive the winter."

Bo smiled, thinking back on the celebrations they would have, "When they would return to shore with a whale in tow, the village would join us and together, we would throw large hooks with long lengths of rope attached over the whale and then together, pull until we rolled it onto the ice. Wolf would then stand atop the whale and shout to the people 'Aarigaa!' which roughly translated means very good. Then, the crew would chip in to climb the ropes and use long blades to cut the meat into sections. Wolf and his wife would oversee the distribution of the meat to the families based on the crew's position on the boat."

She smiled, "Today, they use machines to do much of the work, but my village was very traditional, so I wouldn't be surprised if they were still doing it all by hand. Captains and their wives were permitted to host Nalukataqtitchi or a festival after catching a whale. They were tremendous celebrations with many traditional games including the Blanket Toss which was one of my favorites."

The doctor smiled, "Mine as well."

Bo nodded, "Everyone came out and participated. Depending on your rank on the ship, you would get a certain part of the whale. Naturally, the captain and their first mates got the best quaq and muktuk."

"I've had the quaq. That's frozen whale meat, yes?"

Bo nodded, "Whale blubber and skin are the muktuk. I've never been a fan, though my mom was raised on the stuff. I was quite chubby as a child as my mom would mix it into any meat or fish we had."

"The children of the far north need to have an additional layer of fat to survive the winters there. It's part of what allows you to thrive in the harsh conditions."

"I'm aware of that now, but as a child, it was all about what tasted good. As is likely obvious, I'm not a full native."

"That's the second time you've mentioned that. I suppose it's a source of pain for you?"

Bo shrugged, "More like a source of concern for the man who turned out to be my family and all of the people he made a point of telling I was cheechako or half breed."

"Your own father said that about you?"

Bo laughed, "I was unaware he was my father until just after the Iditarod and he is likely the primary source of all of my anger." She chuckled, "So I suppose I do have some serious daddy issues."

"But I suppose you take after your mother with that beautiful dark mane of yours and the kind and compassionate spirit I sense you possess."

Bo blushed, "I was told I looked much like my mother. My eyes, however, belonged to my father. Large and round, unlike my mothers. It's what led to me being referred to as a half-breed as a teen. Not the best years of my life."

The doctor nodded, "I'm sure."

"So, this captain who raised you, he was good to you?"

Bo smiled, "He and his wife were the best. They owned a large home in the village, but still spent most of their time living on the boat. When they were not whaling, they were crabbing, selling to a large manufacturing plant."

Staring out through the windows, Bo thought back to a time she had not remembered for years, "His name was Captain Wolf Deerheart, named for his keen instincts and love of the land. His wife was Ember, named for her almost red eyes. They took me in as a young teen when no one else cared. Despite being quite capable, I was alone and afraid. No one else would take me in because I was not a full native. I suppose times were different back then."

The doctor nodded, "Indeed they were. So how long were you with them?"

"A little over a year… maybe two before I set out to find my mother. I stayed with them again for a short time when I returned to find my family home sold out from under me despite the fact that it had been paid for. They said it was abandoned, so the local government took possession and sold it."

"And were you paid for the property when you returned?"

Bo shook her head, "I was a teenage girl. They pretty much laughed in my general direction and sent me packing with nothing but my sled and dogs. With nowhere to stay, I sought out Wolf and Ember. They invited me to crash with them as long as I needed, but at that point, I had become quite accustomed to living alone. Being such popular people, they always had people stopping by. I just…"

"Too many people?"

"Yea. So, I thanked them and told them I was setting back out to find my mother."

"I guess you've never found her?"

Bo shook her head, "No, but I have a meeting with a federal agent after we're finished here. She has news of my mother… at least I think that's why she wants to see me."

The doctor nodded, noticing that Bo seemed very interested in the tree trunk she was examining,

"Those are called Bonsai Trees. For a time, Harold and I had traveled to Japan and China for foreign exchange credits while we were in college. He studied landscape architecture and business while I studied meditation a practitioner who was also a Bonsai Master. She believed in the power of bonsai to bring all that is good in nature within… to bring order, peace and harmony to chaotic thoughts. While the origin of the word is Japanese, the growing art originates in China. My master referred to growing bonsai as Penzai, but I use the more familiar bonsai when referring to my trees."

"I've never heard either term. These are amazing. It's like a miniature forest."

The doctor smiled, "That's the idea. I try to recreate the forests I've traveled throughout my life. These five are meant to replicate the giant Redwoods of our country." She pointed to a large table that had a miniature landscape of several trees, rocks and a tiny river by a mountainside, "This is a replica of a Chinese Elm forest where my master lived when I was in China."

"It's incredible." Bo said, looking under the table to see how the water was circulating to create the river. She thought she might be able to use a similar technique to irrigate her seedlings and winter plants in the shed.

"So, is there a reason you picked these specific trees?"

The older woman shook her head, "Aside from these two landscapes, I just tried to use at least one of each tree I've encountered in my travels. There's a spruce from Colorado, a pine from Maine, a Maple from Pennsylvania… here's my attempt at creating a bonsai from a Florida palm tree. I'm not sure if it will make it since it requires much more light and heat than any of the heartier trees in the other tables."

"Do the lights help?"

She nodded, "They would never have survived this long without them, but I must run them all day, every day until the summer comes. While it's not good for life in Alaska, the warmer than average temperatures we've had the last few years have allowed their roots to strengthen a bit."

She moved to the replica landscape of the forest from China, "These are Chinese elms. This tree is also known as the Tree of Harmony. It was the first tree I planted. I carried it here from China. It was my first."

Bo noted the brilliant smile on the woman's face as she picked up a small pair of scissors and snipped at a few pieces of growth on the ends of two branches.

"They require daily attention, but I enjoy it tremendously. They are my children."

Bo smiled, "The kind that never get into trouble and never talk back."

The doctor glanced up at Bo, "They talk to me about their troubles every day."

Bo's smile faded, replaced by a look of regret, "I'm sorry. I meant no disrespect."

The woman turned to face Bo, "I did not believe you intended disrespect, Ysabeau."

"I would really prefer you call me Bo."

"Your insurance and all of your patient history says your name is Ysabeau, so on occasion, I will refer to you as such. You must gain back the pride in your name, child. I cannot imagine it was given to you by anyone other than your mother."

Bo smiled, "You would be correct. She learned of the name from a traveler who came to her village from somewhere in Europe."

"It sounds like you are quite worldly."

Bo shook her head, "My mother traveled quite a bit as a child. My father apparently traveled back and forth between two families… two wives."

She heard the doctor gasp, but did not look in her direction out of fear she would break down and cry over the feelings of betrayal that seemed to be coming forth from her gut. She quickly changed the subject,

"I, however, have never left the state of Alaska. Honestly, the thought terrifies me."

"Well, you do not have to attack that step until you're ready." The doctor smiled.

"Actually, Lauren must return to the city of Boston in Massachusetts as the end of the year. She is hoping I will come and visit her for a while."

"And you want to go?"

"I'm sure I'll miss her when she goes. We've become quite close. She's only the second friend I've ever had. I'm sure I'll want to go, I just don't know if I'll have the courage to go. She said I would need to fly there. I have my pilots license…"

"That would be a flight meant for a commercial airliner. You could certainly do it in a bush plane, but it would consume a great deal of fuel and a thorough plan for small airport landings and emergency landing sites."

Bo sighed, "I'm aware which is why I'm a bit nervous about the trip."

The doctor looked up, pointing to the sky above them, "The air isn't so bad up there, Ysabeau. Embrace the journey."

Bo looked up, thinking about what the woman said for a moment before noticing that they were beneath a reinforced glass roof, "Is that double glass?"

Dr. Gray laughed, "My, you are easily distracted. Yes, dear. It is indeed. The first year that Harold and I had this seed house, the snow cracked the roof. My bonsai and a few other seedings were in the main house at that time, but everything that was in here was ready for harvest and frostbitten by the time we found it." She laughed at the memory, "We ate nothing but meat that winter, but vowed to try again in spring. He started by visiting a man up North who taught him how to build a reinforced glass roof. Our greenhouse was built that way as well. Come, I'll show you the greenhouse."

"This isn't the greenhouse?" Bo asked.

The older woman laughed as they exited the seed house through a door that Bo could see held both screen and storm doors. When she passed through the doorway, she couldn't believe her eyes. She was in a massive greenhouse that seemed to stretch vertically up to the sky and across the land to the horizon. There were about ten rows of planter boxes with sizeable aisles in between and the rows seemed to stretch to the length an ice hockey rink. Beyond the boxes, it looked like there was just a thick forest.

"This is… amazing."

Bo walked down the rows, just in front of the doctor who was watching her every move. Bo leaned down and sniffed at a plant,

"Basil. It smells amazing."

She moved to the next, running her fingers along the box, "Rosemary, thyme, parsley, chives… is that coriander?"

"You know your herbs."

Bo smiled, "My mom used to grow these in a small green house that sat on our kitchen counter when I was young. She used two desk lamps that got very hot to keep them warm." She chuckled, "She said no potato was complete without chives and no meat was complete without rosemary."

"Your mom is a smart woman."

Bo lowered her eyes, "Was. She was."

"Will you tell me about her?"

Bo nodded, continuing down the row, "This mint smells amazing."

"The tea that is waiting for us in my office has dried ground lemon, ginger and a hint of mint in it."

Bo smiled, "That sounds delicious."

"It's comforting and I find that it's very good for digestion or stomach upset."

Bo nodded, "Dill, tarragon, fennel, parsley, ginger, sprouts, carrots… Doctor Gray, this is amazing."

"More than that, it's very therapeutic. Losing my husband was difficult but continuing to do something that we shared makes me feel connected to him in many ways. There's something about putting your hands in the dirt that is very grounding."

"I know what you mean. My mom and I used to come south every spring to tend the gardens that fed numerous restaurants. I used to love digging in the soil, planting plants and learning all about how to grow them. My mom would quiz me on the names."

"So, she was a gardener?"

Bo shrugged, "She was… everything. She was mom, cook, hunter, fisher, musher, weaver, seamstress, survivor, teacher… the list goes on and on. She was… everything." Bo paused, suddenly overcome with emotion. She looked down as she added, "And I don't know what happened to her."

Doctor Gray nodded, "So it that why you came to see me?"

Bo shook her head, "I don't know. I mean… my life before… and now… so much has happened and…" she struggled to find her words and after several moments, Doctor Gray placed a gentle hand on her back,

"Come. I'd like to show you something."

They walked down the aisle of the greenhouse, Bo returning her focus to the life around her, "Is this a pumpkin?"

The doctor smiled, "You can't very well make pumpkin pie without it now, can you?"

"Pumpkin pie. I've tasted it thawed from frozen in my friend's restaurant, but I imagine with real pumpkins you could cook it fresh?"

"Indeed." She smiled. They exited the greenhouse and turned to the right. Bo looked up to see another greenhouse… no, it was more a massive dome. Through the glass, she could easily see at least one large tree reaching to the top,

"Oh. My. Gawd." Bo looked at the doctor, "I know I'm here for an appointment, but… can we go in there?"

"I wouldn't have teased a plant-lover like yourself with an outside view. Come. Let's go see my version of California's Disneyland. I think you'll find they have little to boast about over my little playland."

The doctor laughed at her own joke as they walked to the greenhouse structure and Bo almost fell over. Standing before her was a massive grove of trees that she didn't recognize. Whatever they were, they reached to the greenhouse ceiling.

"What are they?"

"Those are my husband's pride and joy. There are seven different species of palm trees up there."

"Palms? Like the ones you're trying to grow in the smaller greenhouse?"

The doctor shook her head, "No, these are from California and they were started in California. They had a head start. But still, they said it couldn't be done. Not in Alaska. But he did it. They had a few sketchy years, but once they were strong enough, they took off on their own. From there, all he had to do was make sure it stayed warm in here." She pointed, "There… he built six of those contraptions in here. My mechanic, Kurt, he keeps them running in the winter."

"I know Kurt." Bo smiled.

"Oh, I'm aware that you know Kurt."

Bo frowned, "You talked to him about me coming to see you?"

"Of course not, child. That would be against doctor-patient privilege and I take my work very seriously. You do realize your face is plastered on every poster from here to Nome, don't you?"

Bo shrugged, "I didn't know that. I don't get out much."

"Right. Well, a shy champion is rather refreshing. That obnoxious billboard, however, is not so much."

"Billboard?"

"In Fairbanks there's a big congratulations billboard in your honor. I'm surprised they didn't ask you if they could splash your face up there."

Bo shrugged, "You pretty much sign your life away when you enter the race. I'm not much for the fame. I'm in it for the challenge and the fact that my dogs love to run. Of course, the prize money doesn't hurt either. It's not what it used to be with them losing so many sponsors, but it still pays for the dogs for a year as well as some other bills."

"And that shiny new truck?" She quipped.

Bo shrugged, "I wanted to sell it and take the money. It's too fancy for my taste, but my family insisted I get rid of my old truck. Kurt was having trouble keeping it alive."

The doctor laughed, "That wouldn't by chance be the truck he refers to as Jezebel, would it?"

Bo smiled and nodded, "It would. He committed sacrilege and sent her to the scrap yard. I think maybe I should not speak to him until the end of days."

"Not much to hold a grudge, eh?" She laughed.

Bo was quick to reply, "It was a joke. I was just kidding."

"Easy, child. I'm aware. I was joking as well."

"Oh." Bo replied, distracted by several trees that caught her eye, "Are those fruit trees?"

She nodded, "Fig, lemon, grapefruit and I'm hoping for that little tree over there to eventually produce apples and that one, cherries. We'll see. The other trees have grown so tall that they decrease the amount of sunlight the fruit trees are getting. I'm fearing their demise. I do love a good piece of fruit. Anything but canned is rare around here."

Bo nodded, "I hate canned fruit, but we do need the nutrients. I prefer to dehydrate my fruit for winter."

"That's a brilliant idea."

She led Bo over to an area of tilled soil placed in large planting boxes on the ground, "These go down six feet deep. We aerate the soil from beneath. There's zucchini, tomato, potatoes, and other staples planted in there."

"From beneath? How do they not freeze?"

"Again, my genius husband lined the boxes with warming coils that continually circulate hot water warmed by our solar panel array that is mounted on the land beyond the greenhouse. In the winter months, a generator run by a wind turbine keeps things warm. The growth is slow because it's still quite cold, but they don't freeze."

"Are they Heirloom tomatoes?" Bo asked.

The doctor shook her head, "That's a tomato called the Mortgage Lifter and next to it is the Oxheart tomato. Both have amazing flavor. The mortgage is excellent for sandwiches. My husband always hated that tomatoes fell out of his sandwich when he took a bite, so the mortgage lifter was the answer."

"Why's that?" Bo asked.

She smiled, "Just one slice fills the entire piece of bread."

"And the Oxheart?"

She pressed a hand to her chest, "My husband wasn't just the man I married, he was my heart and soul. He was not just my lover, but my partner in every way. Two years before he died, he planted The Oxheart in time for it to come up for our anniversary. It was very romantic."

"A tomato is romantic?"

She laughed, "You have much to learn, my champion. Not only is a tomato red, but that particular one is shaped like a heart."

Bo smiled, "You're right. That's very romantic. It sounds like he was a wonderful man."

"He was, dear." She moved down the row, "Here is the Palace King cucumber. It grows as long as your arm and it doesn't have any seeds. My husband had dentures. He hated seeds."

They walked over a bridge that crossed a waterfall that spilled into a small creek below. The doctor stopped on the bridge, leaning over the rail,

"If you ever need me and can't find me, this is where I'll be."

"Doctor Gray, I would never come without…"

The woman looked up at Bo, her eyes showing the kindness that came from her very soul, "I'm not your average doctor, child. If you ever need me, you come. My door is always open to those who are open to change. I will not be a part of this land for many more years. While I'm here, I wish to make a difference in the lives of others. I have much idle time, so you need never fear interrupting me, Ysabeau."

"It's Bo." She interrupted with a scowl, "Sorry. I don't use my full name."

"May I ask why? It's such a beautiful name."

Bo lowered her eyes to the water, the sound of the rushing water calming her nerves, "I guess… well, to be honest, I don't really know. I've always thought it was because it's what my Mom called me and… well, she's gone so I'd prefer the name be gone with her."

"I see." The doctor replied, her eyes set on Bo as if analyzing her reply.

"What?"

She shrugged, "I don't know yet."

"You don't know? Isn't it your job to know?" Bo snapped before shaking her head, "I'm sorry. I don't know why I… actually, I tend to do that pretty often."

"Do what?"

Bo lowered her eyes back to the water, "Snap at people. It's like there's something inside me that just gets… I don't know… angry… no, that's what Lauren calls it, but it's more…" Bo searched for a description of the emotion she was feeling just before she snapped at the doctor, "… aggravation."

The doctor nodded, "And does this… aggravation… often become anger?"

Bo nodded, "Outright, uncontrollable, ugly, embarrassing anger."

The doctor stood, hands on the rail, taking a deep breath. She closed her eyes and tilted her head back before opening them again and looking up at the greenhouse roof. She stared at it for a long while before she turned towards Bo, her elbow supporting her weight on the handrail,

"So that is why you came to me?"

Bo shrugged, "I don't want people to be afraid of me anymore. I guess… I've been alone for so long… I want to join the real world again… at least… a small piece of it."

"Oh? And what piece is that?"

Bo stood up straight, rubbing her hands back and forth on the smoothly carved wooden rail. She noticed the fine wood grain and the rounded edges. The doctor's husband had been a skilled craftsman. She wished she'd had the chance to work with him.

"Talkeetna and the surrounding lands. I want to be able to move about without families crossing the street when they see me coming."

"People do that?"

"They do."

"Are you sure this isn't just your perception of their behaviors?"

Bo chuckled, "I wish I was that paranoid. Until now, I haven't really cared what other people thought of me. Until now, I lived in my own world, doing what I had to do to survive, make enough money to feed myself, to fish, trap, train and take care of my dogs."

"So, the term loner is an understatement for you."

Bo shrugged, "I suppose."

"Why the aversion to people?"

Bo turned back, her eyes scanning the foliage around her, "I guess this is where I'm supposed to tell you all about my mommy issues and my daddy issues?"

The doctor laughed, "No, this is where you answer my question about why you don't like being around people. Or, we can continue our walk through this paradise."

She motioned towards the other side of the bridge. Bo nodded, turning to walk towards the other end of the bridge. There was a slow descent down a ramp before it rounded a bend that led to a trail through a small grove of trees.

"So, you and Harold built this place together?"

She nodded, "We did, but there are certain things that he specifically built for me. My forte is growing. He was a landscape architect, so making this beautiful kingdom was his specialty. Where we stood on the bridge… he called it 'my spot' and only stood there with me once or twice. He wanted it to be a space where I could experience tranquility without having to go who knows where to relax."

"Thank you for sharing it with me. It's beautiful."

She smiled, "It is."

They came to a small hut across from a small pool of water. The doctor moved inside, taking a seat on the bench, patting the space beside her. Bo took a seat and stared across the walkway to the water,

"This is a nice spot as well."

The doctor nodded, "There is beauty and tranquility in this space."

"Is that why you brought me here? So I would feel comfortable enough to spill my life story?"

The doctor shrugged, "I brought you here so I would be focused on whatever you wish to share with me. Of course, I spend most of my day in this place. I'm not much the four-walls-in-an-office kind of girl."

Bo smiled, "Me either. I felt uncomfortable the minute I walked through the door."

"I take it you haven't lived in a home in some time?"

Shaking her head, Bo replied, "Last night was actually the first time I stayed in the home I just finished building."

"You built your own home?"

Bo smiled, "I own a construction company. We're contracted to build the new hospital up in Talkeetna… just as soon as we are finished rebuilding from the fire."

The doctor sighed, "Yes, I heard they'd had a fire up there. Something about someone seeking revenge?"

Bo nodded, her face twisting into a scowl, "My father getting revenge on me by trying to kill everyone I loved."

"You?"

"I'm surprised you don't know my father."

"Who is your father?"

"Big Jim Morton."

She watched the doctor's face morph into a look of shock, "That man is your father? He and his sons used to terrorize this town every Friday night. I knew his wife. She was part of the garden group I used to belong to back in the day. Most of us are gone now."

"I'm glad she had a life outside of the household chores. My mom wasn't that lucky."

"I don't understand what possible grudge he would have with his own daughter?"

Bo shrugged, "It's a very long story and honestly, I'm not completely sure what his grudge has been against me. I suspect the grudge has something to do with the whole adultery thing? When I showed up – the bastard child of his adulterous affair up north – in a town where his first family and all of his power resided… well, I guess I was just bad for business. He came after me from the moment I stepped foot into Point Siku. I later learned that my brother had been tailing me from the time I'd left the North Slope. I just… I didn't remember him until now. When I saw my brother at the Iditarod… actually when my brother tried to kill me at the Iditarod, well, that's when things came trickling back."

"Your brother tried to kill you?"

She nodded, "It was me or him. Luckily, it was not my axe that actually killed him. Sheriff Santiago had fired on him a split second before I landed my axe."

"And how are you sleeping after that?"

Bo shrugged, "Not well. I see his face in my dreams, only it's his face from when we were young. A face I didn't remember until recently. He was my best friend and protector when I was little. I just don't understand what happened to him that he became so… I don't know what."

"The pull of a man who has groomed you to be a certain way is strong." She shook her head, "So you didn't recognize your father?"

Bo shook her head, "No ma'am. Honestly, I spent most of my childhood looking at my feet where he was concerned. Whenever I've pictured him, his face was a shadow beneath a snow-covered fur hood with black eyes. He used to get very physical with my mom, so I learned to keep my head down when he was around. I wish I'd been stronger. I might have been able to stand up to him and save my brothers from following in his corrupt footsteps."

"I'd heard he is now serving life in prison."

"You heard correctly." Bo replied.

"Well, I suppose he is a conversation for another session."

Bo nodded, "I would appreciate that. I don't think I could talk about him anymore today."

She smiled, "So you've built a house for yourself. Is this the first home you've lived in?"

"Before last night, I had stayed in an apartment whenever I was in Talkeetna and had a hut similar to the one we're sitting in right now down in the village in Point Siku."

"Then you know my old friend Seline?" She asked.

Bo smiled, "She has been my mentor and mother-figure since I arrived."

The doctor smiled, "Ah, and how is she?"

"I can't believe you know her. It's a small world." Bo replied.

"It's Alaska, Ysabeau… not Los Angeles."

Bo shrugged, "I wouldn't know the difference. Never been off of these lands unless you consider Canada to the east of the North Slope new land."

The doctor smiled, "They may be in Canada, but they're still just like us, so no, you've never been anywhere but native lands. As for my knowledge of people in these parts, I've been around for a very long time, child. I know most everyone, but especially those who are in my age group. There are not many of us left."

"I suppose we should get to this counseling session then?" Bo asked.

The doctor laughed, "Our session is about to come to a close, child."

"But what about me lying on the couch and you asking me a ton of questions? What happened to you analyzing me and telling me what's wrong with me? What about me and my anger. I just can't be like that anymore. I can't." Bo asked.

The doctor smiled, "Then don't be. In those moments of anger, you must recognize the rage and tame your beast. Quiet your mind, listen to the anger that is beneath… the anger in your heart and soul… the anger caused by years of feeling abandoned by your mother and wronged by your father. Listen to the voice of the inner child that still resides within and ask her why she chose to pick now to speak up instead of in the past when it could have changed her path. I believe that is where you will find the source of your anger and learn to reconcile it with the woman you are now."

She offered Bo a kind smile, "As I said, Ysabeau. Like fine wine, these things take time. Be patient with yourself. Allow the grapes of your youth to grow as we do the plants that are all around us. There is a reason you love to be in the wild. There is a reason you've chosen to spend the time it takes to forage for your own food and to painstakingly care for a garden to produce something that you and your loved ones can consume in order to live. Planting and playing in soil grounds us to the earth where, in native cultures, all life comes from. Tending to a growing plant is like tending to the needs of a child."

"So, you're saying I grow plants so that I can help my inner child grow or something?"

She smiled, "Or something, yes. You'll figure it out."

Bo sighed, a bit frustrated with the answer, "So you won't tell me how to fix it?"

"There's nothing to fix, child. Life is a journey and who we are is part of our growth within that journey. You will figure it out and until you do, we'll continue to talk."

Bo took a breath, "But…"

"Fine wine, Ysabeau. Fine wine."

"Could you be more cryptic?"

"Would you like me to be?" The doctor asked in reply.

Bo asked, "But isn't there something wrong with me? Aren't you supposed to tell me what's wrong?"

It's what Lauren had made her feel… the way she was behaving was wrong. What was the right way? How would she know if someone didn't explain it to her?

"I've never had to do emotions. I've never had to do people. I don't know how to do people."

"Well, you seem to be doing quite fine with this person."

"But you're like me. You understand me."

"But I'm not the same sort of native as you. I've been to the lower forty-eight. I've lived there and thrived there. I've been around people, so I have experiences that have taught me how to interact with people."

"But I haven't and I'm doing it… wrong. I need to know what's wrong with me… with what I'm doing. Please tell me what's wrong. Isn't that your job? Isn't that why I came here?"

The doctor smiled, "If you need to hear what's wrong, I'd say right now what's wrong is your expectations."

"My expectations?"

She nodded, "Fine. Wine."

Bo sighed, recognizing she wasn't going to get any more answers from the woman today, "Right. Fine wine."

"There's still much of the greenhouse to see. For today, we'll make our way back to my office, have some tea and then send you on your way."

Bo watched as the woman turned and headed back towards the smaller greenhouse. She sighed, following reluctantly.

They sat for a while and talked more about growing seasons and laughed over their worst growing failures. They'd both had plenty of those. When the tea was gone and the conversation had died out, Bo stood to leave, but the older doctor had one more piece of advice before she left,

"Ysabeau, I know you are concerned about your anger, so I will tell you this. When you feel the anger rise, recognize it… greet it as you would a child. Ask it why it exists and if it can't answer, be patient with it as you would a child. Talk to it, ask it the hard questions about why it must present itself in the way that it does… why it can't speak more calmly. Ask questions that make it truly consider its existence and listen for the answers. In time, you'll come to understand one another."

"Fine wine." Bo smiled.

The doctor took Bo's hand, cupping it in her own, "Life is not meant to be rushed, Ysabeau. It's meant to be savored. We each have our own paths to walk. Choose to walk yours in the same manner you love your dogs, care for your dogs, plant your seeds and grow your plants. Transfer the way you live your life to the way you approach those humans you despise so much. In that way, you may find a kind of peace you may never have known otherwise."

Something clicked in Bo's mind as she thought about the doctor's words. She felt a sense of calm come over her that she had only ever felt in her mother's gardens as a child. She looked into the kind eyes of the old woman and smiled,

"Thank you. Truly, thank you for your time and generosity. I am grateful for all you have shared of yourself today. It was a very special treat for someone like me."

"And for me." She smiled, "See you next week, then? You can make an appointment with my receptionist on the way out. She likes to keep me busy."

Bo smiled, "I'll do that. See you soon."

"Be kind to yourself, Ysabeau."

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **Talkeetna, Sheriff's Office…**_

Bo entered the office to find Dyson and Hale sitting at their desks, combing through boxes of file folders. It took a split second for her to think about turning around and walking out, but instead, she stood her ground and cleared her throat,

"Ahem." She coughed a few times for good measure, causing the two men to look up, "Uh… I've never come here willingly. I'm not sure of the… uh… well… what I'm supposed to do. Tamsin called and told me to meet her here when I have time." She lowered the zipper on her coat and tugged at her collar, "Well, I have time now."

Dyson stood, walking towards the brunette. He stopped in close proximity. The man never did understand the concept of personal space,

"It's good to see you, Bo." He smiled.

Struggling not to roll her eyes, Bo nodded, "Good to be seen these days… by anyone, seeing as my father and his merry band of assassins wanted me dead not even a month ago."

He placed a hand on her shoulder. Bo's eyes traveled to the spot where he was touching her, barely hearing his voice as he spoke as her attention was again on his lack of knowledge of personal barriers,

"They're gone, Bo. No one will hurt you again. I'll make sure of it."

That was it. She just couldn't help herself. She wasn't sure where it came from, but she just couldn't stop as she laughed out loud. It felt like it came from her toes, but it filled her very being and it felt… awesome. She felt like she'd been waiting for years to laugh out loud like this, but still, she reigned it in when she finally noticed the pained expression on his face. She didn't want to hurt anyone anymore and this man had always looked out for her despite her resistance to his help. She sighed,

"I'm sorry about that. Lately, my emotions are all out of whack. I laugh at inappropriate times, I snap at people who are nothing but kind to me and… hell, I even cry once in a while. Imagine that."

She didn't want to let on that she had become a blubbering idiot almost nightly, not to mention the downright debilitating nightmares that sometimes left her unable to do anything in the morning other than sit by the river and stare at the mountain. In fact, her house would be completely finished by now if she hadn't lost those few precious hours each morning.

"It's okay, Bo. You've been through a lot. What do you say you and I catch up over dinner one of these nights? You're still staying at Kenzi's hotel, right? I haven't seen you around much lately. Kenzi said you were staying somewhere else? I know you like the off-grid life, but if you ever need a place to crash…"

Bo waved him off, looking down to keep her emotions in check. Now, she wanted to punch the guy in the face, then laugh in it,

"Dyson… if we ever end up at the hotel on the same night and I happen to be eating at the bar, you would be more than welcome to pull up the stool next to me if it's open and have your dinner, but we won't be having a dinner date, Dyson. You really need to understand that you and I… we will never…"

"Bo, I realize you've never been big on people, but if you give them a chance… give me a chance, you might find that I'm what you've always been looking for… you just have to…"

"Dyson, I don't have to do anything. This lovesick puppy thing has got to stop. I'm not interested."

"Bo! Thanks for coming." Tamsin said, walking towards the brunette. She used her index finger and thumb to lift Dyson's middle finger from Bo's shoulder, pulling back hard to make him remove his hand, "Dyson, don't you have some files to look through?"

Dyson cleared his throat, "Think about it, Bo."

Tamsin looked between the pair and decided she needed to put this whole thing to bed before Dyson got himself into some serious trouble with Bo or her family,

"Dyson, before you find yourself in the middle of a harassment suit. That would be the end of your badge."

She threw an arm over Bo's shoulder, leading her to the back office, "You'll thank me later. Move on, Dyson. Bo certainly has."

The pair disappeared into the back room. Hale leaned back in his chair, intertwining his fingers as he propped his elbows up on the arms of his chair,

"You really have to stop, Dyson. If the rumors are true… and I really think they are… Bo will never be interested in you or me or any other dude, if you catch my drift."

"I know there's something there, Hale. I can feel it."

"Yea, well your gut instincts where Bo are concerned have never been right. You always want to be her hero, but she doesn't need that, Dyson. She's not some fairytale damsel in distress that needs you to rescue her. She's a strong, independent woman who needs a friend who respects her and her choices."

"That doctor is wrong for her, Hale."

"And what makes you an expert on who is right and wrong for Bo?"

"I can protect her."

Hale stood from his desk, moving quickly to Dyson, he pulled back his fist and thrust it into the Sheriff's jaw,

"Wake! The fuck up! Dude, did someone sprinkle you with pixie dust and put you under some sort of spell? She doesn't want you, Dyson. Get over it and move on."

Hale threw up his hands and walked away. He lowered his eyes to the work on his desk, picking up a folder and slamming it down before he took a seat in his chair. He put his face in his hands, remembering what had happened between he and Kenzi after the Iditarod. She came to see him soon after the awards banquet. Hale thought it was so they could have some alone time, but apparently it was so she could express her fury with him for how he handled everything with Bo. After that, she didn't speak to him for a week unless it was required for work reasons. After that, she slowly allowed him back into the hotel for lunch, not breakfast or dinner. This week, he had been in for a few extra meals and she had made a little bit of small talk with him, but it was a far cry from where they had been before the Iditarod.

He didn't need to be associated with Dyson and his persistent pursuit of Bo.

"Hale…"

"Dyson, I'm not going to discuss Bo with you."

"You're dating her best friend. Can't you at least ask Kenzi to put in a good word…"

"No! No!" He threw his hands up and pushed away from his desk, putting his hat on his head and grabbing his coat, "I'm done with this, Dyson. Kenzi will never go to bat for you with Bo. For the first time in her life, Bo is moving towards happy. Kenzi and I are in Bo's corner here, Dyson. We're going to support her in living the life she chooses with who she chooses. I happen to like the Doc and think she is very good for Bo. Take a hint, Dyson. Get on board or get off the boat, but to be clear, Bo is the captain and we're letting her steer the ship without any more interference from us."

"But Hale…"

"Geezus! Just stop! Bo has been through enough and she's survived with no help from any of us. Being there for an altercation here and there is no big deal. She could have handled everything we stepped in for all on her own. The bottom line is that we all should have treated her better when she first came to town. As the law in this town, we should have stood up to Big Jim long ago and we didn't. She will never forgive us for that, and I don't blame her. Bo is a particular kind of girl. She doesn't need anyone to take care of her. All Bo needs is the land and her dogs. Anyone and anything else that she allows in her life she does by her choosing. Back off and leave her the hell alone, Dyson. If you don't, I'll tell Bo to sue you myself!"

He walked out of the office slamming the door behind him. He headed down the road into town, deciding the walk would do him good, but stopped when he heard Bo calling his name. He turned to see her running after him,

"Bo, get back inside! You've got no jacket on!"

She laughed, "After that speech you just gave Dyson, you're going to tell me to go get my jacket?"

Hale rubbed the back of his neck, offering a chuckled, "Yea, I guess you're right about that." He looked up at the brunette, "So, you heard all that?"

She nodded, crossing her arms over her chest as a shiver ran through her body, "I just wanted to say thank you. I don't know what else to say to get him to understand that I am absolutely not interested in a relationship with him."

He shook his head, "All I know is that being his deputy has put me in a position to follow his orders and I just don't know how much longer I can do that. Look, Bo… I'm sorry for some of the things I said and did at the Iditarod. I never meant to hurt you. I just… I was stressed and worried and Dyson was being… well, more Dyson than usual. I'm just… I'm sorry."

"Like you said, I heard everything you said. I understand, Hale. You're forgiven. Let me know if you need any help with Kenzi."

"A good word would be nice.?"

"You've got it." Bo said with a smile, "I've gotta get back to Tamsin."

"Catch ya later." Hale said, waving goodbye as Bo ran back inside, ignoring Dyson and moving quickly to Tamsin's office once again.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

Tamsin had reviewed the interrogation tapes from the day Bo and Tosh met with Big Jim Morton at least fifty times now. She went and met with him twice more on her own, asking the same questions to see if the answers he provided remained the same, changed altogether or if new information came forth.

She had showed Bo the tapes of her interview and then several of the return visit tapes where she had asked the same questions. Now, she was showing Bo video where she spoke openly to Bo about what she had just viewed.

"Wait. So, you're going to show me video of you talking to me like I'm in the room, but the room is empty?" Bo asked.

Tamsin nodded, "Exactly."

"And you don't think it's the least bit strange that you actually videotaped you talking to me in an empty room?" Bo laughed.

Tamsin shrugged, "It's my process. I do better when I think out loud. Just listen…"

She pressed the button on the remote and the video began to play. Bo stiffened in her seat at the sight of Big Jim, but tried to focus on Tamsin instead,

 _ **Video – Prison Interrogation Room…**_

 _Tamsin stepped to the table, her angry eyes set on Big Jim before she looked up at the two men inside the door, "Guards, take the prisoner from the room. Put him in holding for ten minutes, then bring him back in."_

 _The guards didn't question the order. They did as they were told while Tamsin turned to the window, arms crossed over her chest. When she was finally alone, she began to speak,_

" _The statements and questions that follow are for Ysabeau Dennis. If anything should happen to me prior to having a chance to speak with her, pick up your investigation with this tape. It will both bring answers to light for Ms. Dennis and, hopefully, get some insight from Ms. Dennis as well."_

 _She placed both hands on the windowsill, "Bo, I've been following you since you came back across the border from Canada into the United States. When I wasn't with you, someone else relieved me… vacations, my Mom's funeral, other cases they needed me for… but usually, I've been your very sexy shadow for a very, very long time."_

 _She turned and walked towards the table, placing her fingers tips on top and tracing the wood as she walked around it,_

" _I'm sure you want to know why I would have been assigned to tail you. I'll try to explain."_

 _She sat down in the chair, facing the interrogation room camera. She looked up, her eyes now staring right at Bo as she spoke through the flat screen TV,_

" _There was a Federal Agent in my rookie year with the bureau. His name was Justin Guinn. I'm going to have to go back and look at his case when I leave here. It's a cold case…"_

 _She shook out here thoughts, "Look, this is going to be difficult to explain because I don't have all of the facts, but you were somehow connected to Justin Guinn. They just didn't know how, so I was sent to tail you. Like I said, I'm going to have to go back and look things up, but I think I just figured out how your cases connect… just… bear with me for a few minutes while I talk this through."_

 _She lowered her eyes to the table, "So, a woman was put into witness protection because she was testifying against a man who - at the time – was wanted in three states for multiple crimes as well as a suspected murder. One of his crimes was a case that Justin Guinn was working on – a case that had been passed on to him by another agent named Paul Marshall who had retired just a year or two after the case broke. Anyone who even breathed the man's name was put into witness protection until they could figure out where this guy was. He had like, a zillion aliases."_

 _Tamsin opened a file folder, shuffling through some papers until she found what she was looking for,_

" _So, this is the case file. It says that Justin didn't know anything about the woman. I mean, witness protection means no one – and I do mean no one – knows where the person is except their handler. Their name is changed, their location, they're given a job and a full backstory that doesn't begin to match their original life. There's no way that Justin would have known anything about the woman."_

 _She looked up at the camera again, pointing as she began to connect the dots, "Big Jim just said that in 2011, his eldest son caught up with Justin Guinn and questioned him outside of Flanigan's Pub in Portland, Oregon. They were questioning him about a woman, and he didn't know anything about her."_

 _Tamsin opened the file again, pulling out a picture and pointing to a hand, "The thing is, that I happen to know that Justin Guinn retired with three fingers missing from his right hand. He couldn't pull a trigger, so he lost his field agent status. He rode a desk for seventeen years until he was old enough to retire from the bureau at our mandatory retirement age of fifty-five."_

 _She pulled out a picture of Justin, pointing at his face,_

" _He couldn't remember. Justin couldn't remember what had happened to him when they found him. And do you know where they found him?" She stared at the camera for a long while before she cleared her throat, "Sorry… forgot you weren't actually here. Anyway, they found him in the alley outside of Flanigan's Pub in Portland, Oregon… in 2011. I know that was the year because it was exactly two years from when I started at the bureau and was assigned to a case that I've been handling ever since."_

 _Tamsin continued, "Those were the early days of girls getting roofied in bars. We had guessed that was what had happened to Justin. He could remember anything about his day right up until getting dragged out of the bar and into an alley by three men in masks. He remembered being questioned about the whereabouts of a woman and her daughter, but that was where his memory ended. He couldn't remember who they asked about or what they asked. He only knew that he really had no information about the two."_

 _Tasmin shook her head, "I know right now you must be thinking it's all just a coincidence, but I don't think so. Here's what I think happened. I think the people that assaulted Justin were Big Jim's guys. It happened in the same year and the same bar. A knife was found at the scene in a dumpster – the prints came back matching a dead guy, aged twenty-four, but we couldn't find any death certificate on the supposedly dead guy."_

 _Tamsin stood, pacing back and forth, "So, these guys are asking about a woman and her daughter. He has no knowledge of them because they're not a part of his case, but these men know that the two females can dime them out. So, they torture Justin, cutting off one finger at a time trying to find out where the woman is. They drug him to get the truth and when he doesn't know, they give up and leave him behind, not wanting to kill a Federal Agent."_

" _Okay, so you think that Big Jim had his guys assault your agent because they were asking about a woman and her daughter. But Big Jim already knew that I wasn't with her. He had Jacob tailing me."_

 _Tamsin paused, looking at the camera again, "Now, you may have your doubts since as far as you knew, Big Jim already knew that you weren't with her since your brother Jacob was tailing you but you have to remember that the reason he had him following you was because he so Jim thought you and your Mom were both off the grid."_

 _She began pacing again, "I don't remember the woman's name, but I do know that I was put on you from the time you returned to the U.S. from Canada. I was on a protective detail that they'd hoped would eventually reconnect me to Justin Guinn's case."_

 _She pointed to her palm as she laid out the facts,_

" _When he woke up, his fingers were gone. He bandaged them and crawled into the bar, unable to stand. The bartender saw him, and she called 9-1-1. What happened to him is one of our biggest cold cases, but now I'm thinking it's not so cold anymore."_

 _She turned back to the door and called to the guards, "Bring him back in, please."_

 _Looking over her shoulder, she looked up at the camera, "I think I know how to find your Mom, Bo. If I'm right, we solve two cold cases and the case of what happened to your mom. If I'm right and she's the woman who was placed in witness protection, they can unseal the records now that Big Jim and the rest of the gang are in jail for life. Bo, your mom can be free again."_

 _ **End of Video…**_

Tamsin clicked off the video and turned to Bo who was staring at the center of the table, palms flat, eyes wide, mouth hanging open,

"Bo?"

She said nothing, so Tamsin placed a hand on her shoulder, "Bo?"

Slowly, the brunette turned her head towards the blonde, "Tamsin…"

She nodded, "I know, Bo. It's a lot to take in."

Bo's head bobbed up and down several times, "So… what now?"

Tamsin stood, moving to the chair nearest Bo. She pulled it over, and sat down beside her, "Now, I go back to the head office and ask to have your mom's records unsealed. I won't lie, Bo. They may say she's not out of danger yet, so they won't unseal them."

"Is she out of danger? I mean… if my mom has been in witness protection all of these years… if she were to come back here from… well… wherever she is… will she be safe?"

Tamsin shrugged, "I don't know the circumstances of why – if it's her – she was put in protective custody. The one question remaining is…"

"Why her and not me."

Tamsin nodded, "Exactly. That's the only thing that may be an issue. There may be another party involved… someone who Big Jim was willing to protect you from… or maybe your brothers."

"Protect me? I hardly think what they were doing could be considered protection."

"I'd have to agree with you there." Tamsin shrugged, "Well, that's really all I have for now. I just wanted you to know everything I know before I took off for New York again."

"New York?" Bo asked.

Tamsin nodded, "That's the field office where Justin was assigned, so that has to be the office that put her into protection… or at least someone there knows who did if it wasn't them."

"Okay."

Bo sat quietly, her fingers now interlocked, her head hanging, "So, what do I do now?"

"Wait?" Tamsin replied, knowing that would be very hard for Bo to hear.

The brunette chuckled, "I've been waiting most of my life. I guess a little while longer won't hurt."

Tamsin sat up straight, surprised by the woman's response, "Wow. You're being so… mature about this."

Bo smiled, "No sense getting all emotional about things I can't change."

She stood, walking to the other side of the table before turning back to Tamsin, "Besides, if she is in witness protection and left me to be on my own… I think maybe I might be a bit upset about that."

Tamsin nodded, "It may not have been her choice, Bo. Just so you know."

"Great. Just what I need. Another reason to hate Feds."

Tamsin smiled, "Well, I hope you don't hate all of us."

Bo grinned, "You're okay… I guess."

"Gee thanks." Tamsin replied, standing up, "So, I'll call you when I know more?"

Bo nodded, "Thanks, Tamsin. Really."

"You're welcome, Bo."

"Now, if you could help me get out of the office without further interaction with… anyone?"

Tamsin laughed, "I can definitely handle that as well as an additional lecture like Hale gave."

"Thanks."

Tamsin threw an arm over Bo's shoulder and walked her to the office door. Normally, Bo would have removed her arm, but in some strange way, the gesture felt oddly comforting… and completely uncharacteristic of her, but she wasn't going to overanalyze. She was still trying to process her session with Dr. Gray. She didn't want to think too much. Of course, not thinking about where her mom was would likely prove to be quite the challenge in the coming days. She might just find her taking Dr. Gray up on her offer to meet anytime.

As she stepped out into the fresh air, she took a deep breath. Right now, she just wanted to hitch up her team and go for a run. Maybe Lauren would be able to take a break. She looked down at her watch, then up at the sky,

"Dang. It's already three o'clock. Where did the day go?" She jumped into her truck and drove the two blocks to the kennels. Hopefully by the time she finished running her team, Lauren would be finished for the day. If so, she had a special treat in store for the blonde… if she was up for an adventure.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXX**_


	10. Chapter 10: The Outsiders

_**A/N: FYI – This update is three chapters beginning with Chapter 9. If you haven't read chapter 9, you should go back to get the full scoop before moving on to read this chapter and then Chapter 11. Enjoy!**_

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **CHAPTER 10: The Outsiders**_

 _ **Talkeetna, Outside the Clinic and Barn Kennels**_

Bo pulled up to the clinic, driving her snow hook into the slush beneath her feet. She stomped on it several times to be sure it was firmly in the soil before lifting Harper from the basket. She stood for a long moment, deciding whether or not her plan was well-timed. She had never seen anything like this… a line of twenty people snaked from the porch along the side of the building. Considering the sizable waiting area inside the clinic, her concern grew for what Lauren was dealing with inside. Where were her nurses?

She picked up her phone and called Evony who answered with an agitated tone,

"What!"

"Uh, hello to you too, Evony. Are you aware of what's going on at the clinic?"

"Aware? I'm INSIDE the clinic right now! She has me giving people shots! Me! Giving shots!"

"Well, don't hurt anyone."

"Where are you! Why aren't you in here helping! I know you know how to give shots. I've seen you give your dog's shots!"

"I'm outside, Evony. I'll be in as soon as I kennel the dogs."

"Well, get that brat of a business partner of yours to do it. Your lady love needs your ass in here now! Stat! Good God! Now she even has me using her medical terms!"

She could almost hear Evony's phone being thrown across the clinic as the call went dead. She sighed, going back to the sled to drive it around back to the Kennel entrance. She called to Harper,

"Come on, girl. Plans have changed."

The canine followed obediently, though at a significantly slower speed than Bo who was now lamenting her afternoon plans with the blonde. She had picked up a bow and card at the General Store, ignoring Molly's prodding for more information about this romantic gesture she had planned. Of course, she did kneel down and provide the details with a whisper into Elise's ear causing the little girl to giggle as she swore an oath not to tell Molly.

To Bo, Elise looked… happy… today. As much as a child could, given the circumstances. She was playing with her new puppy on the back floor of the store where Molly had set up a small play area. Molly had clearly taken to the little girl and it appeared, Elise felt the same way. Bo smiled as she gathered what she needed and stood at the counter to write out the card while Elise read a story to Molly in the back. The new foster mom had explained when she arrived that Elise had been over to see Lauren twice today. Once for a physical in the morning and once just because she wanted to talk to her. Molly expressed her appreciation of Lauren taking time to see her during the unannounced visit because she was so busy.

Bo pulled the sled onto the drop off ramp, LJ running to her side, "Hey, Bo! How'd they do out there?"

She grinned, "Just like old times, LJ. It's great to have my A-team back together again." She heard Harper groan and leaned down to scratch between her ears, "Minus my number one girl, here."

Harper barked, causing the pair to laugh, but LJ was quick to speak, "I stopped by the clinic to get my shot. Lauren asked me when you would be back. She's a little overwhelmed over there, Bo. I would have gone to help her, but…"

"It's okay, LJ. Evony just gave me an earful. I'm on my way over there now. Although, I've never given a shot to a human before. This could be a little dicey."

LJ laughed, "Better you than me!"

Bo smiled, "Still working on sticking oranges then?"

He scowled, "The vet said I'm sticking the needle in too deep."

Bo stepped off the sled, watching as the dogs went running free to the water trough, "It's important, LJ. You just have to remember that they use oranges to teach us how to give injections because the skin is about the same as ours. Once you puncture the outside, the needle slides easily past the flesh. Prick, gentle press, plunger."

"Yea, yea. So, everyone keeps telling me. Don't be surprised if we have to hire a Vet Tech for a while. It might be a decade until I'm certified."

She slapped his back as she moved to hang her gear, "Hang in there, Champ. One of these times, it will just click, and you'll get it."

"I hope you're right. I fear the supply of citrus could run low at the time of year we're used to having plenty."

"All because of your practice sessions?"

"Exactly."

Bo laughed, "Just make sure you eat what you're practicing on. Use every bit of skin before you eat."

He saluted, "Aye, Aye, Captain."

"So, what are your plans for your day off tomorrow?" Bo asked, knowing she was on the schedule to work the kennel tomorrow."

He shrugged, "I was thinking of flying out to Nome."

Bo offered a wicked grin, "Gonna go see that girl who caught your eye at the Iditarod, huh?"

He shrugged, "Maybe. There's a guy out there who built an experimental sled. He's offered two of them to our team for free if we're willing to try them out."

"Be careful, LJ. Usually these guys are trying to get us to put their brand on our chest and if they're a competitor of someone who is already sponsoring us… like Kyle's Sleds and Things… we could lose a longtime, dedicated sponsor."

"Uh… right. Sorry, Bo. I hadn't thought…"

"The deal you have to make is the one that has him selling his sleds to Kyle so she can decide pricing. That way, we don't lose a sponsor and he still gets to sell his sleds – if that's all he really wants. I want to make sure we're clear about the line in our business, LJ..."

He waved her off, wanting to set the record straight himself, "I'm not the owner of the kennel, only a one-third owner of the business itself. I don't have any say in the purchases and cannot make deals on your behalf without you seeing the contracts first. I'm getting experience and will have the option of buying into the business as a full partner down the road when you feel you can trust my knowledge and instincts as both a musher, trainer, handler and knowledgeable buyer of gear and equipment."

Bo nodded, "And this sled might be a good way for you to learn about equipment. I'd be interested to see if you can tell the difference between the sled this guy wants to sell us and the sleds that I've built."

"I don't really think I have a good feel for sled just yet. I mean, the difference between the old sled you gave me and your back up sleds for the Iditarod are definitely obvious, but I'm not sure why."

"Well, you're in luck. Spring is when I build and rebuild sleds. I have some ideas for a new rail and… well, look… we'll talk about this later. I really have to go help Lauren out at the clinic."

She paused, feeling bad that she and LJ had been running in opposite directions for the last two weeks. She really needed to set aside some time for them to run together before the snow melted completely. She looked up at him as she headed for the door,

"This spring, you and me… sled building 101."

"Really?" He asked his facial expression matching the excitement in his voice.

"Absolutely. If you're ever going to be a full partner, I need you to know everything I know."

"Except your top-secret secrets, of course."

She smiled, "Even those will be yours, LJ. You're the closest thing I'll ever have to a son. I have to pass on my knowledge and skills to someone. I can't think of a better candidate."

LJ smiled, his eyes tearing up, "I think… wow… that's the most amazing thing you've ever said to me, Bo."

She was short on time, but this moment… well, she owed this kid this moment. She doubled back, wrapping her arms around the young man. She should have done this long ago rather than holding him at arm's length, thinking she was protecting him,

"I love you, Little Jon. You have always and will always hold a very special place in my heart. I know you're becoming a man and all, but to me, you'll always be that spirited kid who wanted to be my shadow. I know I haven't been around much, but I promise you that I will make time for us to hang out and plan a few times a week."

She pulled back, seeing the tears streaming down his face. He wiped them away as she wiped away a few unexpected tears of her own,

"You've earned this, LJ and I'm sorry it took me so long to open up and tell you what you've meant to me. I was so mean to you…"

He shook his head, "If you'd have been anything but, you would have put another target on your back with my great grandfather. I understand, Bo. It hurt a little, but as I got older, I understood. Really. I'm okay."

She took his hands and looked at him, "We're okay?"

He nodded, "We're okay." He took a deep breath, "But you won't be if you don't get over to the clinic."

"Right." She smiled, "See you soon."

She turned and rushed for the door, LJ calling out, "Harper's following!"

"I've got her. Come on, girl. Let's see if you can put a little pep in that step!" She leaned down slapping her legs as she called to her, "Hike! Hike!"

She stood, eyes wide as Harper ran to her, "LJ! She's…"

"Ohmagawd! She's running, Bo!"

The brunette knelt down, taking the dog into her arms, "Good girl! Good girl, Harper!"

She pulled back, gripping the fur on either side of her neck, "You're back!"

Harper let out a howl and a bark, confirming Bo's greatest hope, "You're back." She said, burying her face in her neck, "You're really back."

"Harper! Harper! Come, girl!" LJ called.

Bo released her, watching her turn and run to her favorite human boy. He praised her when she arrived in his embrace, causing Bo's heart to fill with joy. She stood, wiping more tears from her face. She laughed,

"I haven't cried as much in my entire life as I've cried in the past twenty-four hours."

"You're turning into quite a sap, Bo!"

She nodded, "I started therapy today. Maybe that's why I'm getting sappy."

Shock ran through her body as she realized what she'd just said, "I guess that was a bit of an over-share. Can we keep that between you and me?"

LJ smiled, "I think it's great, Bo and yes, absolutely between you and me. You had mentioned it to me before… thinking you needed counseling. I used to talk to my guidance counselor at school. He helped me out a lot with a lot of the anger I felt as a kid."

"You were angry?" Bo asked.

He nodded, "Big Jim was my blood and he had the woman I admired the most in the world next to my Mom thrown in jail after killing almost her entire team of dogs."

Bo nodded, "I'm so sorry, Jon. I never thought of how all of that might have affected you."

He offered a sad smile, "You pushed me away to try to protect me. Of course you didn't notice how upset I was at all he took from you."

A tight smile spread across her face, "You were smart even as a kid."

He shrugged, "You really need to go, Bo. I was there when Lauren got the call that she was right and that they were shipping the medicine by bush plane right away. She was ecstatic, but when word spread, she quickly became overwhelmed. Having Evony as an assistant isn't helping matters any."

Bo sighed, "Are her nurses there?"

He nodded, "Yes and three additional nurses volunteered and flew in last night. They woke Kenzi up to check in at the hotel. She put them in your apartment because she didn't have any rooms left."

"The cruise ship workers showed up?"

LJ nodded again, "They're getting ready for the season and…"

"I know, I know. They need somewhere to stay until the ships arrive and they have somewhere to sleep."

"Even her train cars are booked. Vex said the food is on its way, but she's going to be shorthanded and lacking supplies for a few days. I'd stay out of her way if I were you."

She shook her head, "I've got to try to help her whenever I can."

She looked around the kennel. There was a lot to do.

"I can stay if you'd like, Bo. There will be other days off."

"No, LJ. You've been working nonstop…"

"Bo, you've been working nonstop all of your life and now that you have a season off, you're still working even harder than ever… not to mention that it's spring and you deserve some time with Lauren before… well… you know."

"Before she leaves in the winter. You can say it, LJ. I'm well aware she's leaving. I think she keeps saying it to remind me not to get to settled with the way things are."

"I'm sorry, Bo."

"Yea, me too."

"If you're going to stay, close up here for the day and go down to help Kenzi."

He smiled, "Will do, Boss! Just needed permission to close the shop. The vets have passwords to get in and out via the electronic locks now."

"We can track who comes and goes and what time, right?" Bo asked.

"No one gets in or out without the eye in the sky or the little keypad knowing." He pointed up at the security cameras that were now up and running, "Oh, and I had doggie cams installed to! They're mounted into the front of every crate. I'll show you how to access them later."

"Great. More technology to learn." She said, waving him off as she headed for the door once more, "Hike, Harper!"

He watched with a smile as the pair jogged through the exit before turning to see thirty-five dogs running, jumping and playing in the straw between the rows of crates. He was looking forward to building the outdoor area adjacent to the barn for them to be able to run and play in the snow in time for fall. But, for now, he would go see the head Vet and let them know he was locking up to go help Kenzi at the hotel.

 _ **Talkeetna Medical Clinic**_

"WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG!" Evony yelled at Bo as she entered through the cold room door to find Evony at the refrigerator pulling out a tray of small glass bottles.

"Evony, I have responsibilities at the kennel and Lauren understands that. I'm here now, so either continue to yell at me or put me to work."

"Fine." She said with a huff, "Follow me."

Bo followed behind Evony, laughing as she tapped her foot when Bo stopped to wash her hands and pull on some gloves. When Bo finished, she pointed to the examination table behind Lauren's. Bo leaned over and whispered in the blonde's ear,

"Sorry I'm late."

Lauren turned, her eyes wide, "Bo! When did you…"

"If I'd have known, I would have skipped my appointment with Tamsin."

She shook her head, "I didn't want you to miss that, Bo. She called earlier to see if I had any idea what time you'd be in and gave me just a hint that it was about your mom."

Bo nodded, "It was and we're a step closer, we think. Anyway, she's leaving to go back to her search, but still, she didn't need me to do that. I should have been here."

She looked up, her eyes scanning the room. Some people looked horrible, others looked fine, "So… this is insane."

Lauren nodded, "I'm just afraid we're going to run out of the antibiotic for the sick… or the vaccine for the healthy… or both."

"What is this, Lauren?"

The blonde sighed, "Have you ever heard of Legionnaire's Disease?"

"I vaguely recall hearing something on the news when I was a kid. It's in vents in hotels?"

"Well, that's one way it can be spread. It's an airborne illness which is why I'm wearing a mask…"

"…and why you'll be wearing one as well." Said Evony, handing Bo a mask which she put on without protest.

Lauren thanked Evony and continued, "Elise isn't sick because her mom kept her away from their water. Her dad must have figured it out but was too sick to pass on the information. I think all he was able to do was warn his wife not to drink the water. It was too late for her, but by telling Elise to eat only canned soup and stay away from her body fluids, she saved her daughter's life and gave me the missing pieces I needed to figure this out. The tests came back on the water, confirming the presence of what they're calling "The Alaskan Strain of the Legionella Bacterium".

"The Alaskan Strain?" Bo asked.

Lauren nodded, "These bacteria shouldn't be able to survive in this climate, but apparently its managed to mutate its little self into something that survives in our water."

Bo smiled hearing Lauren use the term 'our' as if she was now a resident of Alaska despite the fact that she was talking about a terrifying bacterium that could kill.

"I knew that some people were dying, and some people were not. That's when I first suspected it might be bacterial and not viral as I was previously led to believe."

Lauren turned to a healthy little girl sitting next to her mother on the exam table, "You'll just feel a little pinch and a sting, okay? It'll all be over in a second and then, you get your choice of those lollipops if it's okay with mom, alright?"

The little girl nodded, but her bottom lip was quivering. Lauren smiled as she pulled up the youngsters' sleeve about to talk when another young girl came bopping into the room with a lollipop in her mouth. She climbed up onto the table and sat on the other side of the little girl, smiling up at Lauren,

"Sorry I'm late for work. I had to finish reading Molly a story. She likes when I read to her." Elise smiled, her lips and tongue red from the lolly.

Lauren laughed, "I may have to dock your pay."

Elise frowned, "You said two lollies a day…"

"Uh… we don't discuss employee contracts in front of the patients."

Elise frowned as the mother of Lauren's current patient smiled, "Sorry, La… Doctor Lewis."

Lauren nodded, "Work now, pay later."

Elise turned to the little girl on the table and showed her the Powerpuff Girls bandage on her shoulder where she had gotten her vaccine,

"Do you know the Powerpuff Girls?"

The little girl nodded, her eyes on the needle that Lauren was loading from the vial of vaccine. Bo watched the scene unfold, learning how Lauren was administering the drug to the healthy patients. After a few moments of looking around, she had determined that the nurses were handling the sick.

Elise smiled, "My favorite is Blossom because she's so brave. Who's your favorite?"

"Blossom because she's brave." The little girl replied, sharing a smile with Elise.

"I got this because I was brave when Doctor Lewis gave me my shot."

"Will I get one?" The little girl asked, touching Elise's adhesive strip with her finger and then pulling her hand back, folding it into the other one on her lap.

Elise smiled, "Yup. If you want, you can choose other ones." Elise grabbed the plastic container with the strips in it, holding her patients' attention while the doctor lifted her sleeve up to reveal her shoulder, "There's SpongeBob and Bugs Bunny…"

"He's funny." The little girl giggled.

Elise nodded, "There's Winnie the Pooh and Scooby Doo…"

"Hey! You rhymed!"

Elise giggled, "I did." She looked back in the container, "There's Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse. I almost got a Mickey Mouse, but then I saw the Powerpuffs."

The little girl scratched her arm, then looked up at Lauren, "It itches."

Lauren smiled, "All done."

The little girl looked at her arm, seeing a small bit of blood which Lauren covered with an alcohol swab, pressing firmly,

"It didn't hurt. It just felt like an itch."

"That's because Doctor Valaria was distracting you."

The little girl turned to Elise, "You're a doctor?"

Elise giggled, "No, silly. Doctor Lewis was just joking. I'm the distructer…" She looked up at Lauren, "What am I called again?"

"You're the distractor. You make sure that my patients don't notice when I give the injection, so it doesn't hurt."

"Can I have my bandage now?" The little girl asked.

"Absolutely. Elise handles the bandages."

"Which one do you want?" Elise asked.

"Can I have the one you have?"

Elise smiled and nodded, "We can match! Like twins!"

She handed Lauren the adhesive strip and watched as the doctor applied it, "And now…" Lauren looked at the mom who nodded, "… you get your choice of lolly. Elise?"

"I like red, but there's all different colors."

"I'll have red too… or pink… or blue."

Elise laughed, "Well, you have to pick one."

The little girl looked at the red on Elise's lips, then looked at the lollies in the jar and finally said, "I'll have blue."

Her mom asked, "What do you say, Janie?"

"Please?" She smiled up at Lauren, her teeth showing as she spoke.

"Well, how can I possibly say no to such a polite little girl?" Lauren smiled, taking a blue lolly from the glass container, handing it to the child.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome, my brave little Janie." Lauren smiled, tweaking the little girls nose, causing her to giggle.

Bo watched, falling just a little more in love with the doctor in that moment. She had such a big heart and it was like there was room for everyone inside of it. Bo turned her attention to the interaction between the mother and daughter, the little girl watching intently as her mom took off the wrapper and handed it to her.

She smiled, saying, "Thank you, mommy."

"You're welcome, Sweetie."

Bo smiled at the sight. She remembered fondly the days when her mom would take her to the general store to get a bag of penny candy for special occasions. Lollipops were one of her favorites, but never too many or too often. There was definitely no shortage of sugary candy in the villages because of how cheap it was, but that caused many dental problems among the population. Bo's mom, however, had been adamant about the health of her daughter's teeth, so the brunette had grown up brushing, visiting the dental clinic and eating sugary treats only on special occasions.

She looked back to find Lauren gone, Elise as well. She smiled at the mother and daughter, "I think that's it for today."

Evony stepped up, "This is your discharge form. Please be sure to read the instructions carefully and call the number on the form if any of the potential side effects appear in the next forty-eight hours. Do you have access to a phone?"

The woman nodded, "Yes, we have a cell phone."

"Great. Doctor Lewis will want to see you both back here in two weeks just to do a little blood work to be sure that you're clear of the bacteria since we're unsure if you've been exposed."

Again, the mother nodded, "I was exposed at work and was sick for two weeks." She smoothed back her daughters hair, "I guess I was one of the lucky ones. Janie was exposed to me and several students at school. We'll stop back. I won't take any chances with her."

"I hate to ask, but we're required…" Evony smiled politely, "Is her father in your life or any other family members who may have contacted you?"

The mother shook her head, "No father, but both of my parents live with us. They were here earlier today with me. I waited until she was finished school to bring her over. I didn't want her to miss any more class time."

Evony smiled down at the little girl, "Do you like school, Janie?"

The youngster smiled, "I do. I like math."

Evony grinned, "Good girl. You work hard and maybe someday you'll be able to own your own hospital too."

"You own the hospital?"

Evony smiled, "I do."

"You're pretty."

"Well, thank you, little lady. That's quite the compliment coming from a little beauty like yourself."

"You think I'm pretty too?"

Evony smiled, "Of course. Beauty comes from all of that confidence and bravery you have inside of you. When you show people what a strong woman you are, they see the beauty before they're even close enough to see you."

"Huh?"

"You just remember what I said. You'll get it one day. Okay, off you go, urchin. We have other patients that need shots who aren't nearly as brave as you."

The little girl giggled with Evony and allowed her mom to pick her up from the table. When her feet hit the floor, she looked around the room before looking up at Evony,

"Where's Elise? I want to say goodbye to her and ask her if we can play together."

Evony turned to look at Bo, who smiled down at the little one, "She had to go help Doctor Lewis, but I'm sure she would love to play with you." Bo looked at her mom, "Elise is staying with Molly and Mark Morton."

She glanced at Evony who knelt down to ask Janie about her shoes to distract her while Bo and the mom stepped away,

"You're Greta Tyson, yes?"

"Uh… yes. I…"

Bo extended her hand, "I'm Bo Dennis. I know a lot of people in town, but between training my dogs for sled racing, my construction company and my work trapping game and fur for the local stores to keep our people fed and clothed, I've never had much time for socializing."

"Oh. I… well… you're… if you don't mind my saying, you're nothing like the way people have described you."

Bo shrugged, expecting much worse than that, "Thank you, I guess?"

"Oh, I didn't mean… I just…"

Bo laughed, "I'm not the crazed murderer you were told I was?"

The woman shook her head, "Well, when you put it that way, I feel like a real shit."

Bo smiled, placing a gentle hand on the woman's shoulder as she hung her head, "It's okay. I suppose keeping my distance and allowing… certain members of the community… to tell everyone who I was rather than speaking for myself didn't help my reputation any."

"Still, I've been teaching my daughter to be accepting and not to judge a book by its cover. I should take my own mothering advice."

Bo smiled, "Really, it's okay. Look, what I wanted you to know before you decide to bring Janie for a play date with Elise – which, by the way, would be incredible if you were on board – is that her Mom died just last night."

She finally spied the pair over in the corner by the cold room door and nodded that direction, "I think seeing you and Janie together reminded her that…"

"Oh, my. I'm so sorry."

"No, don't be. You should never be sorry that Janie still has her mom. What you should know is that Molly and Mark are fostering her. She's from up in Chase and has no other family. We're all going to be working to help her adjust to her new life here and… well, since we're all adults and the Morton's all have boys, a little girl playmate would be incredible."

Greta nodded, "I'd be happy to help. I live just a few blocks from the Molly and work up at the…"

"…Post Office, I know. I hate to rush off, but with Lauren handling Elise, I need to jump in here and administer some vaccines. Can you talk to Molly about setting up some time for them to be together during the summer?"

Greta nodded, "Of course! School's almost out, so we'll get them together. Is she going to register for school?"

Bo shrugged, "I'm not sure. You'll have to talk to Molly or Lauren about that."

"Thank you for explaining, Bo. It was really nice to meet you. Congratulations on the Iditarod win, by the way. I don't think Janie recognized you without a parka on. She had a poster of you in her room from the race this year. Her Uncle took pictures and had one blown up at the Kodak store. They had to hang it right away."

Bo smiled, "Well, maybe next time when I don't have gloves on, we'll have a proper meeting."

"Thank you. I'll get out of your hair now." She turned to Janie, "Come on, Janie. Let's go see Molly at the General Store."

Elise appeared, hesitating as she walked towards the little girl she'd just met. Greta knelt down, "Hi Elise. Did you want to see your patient before she goes?"

She looked up at Lauren who bent down and whispered in her ear, "If you want a new friend, now's the time."

She grinned at Lauren and walked to the woman, "I'm Elise Valaria. I live with Mark and Molly Morton. Do you know them? They're my…" she looked at Lauren who nodded. Elise turned back to the woman, "… they're my foster parents."

"Well, we happen to be going to Mark and Molly's General Store right now." She looked up at Lauren, "If you want, she can walk over with us if she's finished working for today."

Lauren smiled, looking at Elise, "We're just about finished here for today, so it's fine with me if you go with them, sweetie."

Elise turned back around, "My mommy taught me I shouldn't talk to strangers. I'll have to know your names so you're not strangers anymore."

Bo, Lauren and Greta had to purse their lips together to hold back the laughter as the youngest of them held out her hand and exclaimed,

"I'm Janie! I'm gonna be your bestest friend!"

Lauren's eyes welled with tears as Elise took the offered hand, "I'm Elise. I'd love to be your best friend."

Greta smiled, "Elise, I'm Ms. Tyson, but you can call me Greta if you'd like. I'm friends with Molly."

"So, you'll be like my Aunt?"

Greta smiled, "If you'd like to call me Aunt Greta, that would be fine."

Elise smiled up at Lauren, "I've never had an Aunt before."

"Well, you do now!" Lauren said, "Okay then, you scoot off with your Aunt Greta and best friend Janie while Bo and I get finished helping people get well."

"Bo?" Janie asked.

Bo smiled, "Yup. I'm Bo."

"Bo Dennis?"

Elise smiled, "She's an Iditarod Champion!"

"O.M.G.! I have your poster on my bedroom wall! You're awesome!" she looked at Elise, "She's awesome!"

Elise nodded, "I know! I have her poster too! I have a book about the Iditarod back at the store that talks all about all of the greatest woman mushers ever! Bo's in the book, too! Wanna go read it together?"

"Totally!"

The two joined hands and ran off together, Greta yelling, "Wait at the end of the line!"

She turned back to Bo and Lauren, "Thank you two so much. Janie's best friend moved to the lower forty-eight right after Christmas and her other friends live in Anchorage, so we don't get down there often with my work schedule. Daily train runs are too expensive for my wallet."

"I'm sure the two of them are going to be fast friends. It's win-win all around." Lauren smiled, "We really need to get back to these patients."

"Of course, I've taken up enough of your time. Thank you again."

"Be sure to read the discharge instructions."

Greta waved as she walked to the exit. Lauren turned to Bo, "Okay, so let's get you started. You already know how to fill a syringe. I've seen you do it with your dogs. Just remember to expel any air before injecting…"

"So I don't kill someone with a pulmonary embolism. Got it. I watched you with Janie. Intramuscular shoulder injection. I just need the dosage and a look at the discharge instructions. I take it I'm handling the healthy?"

Lauren nodded, "You and I are handling the healthy since we know everyone. The nurses are handling the sick. My intake nurses from Boston flew in as volunteers last night. I trust them to handle the sick."

She pulled out the dosage sheet and handed it to Bo, "The dosage corresponds to body weight just like it does for your dogs. Their body weight will be on the intake form they'll be holding."

She turned back towards her table, but stopped and turned around, "Just so you're aware, my nursing staff volunteered to help. They flew in last night and surprised me this morning."

"That was nice of them. I'm glad you have such a great support group, Lauren." Bo replied.

"Yup. They're great, however, what I want you to know specifically is that as soon as they walked in the door, I was bombarded with questions. Apparently, Nadia has a bigger mouth than I knew. They want to know who you are and are demanding to have drinks with us tonight."

"Do you always hang out with your nurses?" Bo asked, immediately deciding that what she had planned could wait if Lauren wanted to go out with her nurses. Besides, it would give Bo a chance to meet more people from Lauren's world.

"No, but they don't understand boundaries very well. They've decided since they've volunteered to help me, the least I can do is be their personal tour guide."

"Well, whatever you decide, I'll do. If you want to hide out and avoid them, I can help you with that as well. Just let me know what you want to do." Bo cringed, realizing that she just made the assumption that Lauren would want her around, "And if you want me to make myself scarce…" she chuckled, "…I can be the mysterious love interest that Nadia spoke of and you can deny the whole thing."

Lauren chuckled, "That could be fun too. But there's only one problem with that."

"What's that?"

The doctor shrugged, finishing up organizing Bo's tray before waving the next patients forward, "I'd miss you too much. They're here for five weeks."

"Five weeks?"

Lauren nodded, "Don't worry. I plan to give them drinks tonight – if I don't keel over first, then weekend tourist stuff. I haven't seen half of the stuff yet either."

Bo nodded, "They can't complain about weekends with Doctor Lewis. That should fit the bill."

It was Lauren's turn to cringe, "Bo, I don't mean I won't be seeing you on weekends. I'm just saying a few hours here and there, not every weekend."

"It's fine, Lauren. Like I said, whatever you need." Bo turned to see Kurt coming to her table, "Hey, Kurt. How's the plane flying after last night."

"All good, Bo. Did three trips with the vaccines today, so decided after being around all of those sick people, I'd better come in and get the vaccine myself."

"Good idea." She checked his chart for his weight, then checked the dosage sheet before drawing the correct amount of the drug into the syringe. She raised his shirt sleeve, swabbing the area with an alcohol swab before administering a perfect injection."

"Wow. I barely felt a thing. You're good, Bo." He smiled as she recorded the vaccine on his chart and handed it back to him.

"Head over to the nurse and she'll handle your check out. Make sure you get the post-vaccine instructions. It's really important that you read them so you know what to look for should you have an adverse reaction. There's a phone number on there to call if you have any issues."

Kurt hopped off the table, pulling down his sleeve and picking up his coat, "Thanks, Bo." He waved to Lauren, "See you soon, Doc. I'm in town at the hotel if you need anything else."

Lauren shook her head, "Get some rest, Kurt. You've been flying for eight straight hours. You need to rest."

"For sure." He smiled, walking to the nurses' station where Bo noticed a cute little blonde who was smiling at her friend.

Bo nodded to Lauren's patient as he stood from the table and gave her a smile. She leaned over and whispered to the doctor,

"Did you hear? I give great needle."

Lauren laughed, "I heard."

"Who's the cute little blonde at the nurses' station?"

Lauren looked up and smiled, "Why? You interested?"

Bo crossed her arms over her chest, staring at the nurse for a while, "Hmmm… well, she's blonde and I seem to like blondes. She works in medicine, so she could probably do well with the dogs. I guess I'd have to try her out with sledding, bedding and…"

She stopped when she felt the hard slap on her shoulder, "What?"

"You may just find yourself sleeping alone tonight if you're not careful."

Bo smirked, "You mean I'm not sleeping alone tonight?"

"It sounded like you were planning to sleep with my nurse."

Bo tilted her head, looking around the counter, "Nah. Her ass isn't near good enough for me and her tits are too big."

"Too big?" Lauren asked, "I think they're pretty perky."

Bo shrugged, "More than a mouthful's a waste, darlin'."

Lauren slapped her again, "You're gross."

Bo laughed, "You don't seem to mind my mouth on yours and they do fit perfectly in my mouth."

"Shhh. Someone will hear you."

"We're completely alone. Call for the next patients. I want to get out of here sometime before midnight."

"Okay, let's make a wager here. We'll each call our own patients. No one bleeds, gets embolized or otherwise maimed. The one who administers more vaccines before the line is gone wins."

"And what do they win?"

"Anything they want."

"Anything?"

"Anything." Lauren winked, "I mean, within reason." She lowered her head, "You can't ask for things like me not going back to Boston."

Bo shook her head, "Did you have to mention it?"

Lauren's shoulders dropped, "I just wanted to be sure you knew I didn't mean…"

"I know, Lauren. I know."

The doctor nodded in response, regretting bringing up the topic. Last night, Bo had mentioned that she brought it up all the time. Now, she realized the brunette was right. She really did bring it up all the time. Bo didn't need a reminder of what was sure to be a heartbreaking time in her life. It was going to be hard for her to leave as well. Maybe she was just bringing it up because she was trying to remind herself she was leaving. Was that so that she didn't allow herself to get in too deep with Bo? Truly, it wasn't just Bo. It was LJ, the dogs, Molly, Mark, Tosh, Kenzi, Kurt and now there was Elise to consider. She sighed, looking back up at Bo who had quietly resumed giving injections.

She waved to her nurse and prepped the next vaccine. Maybe she was the one who should be meeting with Doctor Gray. No, that was Bo's person now. She would work it through and if she needed someone to talk to, she would call Dr. Archer. He would set her straight.

For now, she had vaccines to administer. She looked up to see Kelly looking her way. She turned her attention to the patient, inviting them to sit atop the examination table. The younger nurse had often made her feel a bit uncomfortable with her forward nature. Shannon and Carolyn were both more level-headed and professional when on duty, but while on a break in the hospital cafeteria, they had made it clear that Lauren have a straightforward conversation with Kelly if she was bothering her. They were looking out for their friend, not wanting her to have a sexual harassment suit brought against her, but Lauren never did. She would rather put up with the comments than have to confront her about that discomfort. She would never file a suit because that would bring even more unwanted attention to her.

After giving the injection and post-visit care instructions, Lauren sent the patient on the way and waved another over. She glimpsed Kelly's way again, only to see her eyes were still set on her despite patients waiting to check out. She pointed to the line, watching as the woman became flustered, her cheeks turning pink at being caught administering sub-par care to patients. It was well-known that Lauren did not tolerate breech of her 'patient first' rule.

She sighed, satisfied that Kelly would not allow it to happen again. They were all well aware that Evony had sent Nadia home for distracting Lauren. They were forewarned by Evony when they volunteered that Lauren had established a rhythm here that she wanted to maintain, so they would either go with the flow or be sent back on the first available flight.

She looked over her shoulder to see Bo quietly working to administer vaccines as quickly as possible, though she now feared it was more to escape the clinic and Lauren as quickly as she could and not to win the fun bet that she had proposed before she'd ruined the atmosphere. She silently cursed herself once more for being such a hard ass with Bo before plastering a fake smile on her face and turning to her next patient.

 _ **Ninety Minutes Later, The Clinic…**_

"Okay, Doctor Lewis. Everything is cleaned up, the remaining vaccines are in the fridge, the med cabinets are all locked, the alarms are set on the interior and the outside doors are all locked except for the cold room door. Of course, you'll have to explain to us what the cold room is."

Lauren nodded, finishing up her paperwork and filing it in a folder in her desk drawer. She stood and locked her filing cabinet before moving to her safe where she worked through the combination, locking the key and a few other files inside. She turned back to Carolyn, offering a smile. She was grateful for her presence here. Back home, she was her top staff nurse. Everything ran like clockwork when Carolyn was on shift. Shannon was also here who was the best intensive coronary care nurse she'd ever worked with both in and out of the operating room. Kelly was general patient care of the coronary care unit and she was excellent, but she was young and had a lot to learn – personally as well as professionally. Under Carolyn and Shannon, Lauren was sure she would one day be a top nurse, but for now, she allowed Carolyn to handle Kelly.

"I've also taken the liberty of ordering another one hundred doses, due to arrive tomorrow by noon if the weather holds – whatever that means."

Lauren smiled, "The weather is a bit unpredictable this time of year, so planes can fly as long as there are no major weather anomalies. No worries. I think we have enough of the vaccine." She walked to her desk, "I just can't tell you how much it means that you and Shannon came here. I know how much you love your jobs back in Boston and…"

Carolyn waved her off as Shannon approached, "Doctor Lewis, we wanted to come, really." The pair looked at each other, "And we mean we really, really, really wanted to come."

Shannon added, "And by that we mean we wanted to get as far away from work in Boston as possible."

Lauren shook her head, "Nadia?"

"Doctor Anastas has decided to stay in Boston since she believes you will be staying in Alaska because of this Bo woman."

Before Lauren had a chance to interject, Carolyn was on top of it,

"Doctor Lewis, I assure you, we are not making any assumptions about what we realize must be a very new relationship… if you're even calling it a relationship."

Shannon spoke again, "Just know that there really is no reason to thank us. We wanted to come because we want to work for you."

Lauren was confused, "But don't you want to stay in Boston where you have friends and family?"

Shannon laughed, "Our friends and family are all over the map, Doctor Lewis. We came to Boston as a halfway point so that we could spend time together… you know… to be sure."

"To be sure you wanted to be in a big city? In Boston?"

The pair looked at each other and laughed before joining hands and holding them up, "To be sure we wanted a life together."

Lauren's eyes went wide, "Oh my… I'm such an ass! I never even… I'm so sorry I never… wow." Lauren sat back in her chair, the two women now concerned.

Shannon spoke first, "Doctor Lewis? Are you okay?"

She chuckled, "I'm learning a great deal about how spending your life trying to fit the mold of strong woman and top doctor can turn you into a self-centered, inconsiderate asshole if you're not careful."

The pair looked at each other, taking a seat in the patient chairs opposite her desk. Carolyn asked, "Is there something you want to talk about?"

She looked up at the pair and shrugged, "Oh, what the hell." She laughed, "I've worked very hard to keep the two of you at arm's length because I thought it meant I was being professional."

Shannon laughed, "We did try to get you out for happy hour many times."

Lauren smiled, nodding, "You did and I'm starting to question the wisdom of my choices." She leaned forward in her chair, placing her elbows on the desktop, "I've been so worried about being professional, that I never once asked either of you about how your personal lives were despite mine being on display for you every day. As a matter of fact, you were sometimes the intermediaries that kept my marriage together. You made sure I made it to dinner on time, made it home on time, remembered birthdays and anniversaries."

She shook her head, "All this time, I had no idea the two of you were even dating let alone in a relationship."

They smiled, Carolyn holding up her hand, "Well, we're engaged now."

Lauren's face lit up, "Oh that's fabulous! Two of my favorite people in the world are in love and getting married! Congratulations!"

The doctor made her way around the desk to give the two of them a group hug. She pulled back, tears filling her eyes,

"I'm so very happy for you."

They smiled, Carolyn replying, "We decided together that wherever you work, we will work. We adore you and adore working for you, Doctor Lewis."

"More importantly, you provide an excellent work environment, you run a tight ship which we both like, you care passionately about your patients, you're always looking for new ways to treat them and… well, you're absolutely amazing at finding ways to save people when most doctors would give up. You have integrity, compassion and… well, let's face it… you're scary smart."

The couple laughed, before turning back to Lauren, "In our profession, we work fourteen to sixteen-hour days. That leaves only the ten to eight hours we're supposed to have fun and sleep…"

"…Usually sleep…"

Carolyn nodded, "Usually sleep. Anyway, we figure if we have to spend most of our lives at a hospital, we'd better be doing something we love while working with someone we love and for someone we love to work with and for. After working these last months with… she who shall not be named…" they giggled, "We've decided that here is where we want to be until you decide we're going elsewhere."

Lauren's eyes brimmed with tears as she replied, "I'm… honored."

Shannon smiled, placing a hand on Lauren's shoulder, "And we're honored to work with you. You've taught us so much."

Carolyn laughed, "Hell, we couldn't believe you took us on when we were rookies right out of our doctoral programs."

Lauren nodded, "Yea, I really wish they would fix that system. They have nurses' doing practical experiences when they're still in undergrad but there's not really a teaching program through the new masters and doctoral programs. I'd love to do something about that down the road."

Shannon agreed, "We're on board with that. I can't tell you how many times we told each other we should have practiced something in school before having to work with you. You were like our personal tutor half the time in our first year."

"Sadly, that is the case with most nurses who come onto my staff. Just look at Kelly."

Carolyn shook her head, "We can't! She's already got a date. That girl is a piece of work!"

Lauren shuddered at the thought, "Oh? Who did she go on a date with?"

"Somebody who works with dogs and planes and… well, it sounds like a lot of stuff." Carolyn replied.

Shannon laughed, "Sounds like a jack of all trades, master of none?"

Wow. And here she thought Bo was just pretending about being attracted to Kelly. She could feel her cheeks flush as the anger rose within her… no, not anger… jealousy. Did she even have a right to be jealous? She's hurt the brunette again. Why did she have to keep twisting the knife on the Boston topic? Oddly enough, knowing that Carolyn and Shannon were willing to come here to work for her made her feel like maybe… just maybe… she could make Alaska her home.

Carolyn shrugged, "Still can't believe she went out with a dong."

Shannon laughed, "I still can't believe she's not sitting here trying to look sexy for Doctor Lewis."

That caught Lauren's attention, "What?"

"Oh, come on. You have to know she has a crush on you." Carolyn chuckled.

"No, I meant about the dong."

"Dong as in penis?" Carolyn replied as Shannon explained further to the confused doctor,

"We're saying that we can't believe that Kelly went out with a guy since she's always talking about you. I mean, we know she goes both ways, but… well, here you are and… she's actually gone off to fly the friendly skies with some guy. I mean, he's cute and all, but…"

"He was hanging around the nurses' station telling her about how he was flying the vaccine to all of the various towns along the river from Chase to the Aleutian Islands. Of course, we have no idea where all of that is, but it sounded impressive enough."

Lauren nodded, "It's very impressive. He delivered that vaccine to over twenty different clinics in just a few hours and a couple of flights doing refuels along the way. He did the whole thing on a cooler full of peanut butter and jelly, lemonade and water."

Lauren smiled, thinking of how he had just offered himself up to be her personal delivery boy, desperate to make sure that no other child suffered the fate that Elise had. He's been playing with the young girl early in the morning before Lauren had arrived at the clinic,

"His name is Kurt. He's a really good man. If Kelly wants to date a guy, she couldn't do much better around here. There's something to be said for giving a fair shake to the people who appear to be what we would call 'blue collar workers' back home. Alaska is a very different way of life, one the two of you need to experience for more than five weeks if you want to truly make the choice to stay here. I've been here for almost half of my contracted stay and I'm still not ready to make a decision about staying or going."

Shannon frowned, "So you may be going back?"

Lauren nodded, "I'm definitely going back after the year is up."

"But what about this Bo woman?" Carolyn asked.

"Bo knows and understands that I need to go back home to be sure this is what I really want."

Shannon's brow knit together, "I don't understand, Doctor Lewis…"

"Please, can you just call me Lauren when we're off duty? It will be really weird to have the two of you calling me doctor every minute we're together."

The couple nodded, as Shannon continued, "Okay then, Lauren. How is it that you can't just compare the life you've lived for a decade with the one you're living here and now? I don't understand what going back to Boston will tell you that you don't already know."

Lauren shrugged, "I don't know. That's why I have to go back."

She wasn't lying. She really didn't know why she felt like she had to go back. She just did. She could only hope that when she landed in Boston that she would figure it out. For now, she was here, and she'd hurt the woman she loved. She had made a promise to be better with her and she wasn't. She wanted to call her.

"So, what are your plans for this evening?" Lauren asked, changing the subject.

"How about that drink with Bo?"

Lauren smiled, nodding her head, "Well, I'm not sure if you noticed the woman who came in to volunteer? She was giving injections behind me."

The couple looked at each other, each shaking their heads, "We had our hands pretty full with the patients in the clinic rooms. So, where is she?"

Lauren shrugged, "Well, me being me, I sort of… well, I screwed up… again. I'm finding this relationship thing difficult."

Carolyn smiled, "Let me guess. You feel like you're repeating how things went with Nadia all over again. You're worried that your relationship with Bo will meet an untimely death just like your relationship with Nadia did. Getting warm?"

Lauren slumped back in her chair, throwing up her arms before allowing them to land on the armrests, "I just don't know how to do relationships. I had a few flings in college, met Nadia, settled down, got married and that's it. I had planned to be single for a very long while… you know, do some experiments to learn a little more about relationships…"

"Gawd, Lauren. Listen to yourself. Relationships aren't lab work. Bo isn't some experiment!"

Carolyn snapped, "Shannon! Go easy. She's still our boss."

Lauren shook her head, "No, Carolyn. It's okay. She's right. I'm just…"

"Confused?" Carolyn asked.

Lauren nodded, "Like I said, I was with Nadia for a long time and everything I did with her was wrong."

"No, Nadia was wrong. You were very accommodating… all the fucking time." Shannon said, before adding, "Sorry. But, dammit, Lauren… she treated you like her servant from our perspective. Lauren, don't forget dinner with my parents at six. Don't be late, you know how Dad hates it when you're late. Lauren, don't forget we're going out with Leslie and Samantha tonight. Make sure you get a couple of hours sleep so you're not moping in a booth over your beer leaving me on the dance floor by myself."

Carolyn added, "Then there were the numerous threats such as, Lauren, I swear if you're not home for dinner tonight, I'll leave you and take everything we own."

Shannon added, "And my personal favorite, Lauren, if you don't start focusing as much time on me as you do on your patients, I'm going to tell Evony we're leaving Boston for some backwoods place where you won't have as many patients to deal with."

Lauren shook her head, "I'd forgot about that."

"No, you'd grown accustomed to being treated like that, Lauren."

Shannon laughed, "Actually, you were quite skilled at tuning her out. We got more pissed than you did. It was almost like you had headphones in while she yapped away in your ear. I could never understand why she went into medicine. She doesn't seem to even care about her patients."

Lauren smiled, nodding her head, "She sure likes the money and all of the things that go with it."

The doctor chuckled, thinking of Bo and how she has always lived. Nadia was focused on having things and Bo was focused on having as little as possible. It was truly ironic.

"Lauren?" Carolyn asked, concern on her face once again.

The doctor looked up, "I was just thinking about why I'm so attracted to Bo. She doesn't want or need anything from me. She just wants me... time with me or, more specifically, whatever time we each have to give to each other outside of our jobs, friends and loved ones. More importantly, she doesn't want money to buy stuff unless that stuff benefits her dogs or the business she's trying to build for LJ. She has a litter of puppies that are probably worth close to ten thousand dollars apiece and she's given one to each member of her family as well as a little girl who was a total stranger to her until last night."

The two women stood, smiling at each other before Carolyn spoke, "Sounds just like someone else we know."

Lauren looked up at the two, "What?"

"Compassionate, quality time oriented, generous with time and money, caring, loves life albeit of the canine variety but we consider that a plus, and she's accepting of your job."

Lauren nodded, "All true."

Shannon shrugged, "So our work is done here. Let's go drink."

Lauren stood, "Okay if I call Bo? I'm not sure she'll come, but we can try."

Carolyn nodded, "We'd love to have her."

"Here, give me your phone."

"What? No." Lauren replied.

Shannon shook her head, "Trust me, Lauren."

Carolyn laughed, "Yea, trust her, Lauren. She's been in this situation before because like you, she was once an…"

"Idiot." Shannon interrupted.

Carolyn, "I wasn't going to be that harsh."

"It's okay. It's true." She turned to Lauren, "I was an idiot and I was afraid."

"What changed it for you?"

Carolyn laughed again, "Believe it or not, my ex."

"Your ex helped Shannon?"

Carolyn nodded, "She did."

"I had brought up a bad subject at the wrong time… I had really, really bad timing and serious foot in mouth disease back then."

"We affectionately refer it to her 'young and dumb' phase." Carolyn laughed.

"Anyway, Carolyn was pissed and I was pretty sure she was done with me. Her ex had called to chat. They had actually become friends after their breakup which was always a source of jealousy for me… but that wasn't what this was about. Anyway, her ex, Janet, called me and I didn't answer, so she drove over to my house."

"She was determined to make you see my side."

Shannon nodded, "And she only became more determined when she came into my house. Anyway, we talked for a while, then she called Carolyn and asked her to meet me at this bar where we used to hang out. Carolyn agreed and the two of us met, my ex bringing her new girlfriend. They were a good buffer to get us talking. Sure it was tense at first, but eventually we made it on to the dance floor where we basically kissed and made up."

The pair joined hands, remembering the night after the bar. It was quite the make-up session, but Lauren didn't need to hear that. They just wanted to give her hope.

"Phone?" Shannon asked, extending her hand to Lauren.

The doctor relented, "It feels so fifth grade."

"Perfect. Evony told us Bo didn't go to school past fifth grade."

Lauren's eyes went wide, "That is not true! She went to high school and from there, went to the school of trial and error… a school none of us would have survived."

Carolyn laughed, "Defensive of her girlfriend's honor."

Shannon smiled, holding the phone up to her ear, "A very good sign."

" _Lauren, I don't think I want to talk right now."_

"Hi! Bo? This is Shannon, one of Lauren's nurses? We're looking for a bar to go to that is… well, let's say accepting of a same-sex engagement party. Lauren doesn't seem to know any bars that fit the bill, so we thought we'd call on the native Alaskan to help us out tonight. What do you say? Will you come out with a couple of strangers who just got engaged and help us celebrate?"

" _Will Lauren be there?"_

"Yup. You won't be a fifth wheel in the party."

There was silence on the line for a long moment before Shannon spoke again, "Bo? Don't mean to rush you, but we have to be back at the clinic tomorrow at eleven, so we want to get going. If you're not going to take us, we'll just have to go back to the hotel, eat more of Kenzi's food and then celebrate in your apartment. I hope you weren't planning to stay there tonight."

" _As a matter of fact, I was just sitting her talking to Kenzi over a beer."_

"I get it."

" _You do?"_

"Give me a second to step away from the crowd." Shannon replied, winking at her fiancé.

She walked across the clinic, leaving Lauren to fidget in her seat. She looked over her shoulder, making sure she was out of ear shot before she spoke to Bo again,

"She's upset with herself, Bo. She didn't give us the details of your argument, she just told us she screwed up again."

" _That's fine… whoever you are…"_

"Shannon."

" _Okay, Shannon. But I think I just want some space tonight."_

"So, she hurts you and now you don't give her a chance to apologize? You just spend time apart and then have hours of awkward silence tomorrow until one of you finally starts an apology that I'm sure from personal experience, will become a shouting match. Hopefully, you make up, but not until both of you say things that you'll regret and will plant just a small seed of doubt in each of your minds making it even more difficult for you to create the foundation for a relationship that will last."

 _She heard Bo sigh, "Are you a shrink?"_

"What? No! I'm Lauren's number one O.R. nurse."

" _And you're cheering for me to be with Lauren? You know that I'm a nothing, right? I don't even have a high school diploma. I've lived off grid most of my life and have nothing to my name."_

"And all of that is what makes you perfect for Lauren. Look, I haven't met you yet, but I know you left work today to help Lauren administer vaccines. I know you can stand up to Evony. I know that Lauren just stood up for you when I took a cheap shot at your character."

" _She stood up for me?"_

"Knocked me right off my high horse. All I'm saying is that if you want Lauren, you should come out tonight and forgive her, Bo. My fiancé Carolyn and I watched her have a real breakthrough about the differences between you and Nadia. I think she not only knows she loves you, but I think she now knows why she loves you… why you're good for her."

" _You're not just trying to get my hopes up?"_

Shannon shrugged, "Hell, I hope all of our hopes are up. Look, Bo… Carolyn and I work for Lauren because we love working for her and everything she stands for. We've traveled to Alaska to work for her and are committed to following her wherever her career takes her because when you have to work as many hours a day as we do, you'd better do it with a great boss. We're staying here as long as she'll have us and Evony has agreed to it. Lauren will have five nurses on staff and an additional doctor… you have Carolyn to thank for that. She's Lauren's number one staff nurse. If you want something done with Evony, my girl can usually make it happen."

" _Carolyn gets what she wants from Evony?"_

"No, Carolyn gets what anyone wants from Evony. She knows numbers better than anyone in that hospital and that includes making sense of what's best for the hospital budget. Somehow, she's able to speak Evony's language."

" _Wow. Does she give lessons?" Bo chuckled._

"Come out and meet us, Bo. We really want to meet you and Lauren really wants to see you. Take her out on the dance floor for a spin, let her apologize, kiss and make up, have a drink or two and have some fun with the three Bostonians."

 _Bo smiled into the phone, "Okay. Can you meet me down at the hotel?"_

"That's perfect because Carolyn and I definitely need a shower to wash the day away."

" _Actually, can you guys do me a favor and shower at Lauren's apartment? Tell Lauren the hot water heater is busted at Kenzi's or something?"_

"What's wrong with the water?"

" _Please don't tell Lauren. It will ruin her evening. She'll be on the phone with the Board of Health all night long. It's all under control. The other doctor and two of the other nurses are here. It's all fine."_

"Bo? What's happening? I don't know if I can keep that from Lauren."

" _Please? This guy came in and said that bacteria is in the water here at the hotel. They've set up some kind of blue light thing near the well and something about seventy-two hours or something as well as a treatment protocol?"_

"Bo, I have to tell Lauren." Shannon replied, looking over her shoulder to make sure that Carolyn was keeping the doctor occupied so she wasn't listening.

" _Please, Shannon, I'm begging you."_

"Bo, please understand, she's my boss and my friend. Anything that has to do with you… well, I just can't keep it from her. I will try to assure her that everything is being handled, but you know she'll want to investigate herself."

" _I know and that's the problem. It'll be midnight before we go out."_

Shannon shook her head, "Not true. We have a secret weapon."

" _We do?"_

"Carolyn is just as good with Doctor Lewis as she is with Evony."

 _Bo grinned, "Okay then, I'm going to trust you on that."_

"Prepare to learn, Bo. Carolyn is going to show you her method for difficult Lauren's."

" _I may have to figure out how to work my phone camera so that I can videotape it and learn."_

Shannon laughed, "We'll be down to the hotel as soon as we've showered and changed out of our scrubs."

" _See you then."_

"Thanks, Bo."

" _No, Shannon. Thank you."_

Shannon ended the call and then walked back to the two women who were anxiously awaiting news of her call. She sat down in the chair,

"We're on and she's looking forward to it. We're meeting her at the hotel and she's driving. Lauren, we have to shower here because of a water issue at the hotel. You go first because you're the fastest, Carolyn will go next because she's the next fastest and I'll go last because it will make me move faster since there will be hardly any hot water left."

"What's wrong with the water?" Lauren asked.

"I'll explain while Carolyn's in the shower. Go! Hurry! Your girl is waiting." Shannon smiled.

Lauren smiled in reply, running off excitedly to her loft apartment over the clinic. When she was out of sight, Shannon turned to her fiancé,

"Okay, so the bacteria got into the well at the hotel. The Board of Health has apparently been there a good part of the day harassing Kenzi about it. She's overbooked with no useable water source. Bo said they've set up some sort of blue light at the well…"

"U.V. system to kill the bacteria."

Shannon nodded, "I'm sure. They've shut down her water for seventy-two hours including another treatment protocol which Bo seems in the dark about."

"Water shut down also means hotel shut down. Where is she supposed to send all of her guests?"

Shannon shrugged, "I don't know, but what I do know is that I promised Bo that you would be able to convince Lauren to go out with us and not stay at the hotel all night fixing Kenzi's problem."

"Well, there's nothing Lauren could do there anyway."

Shannon shook her head, "You know how she gets, Carolyn. Bo's right about one thing. Lauren will be on the phone with the Board of Health all night long trying to figure out a way to keep Kenzi open for business."

Carolyn nodded, "Do you have the number for the hotel?"

"I stored it in my phone before we flew out. Why?"

Carolyn smiled, "You shower next so Lauren can't ask you questions. I'm calling the hotel to find out what's going on and get Kenzi's perspective. Then I'm going to call our buddy back in Boston and get him to call the Board of Health here."

Shannon leaned down and kissed her lips, "And that is why I love you. My brain just doesn't work like yours."

"Okay! Who's next?"

They turned to see Lauren coming down the steps, carrying a hair dryer and brush. She was wearing a white blouse and dark jeans with a pair of boots, "I'll dry my hair down here so you guys can have the apartment."

"Thanks!" Shannon replied, dragging Carolyn with her, explaining from the corner of her mouth, "You can make your calls in private."

 _ **Outside Talkeetna Hotel, 30 minutes later**_

Shannon and Carolyn were freezing, not to mention surprised that Lauren seemed almost unaffected by the temperature. They hurried to the hotel entrance, only to have the door blocked by Lauren. She turned to face the two,

"Maybe this is a bad idea. Maybe Bo's changed her mind. I explicitly said something I promised never to say again until I went back to Bos… damn… I said it again!"

Shannon shook her head. She was freezing and Carolyn was shivering, "Lauren, you need to go in there. Apparently, there's a problem with the water. The Board of Health…"

That was all Shannon was able to say before the blonde was opening the door and entering the hotel.

Carolyn giggled, "There she goes, guns a blazing."

Shannon laughed, "I had to do something. She was ready to head for the hills."

Carolyn nodded, watching Lauren push through the crowd who were no doubt questioning why they couldn't use the water, "Damn she's hot when she's playing the doc in charge."

"Agreed." Shannon replied, "But you'll be just as hot when you talk her down to earth and get her out to the bar tonight before Bo kicks my ass for telling her."

"Right. Let's go save your ass." Carolyn smiled, slapping Shannon's butt, "Because it's a mighty fine ass."

Lauren marched right up to the bar, looking at Bo for a quick second before calling to the owner, "Kenzi? What's going on? What are they trying to do to you?"

"Bo! I told you not to worry her!"

Lauren looked at Bo who looked at Shannon who looked at Carolyn for help. The level-headed one in the group spoke,

"Hi Kenzi. Shannon was talking to Bo earlier and suggested that we take showers at Lauren's. It was strange since we're staying here, so Bo sort of had to explain why we couldn't shower here. The doctor became suspicious, so we sort of gave her a little heads up about a water problem and we might have let slip about the Board of Health having been here, so…"

Kenzi waved them off, nodding, "I barely understood anything other than Lauren knows about the board of health." The young hotel owner couldn't worry about that right now. She didn't want to upset her guests who were already being displaced... into the center of the restaurant, apparently. There were already enough upset guests around here and if word spread outside of the hotel about her having bad water, her business was going under.

Lauren watched as Kenzi grew quiet, sliding a folder down the bar to Lauren. The blonde smiled,

"What's this?"

Kenzi shrugged, "Some report, the suspension of water use, and a bunch of other legal stuff that caused my brain to boil over about an hour ago." She planted her head on the bar, "Arrgghh! I cannot believe this is happening when I finally have a completely overbooked hotel this early in June!"

Lauren sighed, "Just give me a second to look at this."

Shannon looked at Carolyn who was nervously watching her phone while Lauren read the reports. Carolyn was hoping her contacts would come through before Lauren started working through her contacts. She hinted to her fiancé to look at Bo and when Shannon did, she gave a sympathetic look, whispering to Carolyn,

"Awww. She's like a little lost puppy. I can't believe Lauren didn't even say hello."

Carolyn nodded, whispering back, "Business mode."

"Are you going to say anything to her?" Shannon asked.

"Can you distract Bo?"

Shannon nodded, "I'm on it. There's a table in the corner over by the window. It looks like Kenzi's still serving alcohol, so we can at least have a beer."

"You get on that and I'll try to distract Lauren from calling while I try to find a delicate way to make her aware of how she treated Bo when she walked in."

The pair stacked both of their hands between them and whispered, "Go team!", before pulling their hands up and over their heads.

Shannon headed for Bo and Carolyn slid onto the stool next to Lauren at the end of the bar.

"Are you Bo?" Shannon asked.

She nodded, "Shannon?"

Shannon smiled, extending her hand, "It's very nice to connect a face with a voice. Wow. You're really beautiful."

"Uh… right… nice to meet you to." Bo replied, looking nervously towards the woman sitting next to Lauren, "Is that your…"

"Carolyn, my fiancé, yes."

"I don't want any trouble with her…"

Shannon laughed, "Relax, Bo. We point out attractive women to each other all the time. We may be in love and about to commit to a lifetime together, but we're very open about what we like whether it be furniture, the latest mixed drink we've tried, a man with a nice body or a hot woman."

"Wow, that's so… mature."

Shannon smiled, "I guess so. We just don't see the point in trying to hide attraction. This world plasters pictures of beautiful women everywhere. There's no sense in denying what we see. It's fun. We make a game out of it, sort of like hunting for state license plates on road trips."

"Huh?"

"State license plates? When you're driving down the highway, you try to find license plates from all fifty states… and Canada, of course."

Bo nodded, "Oh. I've never… well, I've only driven Alaskan roads and most of the plates are…"

"Alaskan?"

Bo shrugged, "Yup."

"There's a table over there in the corner with four chairs. Should we go over there while Lauren and her right hand get Kenzi's mess straightened out?"

Bo stood and followed Shannon, "I guess we might as well order dinner and drinks here. I doubt Lauren will be free tonight."

Shannon shook her head, "I promised you we were on it and we are. Carolyn has already made some calls to her contacts in Boston. She's just waiting for the call to come that they've spoken to Lauren's CDC contacts who would be calling the Board of Health officials here in Alaska. If worse comes to worse, this isn't such a bad place to hang out."

Shannon looked at the reserved sign on the table, "Crap. It's reserved."

Bo smiled, "Have a seat."

"But…"

"This is my table. It's always reserved for me or my designees. Currently, that will be you, Carolyn, Lauren or anyone in my family or friend circle."

"Wow. You've got clout, woman."

Bo waved Kenzi over to the table as she replied, "The owner is my bestie. She feeds me and I do all of the handy work around the hotel."

"You're a handyman?"

Bo shrugged, "Woman… I know, it sounds weird to say handywoman. Anyway, I own a construction company."

"You own…" Shannon shook her head, "Sorry, Nadia told everyone you were…"

Bo put up her hand, "I'd rather not know, honestly."

"This sucks, BoBo!" Bo's bestie exclaimed, her hands in the air. She threw a towel over her shoulder and planted her hands on her hips, "What am I going to do?"

"First, you're going to sit and calm down, Kenzi. Take a load off for a few minutes and just breathe."

"I hope Lauren can do something. I don't understand why they won't let me carry in water to fill our tanks! Hell, half the villages in Alaska do it. You did it your entire life! You still are!"

Bo looked quickly up at Shannon to see the look of shock on her face, but she ignored it, keeping her focus on her best friends' needs,

"Be patient, Kenzi. You know if anyone can do anything about it, Lauren will. Besides, we have a secret weapon tonight."

"A secret weapon? What, is Tamsin planning on holding Mr. Peabody over there at gunpoint?"

Shannon cut in, "Wait. The guy from the Board of Health is still here?"

Kenzi sighed, "His plane doesn't come until morning, so apparently he will be monitoring the activity at the hotel until then… closely. His words, not mine."

Shannon shook her head, laughing, "To make sure you don't use the water."

"Precisely. I jokingly put my hand on the faucet earlier and he pulled out his little pad of paper. I had to yell across the bar that I was just kidding. He decided to yell back that putting people's lives at risk isn't a joke. That's when all hell broke loose."

Bo looked at Shannon, "A few outsiders left the hotel, taking their reservations with them."

"All the way to Anchorage, thank you very much! That doesn't just take business away from me, but also from all the air tours, kayaking and river tours, the general stores, souvenir shops. I'm destroying everyone's businesses!"

"Kenzi, calm down." Bo said, putting a hand on her friend's shoulder.

"So how many open rooms do you have now?" Shannon asked.

Kenzi laughed, "I had a wait list for guests, so I did fill the rooms. Besides, the joke will be on the runners who cancelled on me because I own the hotel in Anchorage with my buddy Vex and he has the same problem."

Bo looked at Shannon, "Does Carolyn need to call them again to report the Anchorage problem?"

Shannon shook her head, "Nope. It's all happening in the same state, so what applies for one must apply for the other. When we get Kenzi up and running, Anchorage must be permitted to do the same. So, can we back up to a previous topic for a second?"

"Yea, like way back to this secret weapon you're talking about?" Kenzi asked.

Bo and Shannon smiled, Bo explaining, "Shannon's fiancé is apparently Lauren's right hand at work, and she has already made some calls to get the ball rolling."

Shannon explained, "Lauren is very well known and more importantly, very well respected and beloved back east."

"Of course." Kenzi said, rolling her eyes, "There had to be a reason Evony was so hooked on having her here. She's using her for her popularity. Bitch."

Shannon had to laugh, but quickly continued to explain, "So anyway, Carolyn makes calls for the Doc all of the time – it's just the nature of working for Lauren. People fly in from all over the world for Lauren to fix what ails their hearts. So, if it's possible to turn this around, she's got the clout it will take to do it quickly. My turn?"

Kenzi sat back in her chair, "Well, since I'm feeling a whole lot better about my chances of keeping my hotel open tonight, yes."

"Who are the outsiders?"

Bo smiled, "They're not specific people. It's just what we call people who aren't from Alaska."

"So, I'm an outsider?"

Bo nodded, with a smile, "You are."

Kenzi added, "And some a-holes might call you cheechako. Bo hates that word with a mad, wild passion, so if they do it around her, she's got all of the great one-liners you need to respond."

"I take it that word is not a compliment?"

"Hells no!" Kenzi replied.

"I've got another question. What does 'carry in' mean? You said carry in water. Does that mean what I think it means?"

Kenzi looked at Bo who explained, "Alaska is built on permafrost. That means that the ground beneath your feet – especially in the winter – is frozen solid. That's why we built Lauren's clinic on stilts during the summer. It's high enough to keep the doors above the snow line and the permafrost is soft enough for us to drive them into the ground. If we tried to do that now, we'd more likely break the machine than the ground."

"Uh… I guess that makes sense."

Bo smiled, "How would you build this hotel at home?"

"They bring in excavators, dig a hole, build a foundation and then keep building up."

"Right. Well, in Alaska the ground is frozen solid, only becoming pliable in late spring and summer… maybe early fall. That means if I brought in my excavator to build an addition onto this hotel right now, the bucket would scrape the surface and then stop as if it was hitting rock."

"Wow. The ground is that hard?"

Bo nodded, "It's that hard. Remember all those bodies that Lauren has on ice from the fire?"

Shannon's eyes went wide, "Ohmagosh! That's why they can't be buried!"

Kenzi shrugged leading Shannon to look at Bo, "No shit?"

"No shit." Bo replied, "So, when we built this place, we had to put in the water pipes in late spring. For Kenzi, that meant putting in the pipes before she ever opened. It was a huge cost without any income. Now, it's like a repeat of when she first got started. If the water source is the problem and she has to find a new place to get water, we'll have to run new pipes to that new water. That would mean shutting down the hotel during the peak tourist season unless they allow her to carry in."

"Because running pipes in winter when there are less tourists would be harder to do." Shannon concluded.

"Not harder. Literally, it would be impossible. There is no machine that can get through permafrost unless you're the U.S. Military." Bo replied.

Kenzi laughed, "And they just blow shit up without regard for the environmental consequences, but don't get me up on my high horse about all of that."

"Wow. I had no idea."

Bo nodded, "Most people don't know a lot about our land. That's why so many outsiders come in thinking they can live here and survive like they're living in Boston or any of the northern U.S. states."

"Doc made that mistake when she first got here. She took out her three-dog sled team to try to go three miles in a blizzard. She said she'd seen blizzards in Boston…"

"She has. We get ridiculous snow with temps in the low teens."

Bo and Kenzi chuckled, as the younger woman replied, "Well, where Bo was born and raised, their temps were in the negative forties to negative sixties. Wrap your head around that chill factor, East Coast."

"In every single one of those northern states east of us, there is plenty of planting that can be done during the other seasons. That's simply not the case here since our winter is almost twice as long as yours. Unless you're a commercial company or university with an agricultural budget to build a massive greenhouse complete with temperature control, you must know what you can plant, how to plant it and when to grow it. If not, you have to have the money to have food shipped in."

"Whoa. I had no idea."

Bo laughed, "You say that a lot. I hope you'll remember that you don't have any idea about a lot of things when Lauren takes you out for some sightseeing. If you come upon a bear or a moose. You need to listen to her when you're out. She knows what she's doing now in most situations, but in some of them, she's had to learn the hard way. She still gets caught up staring at wildlife sometimes instead of reacting to it the right way first. That's why I like to go with her when she's sightseeing."

Kenzi burst out laughing, "Remember the moose?"

Bo smiled, "I remember the moose."

"What happened?"

Kenzi jumped right in to tell the story, "She and Bo were out for a walk when we had a break in the snow back in… what was it, Bo… end of February or so?"

Bo nodded, "Just before I started my final three-day training runs for the Iditarod, so that's probably about right."

"There was a moose on the trail. Bo told Lauren to walk slowly behind a tree, but the moose saw her and followed her. Lauren tried to hide behind this skinny little tree trunk and the moose came right at her. Luckily she ducked and the moose plowed its head right into the wood while Bo yelled for Lauren to find a bigger tree."

Bo laughed, "She was running and screaming in knee-deep snow, waving her arms while I called the moose towards me. She wouldn't go out in the woods for a week after that."

"Yup. The Doc has definitely had some outsider moments since she arrived." Kenzi smiled.

Bo nodded, "That hypothermia after the dog sled incident was scary as hell though."

Kenzi looked at Shannon, "We almost lost her."

"Wh-what?" the nurse asked.

Kenzi clarified, "As in she almost died. There was no other doctor around. When she finally came to, she had to talk Bo through how to save her, doctor style, because our shaman wouldn't have made it here from Point Siku in time."

"Shaman?"

Bo nodded, "Seline. Her name is Seline. She's an elder from the village where I've lived since… well, I guess going on about eight years… well, until now."

"Bo's her mini-me." Kenzi laughed, "But Seline doesn't have her mad construction skills."

"Oh? Where do you live now?"

Bo smiled, "About two miles out there."

"Out there?" Shannon asked, looking where Bo was pointing across an icy lake and field of snow to the wilderness beyond.

"Bo's been working for almost two years on building her own home. Of course, she never told any of us and Lauren is the only one who has actually seen it." She nudged Bo, "The Doc stayed overnight last night. She blushed when I asked her if it was romantic, BoBo."

"Kenzi, I swear. If you embarrass her…"

Shannon smiled, "She can take it, Kenzi. Embarrass the hell out of her. You have my blessing."

"Hey!" Bo protested.

"What? I've known her longer, so I call dibs on deciding the embarrassment clause!"

"There's an embarrassment clause?" Bo asked.

"Yup! It says 'all ye who befriend one Doctor Lauren Lewis, shall embarrass the hell out of her every chance you get so she learns to lighten up and enjoy life outside of the insides of a patients' chest'… or something to that effect."

Kenzi held up a hand, earning a high five from Shannon while Bo shook her head and mumbled, "This is going to be a disaster."

Shannon smiled, "Hey! I thought you were going to trust us."

"Maybe that was a mistake."

"Not at all." Shannon smiled before looking at Kenzi, "So can we get a round of beers or is it watered down and therefore off limits?"

Kenzi slapped her shoulder, "How dare you accuse me of doing harm to the sacred beer! I'll drink with you. Bo doesn't…"

"I agreed to have a beer or two tonight, Kenz. It's okay."

Shannon looked at Bo, "If you don't want to drink, that's fine. I mean… I don't want to knock you off your wagon or anything."

Kenzi laughed, "Bo's never been drunk a day in her life. As a matter of fact, if you lined up all of the beers she's ever had in her life and had her drink them all, she would barely have a hangover the next day."

"Is that a… religious thing?" Shannon asked.

Bo shrugged, "I've lived off the grid all of my life except for when I stay here in my hotel apartment."

"Which isn't nearly enough for her bestie." Kenzi smiled, "I'll go get three beers and hopefully those two party poopers as well."

"So, off the grid means no water or electricity?"

Bo nodded, "I get the feeling you heard something from Nadia that makes you believe I'm either a little shady or poor."

"No, I mean… well… what she said wasn't flattering, but it honestly doesn't matter, Bo. If Lauren loves you, we're completely on board."

"Well, let's just get this out of the way. The short truth is that you've arrived just after the week when my entire world blew up. While it answered a lot of questions about my life, it has also raised a whole bunch of new ones."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Bo."

She shrugged, "Honestly, it's sort of refreshing. It's like I have a chance for a whole new life. A month ago, I never would have agreed to meet you, let alone sit her talking to you about my life. Actually, twenty-four hours ago I wouldn't have done this."

"What changed?"

"I'm not really sure. Lauren gave me the name of a therapist. I had my first appointment yesterday. We talked about her property – which is amazing and I'm jealous – and we talked about me even less. But somehow, when I left, I felt… new… like I wanted my life to be different because I was suddenly different."

"Good therapists have that effect. So, what led you to seek counseling?" Shannon asked, her tone sincere and not judgmental as Bo might have suspected.

"My emotions have been all over the place since… well… when I said I lived off the grid, it in no way describes how I was living. I was a loner… completely isolated from other humans unless I was forced to come in to sell my furs or manage the workers on a construction site. My foreman is the only person I would speak to. He handled the crews. I spoke to five people… that was it. There was a man in town… he owned everything and everyone. For some reason, he had a grudge against me and made my life hell. He told everyone I was a murderer, thief, half breed and he called me cheechako."

"Ah, I see. So that's why you hate that word."

Bo shook her head, "I hate that word because humans have no claim to this land. The way I was raised, the land belongs to the earth. If he calls me cheechako, then he's cheechako as well."

"Can I ask what that word actually means?" Shannon was cautious and ready to hear the word no, but surprisingly, Bo answered,

"The more polite definition is anyone new to Alaska. In a more native term, it's dumb white man."

She nodded, "I see. But… well, I don't mean to be rude or seem racist… but you seem… you look pretty native. I mean, the dark hair and eyes… although your eyes are… well, they're big and round and…"

Bo smiled, nodding "My mother was an Athabascan native. I have her hair and, well mostly everything else except her eyes. Her eyes were almost light red in color… more orange, I guess. It's hard to remember because I was so young. I was raised in a native village on the North Slope. My dad was abusive and thankfully, ran off with my three older brothers when I was about ten. I missed my brother terribly, but eventually my past became very confusing. I didn't remember having a brother and couldn't remember what any of them looked like."

"I'm sorry, Bo."

She shook her head, "Losing my brother Jacob was the worst… I ran into the three of them at the Iditarod. They… well, they were bad men like our father. The sheriffs and the feds caught up to my siblings just as they caught up to me and were trying to kill me. Instead, they were all killed."

"Um… I don't know what to say." Shannon replied, horrified that this was the life of this kind woman.

Bo shrugged, "You don't have to say anything and it's not your fault. I just wanted you to know… Nadia doesn't know me at all."

Bo lowered her head as Shannon simply nodded and asked, "So what about your mom? Do you still see her?"

"Bo raised her eyebrows and shrugged, "Nah, that's just more bad news. My mom disappeared when I was about fourteen. I've been on my own ever since… well… until now. It turns out my dad was the same guy who called me cheechako when I came here. He called me half-breed when he was likely the half-breed who tainted my blood." Bo scowled, "I still hate looking at him because I really do have his eyes."

"Nah, you have new eyes… eyes that see the good in this world. You have kind eyes. Honest eyes. Sincere eyes. I doubt your dad had any of that in his eyes."

Bo nodded, "I've never thought of it that way. Thanks."

"I'm just telling you what I see what I look in your eyes… and in Lauren's when she looks at you. She's an excellent judge of character."

Bo smiled, "That's… nice." She paused, "My dad's eyes were just angry and dangerous. Anyway, in the end, I found out that he had a whole other family down here. He'd been cheating on my mom the entire time… well, I guess he actually cheated with my mom on his wife that lived here. We were his dirty little secret which is why he and his sons…"

"Tried to kill you?"

Bo nodded.

"So, your brothers were using the race to try to catch you alone so they could kill you." Shannon connected the dots.

Bo nodded again.

"And your father?"

"He's in prison serving consecutive life sentences. They're still tracking down all of his victims. In the spring, they're exhuming some bodies to do some new testing that can say for sure how they died."

"There's a lot of new technology in forensic medicine. If he killed people, they'll likely figure it out. He'd save the state and federal government a lot of money if he just fessed up to his crimes. Asshole." Shannon said, before catching herself and adding, "Sorry. I didn't mean…"

"Sure you did, because that's exactly what he is. My brother was the kindest person on the planet. He called him a momma's boy. If he'd have left him behind, I'm pretty sure he'd still be alive today living right here with me. It's a shame. He did so much damage to so many in so many ways."

"Okay, so let's focus on the good that came from it."

"Well, he poisoned all of my dogs, but Lauren caught the tumors so they're all alive."

"Dang, Bo. This guy is really a first call creep!"

Bo nodded, "I now have a half-brother, two half-nephews, a half-niece-in-law and two half great nephews who I just love to bits."

"Oh, right! That guy that came in to apologize to Lauren that he couldn't stay longer… LJ was his name? What does that stand for?"

"Little Jon. He just wants to detach from his father a bit so he's not 'little' all of his life."

"His Dad is Jon then?"

Bo nodded, "Jon is my nephew. His Dad is Pops or Tosh… my brother. It's funny because Jon is about my age."

"The curse of the second family." Shannon smiled.

"And you said you have two great nephews?"

Bo nodded again, "The other one was actually named after my dad… Big Jim."

"So, he's Little Jim?"

Smiling, Bo replied, "He's changed his name to Michael. It's what his parents were going to name him if Mark's grandfather hadn't insisted someone be named after him."

The pair shook their head as the said in unison, "Asshole."

"Well, that's my life story in a nutshell."

Shannon shook her head, as a waitress arrived with the beers. Bo looked over her shoulder to see why Kenzi didn't bring them herself and saw her in conversation with Mr. Peabody, Lauren and Carolyn,

"Looks like your girl came through." Bo said, nodding towards the bar.

"I told you she would." She took a sip, "Wow. That's a good beer."

"Kenzi's friend Vex brews it himself at his brewing company in Seattle. The climate is a bit more friendly there and he has better access to ingredients. He drives down and fills his RV with kegs, then brings them up if his guys can't run the deliveries."

Shannon read the words on the glass, "Gold Mesmer?"

Bo smiled, "Vex claims his beer has a mesmerizing taste, so he had the brand plastered on all of the hotel mugs. At first, Kenzi was pissed because she had to make sure she served the gold ale in the mugs labeled gold, the pale ale in the mugs labeled Pale Mesmer and the Dark Mesmer… well, you get the picture."

"And now?"

"Now, when orders come in, she lines up the appropriate mugs on the waitress's trays, grabs the trays and fills them. There's no need for paper behind the bar… just glasses, ice and booze."

"Wow. That's actually a great system."

Bo laughed, "Yup, but don't tell Vex that. Kenzi loves to complain. He's promised that the next craft beer he makes will be called K-Star Pale Ale with some sort of star for a logo."

Shannon took another long swig of her beer, dropping the mug to the table and smiling as she licked her lips, "Damn, that is really good beer."

Bo nodded, taking a sip of hers leading Shannon to give her a sympathetic smile, "You don't like it?"

Bo shrugged, "I'm more of a wine girl believe it or not."

Shannon smiled, "It is sort of contrary to a construction worker stereotype, but I try to ignore stereotypes of any kind." She laughed, "So, you mentioned the Iditarod. That's pretty big here, huh? It sounds like you and Lauren went to the race? That must be cool to see. We actually watched a little movie about it on the plane last night. It looks… well… cold and ridiculously hard. And long. Like, really, really long. Those people riding on the sleds have balls of steel… or ice." She chuckled at her own joke.

Shannon turned when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She smiled seeing the doctor standing over her with a smile on her face,

"Well, the winner didn't have balls of any kind. As a matter of fact, she has a vajayjay and you're actually looking at the winner… actually, a bonified three-time Iditarod Champion."

Shannon and Carolyn looked at Lauren, then at Bo before Shannon stood with both hands on the table, "You freakin' won that… what is it… like a thousand-mile race hanging off the back of that sled? You're like the Abominable Iron Man, Bo!"

She held up her mug and Bo just stared at it, looking at Lauren. The blonde smiled and clinked her mug against Shannon's well Carolyn did the same. Bo caught on and clinked her mug against Shannon's who smiled with satisfaction,

"Dang." She said, sitting back down and Carolyn and Lauren each took a seat at the table, "What a life you've lived, woman. Can I spend a day with you? Like… follow you around like a puppy dog and see how you live? I think it's so cool."

"After everything I just told you, you want my life?" Bo laughed, taking a small sip of her beer.

"Okay, enough torturing our new friend." Shannon took the beer from Bo's hand and called to Kenzi, "My favorite barkeep! Can you bring your bestie whatever it is that she DOES like to drink?"

Kenzi nodded, "You bet, my favorite patron! As long as you help me haul water in the morning!"

"You've got it!" Shannon said, raising her glass in reply.

Bo laughed, "Oh boy. You have no idea what you just got yourself into, Shannon."

"What? Why?" She asked, looking at the faces around the table who seemed just as confused as her.

"Water is heavy. This is a hotel. There's a train out back that also needs water. I hope you're in good shape."

Carolyn smirked, "Oh, she's definitely in good shape. Real good shape."

Shannon smacked her fiancé, then gave her a playful nudge, "I do work out twice a day. Once to work out before work and once to work out to shake off the shit that Dr. Anastas gives during shift." She froze, remembering where she was before she looked at Lauren, "Sorry."

Lauren laughed, raising her glass, "She's a bitch from hell to live with and a bitch from hell to work with. You'll get no complaints from me if you want to complain about her. We don't live or work together anymore. I'm under no obligation nor do I have any desire to defend her actions anymore."

Carolyn smiled, "Well, in that case, can we just say THANK YOU for getting a divorce from that chick! We could care less whose idea it was. We watched you go from pleasant, peppy, energetic, loveable Doctor Lewis to this stoic, all business, strong silent type who looked like someone had literally sucked all of the fun out of her very soul."

Smiling, Lauren shrugged, "Well, let's find Doctor Peppy again, starting right now!"

Kenzi brought Bo's drink to the table, smiling at the group, "So, what am I missing stuck behind the bar all night?"

Bo smiled, "You're not missing anything now that you have your hotel back."

"That Carolyn is an ace in the hole, BoBo. Doc, you need to keep her around for good. That girl's got your back."

Lauren smiled, giving Carolyn's shoulder a squeeze, "She always has and her other half here is my wingman in the O.R., thank goodness. They're quite a team."

"We're quite a team." Shannon said, the three women raising their mugs together before Shannon turned to Bo, "Now, the question is, are we good enough to join your team? I've gotta get on one of those sleds."

"Oh Boy, BoBo. Here we go again. What's with these Boston girls and their need for speed?" Kenzi asked.

Lauren laughed, "We love trying new things, what can we say?"

"That you'll live this time!" Kenzi said, throwing up her arms and shouting something in Russian.

Bo shook her head, "Don't worry about her."

Carolyn sat staring at the younger woman, "She's shouting and waving her arms… in Russian."

Bo chuckled, "Well, to be honest, she's really only shouting in Russian. She's clearly waving her arms in English… maybe Alaskan English, but English."

The whole group laughed together, raising their respective glasses to toast once again.

"So, what's for dinner? I'm starving." Shannon replied.

"Well, now that Kenzi has the kitchen up and running again, we could just eat here if that's okay. Then we can drive down to Anchorage and hit the bars if you'd like… or we can just hang here and hit the bars on the weekend."

Lauren nodded, "I hate to disappoint, but it is a two-hour drive by truck."

"Whoa. I didn't realize it was that far." Carolyn offered.

Bo shrugged, "We could go Friday. If we hop the five o'clock train, we'd be in Anchorage by eight o'clock."

"Is there a train back?" Shannon asked.

Bo shook her head, "No, but I have… well, actually even Lauren hasn't seen where I lived in Point Siku."

Lauren smiled, "We could visit with Seline."

Bo nodded looking down at Lauren's hand on hers, "She would love to meet you."

"Would we be welcome, Bo?" Lauren asked.

Bo smiled, "I spoke with her today before I drove back to see Tamsin. Doctor Gray knows her. Apparently, they go way back. We got to talking about her and when I went to leave, she was on my mind. So, I pulled over and called her. She asked me to bring you by so she could visit with you… actually, she asked me when I was coming home."

Lauren nodded, "She doesn't know you finished the house?"

Bo shook her head, "I didn't have the heart to tell her. I mean, it doesn't mean I won't ever come to visit her, but… well, I certainly haven't been around much for her since the race."

Lauren smiled, "Okay then. It's settled. We go."

Bo looked up at the couple across the table, "You'll both be welcome in the village." She smiled, looking at Lauren, "Apparently there will be some welcoming ceremony for me that should have been done when I first arrived, but Big Jim wouldn't allow it."

Bo looked at Shannon who smiled as they both said, "Asshole."

Carolyn looked at Lauren who shrugged, "Did we miss something?"

Shannon laughed, "Bo's life story, deadbeat asshole of a dad, missing mom and brothers who fell victim to said asshole of a dad. But don't worry. It has a happy ending." She grinned, looking between Lauren and Bo.

"Anyway, Seline told me to bring my family and friends, but I told her I probably wouldn't bring the entire clan."

"Bo, why not? Tosh is part of the village and so are his sons. Elise might as well start to learn the culture now since it looks like she'll be staying."

Bo's eyes went wide, "Really?"

Lauren nodded, "The state has no objections to my choice for her adoptive parents. Now it's just up to the three of them to decide if and when they want to follow through. For now, she'll remain a foster child, but the adoption process will be much easier thanks to her mom having taken care of all of the legal documents."

"Oh… I thought that maybe… never mind."

"Well, I'm going to ask if you won't." Shannon interjected, "Lauren, you are madly in love with that little girl. Have you considered adopting her?"

The blonde lowered her eyes, her beer suddenly the most interesting thing she'd ever seen. She brushed the frost from the sides of the mug, rotating it as she thought of how to answer the question without bringing up the real reason she didn't want to adopt the child. She looked up at the group,

"I just don't want to adopt a child without having a life partner or wife. I know that with my schedule, it would be too much. Just look at how things were today. I had to leave Bo alone with a patient… my patient to tend to her needs. If Bo hadn't been there, I would have had to turn her away or let a nurse handle the job a doctor is hired to do… no offense to any of you, but you have to consider how people might feel if the doctor that Evony has touted is suddenly never there for them."

Bo nodded, "I can see your point. But… are you sure, Lauren?"

The blonde nodded, "You never know what the future will bring, right? Besides, you saw Molly with her. It would break her heart not to have her. They've always wanted a daughter, but it wasn't in the cards for them to have another child."

"I had no idea they went through that. You're right, I suppose."

Lauren smiled, "Besides, we'll all just have to be the best Aunts ever to our little Elise. Aunts are much cooler than moms anyway. We get to spoil her rotten and we don't have to do any of the disciplining."

"Here! Here!" Shannon smiled, given another excuse to toast.

The group raised their glasses again before Bo turned to the pair, "What about you two? Are you going to have kids?"

"Nope." They both chimed together.

"That was quite decisive." Lauren laughed, "Any particular reason?"

"I have six siblings and so far, five nieces and nephews. Shannon has five siblings and so far, four nieces and nephews. We are surrounded by plenty of kids all of the time and love to spoil them rotten. But at the end of the day, it's nice to know that we can come home, shower and sleep naked, make each other scream without having to worry about a kid in the next room and best of all… well, in our opinion… no hassles about two moms raising a kid. I don't know how it is here, but back east, the current climate kind of sucks and we want to be able to move without dragging a kid through all of the shit that's going on in the world."

Bo was silent, knowing that she knew practically nothing about how the real world functioned. Lauren, however, spoke up,

"Well, I think everyone has to do what feels best for them. I wouldn't mind having a child by adoption someday, but I would sacrifice that for the one I love if they really didn't want a child. It's a big responsibility and I would never force that on someone. There are a lot of ways to have a child or children in one's life and I trust that life will offer me the option in some way, shape or form if it's meant to be."

Carolyn smiled, "Wow. It almost sounds like the scientist found religion while in Alaska."

Lauren shrugged, "I think I've just connected with something greater than myself… than my job. This place is inspirational and… well, spending time with Bo and how she lives has made me see that life isn't just about the stuff… it's about the adventure. It's about embracing all that the world has to offer more than what society has raised us to believe is what we're supposed to have… career, job, car, house, knick-knacks, furniture… it's all just stuff."

She looked down at her beer, "I think that's what went wrong with Nadia and I to being with. She was always about buying stuff – gifts, houses, cars. I gave a five-hundred-dollar donation to that GoFundMe campaign for Mrs. Greenwood's heart transplant and she went crazy on me for an hour."

"Don't worry. We all heard it." Carolyn replied.

"What?" Lauren asked.

Shannon shrugged, "She always confronted you when there was an audience. Kelly tried to tell you, Lauren."

"Tell me what?"

"Do you remember the time she walked up behind you while Nadia was… well, talking very loudly at you? She grabbed your shoulders and turned you towards the waiting area."

"Yes. I… oh gawd. The waiting room was filled with people."

Shannon nodded, "And you tried to tell Nadia to stop…"

"But she wouldn't." Lauren looked up at Shannon, "You came and told me it was time to scrub for surgery and gently nudged me towards the exit. I just remember Nadia saying, 'this isn't over', before I caught sight of the clock and realized we didn't need to scrub for another half hour."

Shannon smiled, "I took you to the physician's lounge, shoved you in the door…"

"… and told me to breathe and prepare my mind for surgery." She smiled, "You said you would run interference with Nadia to make sure she didn't come into the lounge."

Carolyn waved her hand, "Actually, she came out and told me to take care of Nadia while she ran and hid in patient rooms."

Shannon leaned over and kissed Carolyn on the cheek, "And I thanked you thoroughly for that." She winked.

Carolyn leaned over and whispered, "You thanked me all. Night. Long."

The pair chuckled as Bo and Lauren looked at each other and chuckled. Bo leaned over to Lauren and whispered,

"They are a frisky pair, aren't they?" She laughed.

Lauren offered a mischievous grin, "I'd say we're pretty frisky ourselves. Not just as public about it."

Bo smiled, giving Lauren's hand a squeeze, "Should we order something to eat?"

Shannon smiled, "Definitely! I'm starving!"

Bo stood, "I'll go get some menus. Kenzi's getting slammed at the bar."

"Nothing but liquor and beer to drink around here. She's going to have a great night." Carolyn offered.

Lauren smiled as she watched Bo walk away before turning to the two nurses, "Did Bo really tell you about her family?"

Shannon nodded, "Yup. I mean, it was a summary of her past, but the whole daddy dearest, brothers killed by the feds at the Iditarod, mom gone missing when she was just a kid. Geezus, Lauren. How the hell did she survived?"

Lauren shrugged, "She was raised off grid, Shannon. She learned from a very early age how to handle herself in the worst climate our country has to offer. Add to that learning to trap, make clothes from what she caught, fish, cook over fire… I mean, after she made the fire to begin with… and damn can she cook."

"Really?" Carolyn asked, "I mean… she seems so quiet and shy. I can't imagine her getting… I don't know… physical?"

"I've watched her throw axes from about thirty yards out for thirty solid minutes and never miss a target."

"Uh, why would someone throw axes for thirty minutes at a target?"

"So that when I'm hungry in the winter and there's a black bear in front of me, I can get off three throws and hit him in places where he won't be able to make a meal out of me." Bo said, sitting down and handing out menus.

"Shit. For real?" Shannon asked.

Bo smiled, "For real. What did you think I meant by living off the grid?"

She shrugged, "I don't know. I guess I sort of pictured camping or those tiny houses you see on TV."

"Tiny houses?" Bo asked, looking at Lauren but the doctor waved her off,

"Never mind, Bo." She turned to the two women, "Living off grid means no electricity, no running water, no bathroom and no shower."

"Whoa. I wouldn't last a week." Shannon replied.

Bo shrugged, "Well, you could experience off grid living tonight if you guys want to come back to my place for the night."

"Is that an invitation?" Carolyn asked, "Because I'd love to try it."

"If you want to. Of course, it will be up to Lauren." Bo turned to the blonde, "You'd have to drive a sled with one of them in your basket. I can't carry all of you."

Lauren looked outside, "As long as we leave right after we eat. Sunset's around ten tonight, right?"

Bo nodded.

"Wait. The sun doesn't go down until ten o'clock at night?" Shannon asked.

"Did you guys read any of the books I left lying around at the nurses' station?" Lauren asked.

Carolyn laughed, "You mean the ones Nadia took and put in a box with all of your other stuff."

"What other stuff?" Lauren asked, looking between the two women.

Carolyn was very animated in her reply, "Oh, she had the lock cut off of your locker in the lounge and cleaned out every trace of you. It's like you were never there."

"Wait. Is she the Chief of Cardiology?" Lauren asked, shocked by the prospect.

Shannon laughed, "Oh, hell no! Doctor Lambert got that position. She's just the senior staff member during her shift and she doesn't mind reminding people she's in charge during that time."

Lauren shook her head, "I'm sorry I left you with her and her baggage, guys. Well, at least Lambert's good, right?"

Shannon nodded, "He's a brilliant guy. He just tends to hit on all of the nurses. Evony has already written him up for fraternization."

Lauren laughed, "Yea, he is a bit of a player but Evony will keep him in line. During our residency, he told me he could make me change my mind about being with men. It was hysterical."

Carolyn nodded, "He went after Shannon too."

"He went after you first." Shannon countered, "Of course, Kelly already did him."

Lauren laughed, "You know, it never ceases to amaze me how promiscuous some health professionals can be despite all of their knowledge about STI's. They get all freaked out about an accidental needle stick, but have no problem jumping into bed with anything that moves. I just don't get it."

Lauren looked up at the three, "Sorry to get on my doctor soapbox. It just popped into my head. I worry about Kelly."

Bo chuckled, "Well, apparently we should be more worried about Kurt."

"True." Lauren laughed, "You must be bored with all of our shop talk."

Bo shrugged, "I totally understand. You ladies haven't seen each other in a long time and although I've never experienced office gossip, I'm sure even hospitals have their share."

Shannon put her hands out in front of Bo, "Wait. Have you never seen Grey's Anatomy?"

Bo shrugged, "The only Gray I know is the one I met today."

Carolyn looked at Lauren, "Have you not been teaching this woman anything about east coast life?"

Lauren laughed, "Teaching her? Are you kidding me? My first priority has been staying alive and the only reason I am, is because Bo has been teaching me about Alaskan life. If it weren't for her, I would quite literally be dead right now. But enough of that talk. Let's eat. I'm famished!"

Shannon looked to Bo, "So, what's good on this menu? I've never had any of these meats. Reindeer sausage? Sounds like the kids don't know about the special little guy with the shiny red nose."

"No, they didn't kill Rudolph." Lauren laughed, "They're domesticated Elk."

"So what? They're like the east coast equivalent of a cow?" Carolyn asked, searching the menu.

Lauren shrugged, bobbing her head, "I guess… well, yes. I suppose that's a pretty good comparison."

"If you like Salmon, I'd recommend that. I just caught and delivered it today so it's fresh." Bo replied.

Carolyn looked up, "Wait. You caught the fish that this restaurant is serving?"

Bo nodded, "It pays for my hotel room apartment."

"I'm pretty sure you're not staying in your room right now. We are. And I'm also pretty sure that Evony is paying for that room - for the next five weeks, at least." Carolyn offered.

Bo shrugged, "It's Kenzi. She'll always keep a room open for me until…" she looked at Lauren, quickly looking down at the table. She cleared her throat, "Well, anyway… she just wants to be sure I have a place to stay if I can't make it home at night. If I wanted to stay here tonight, she'd push two tables together and throw an air mattress on top."

"All the air mattresses are being used for extra beds in the rooms. I'd give you a tablecloth, though." Kenzi quipped, pulling out her pad of paper as she looked around the table.

"How generous of you." Bo replied, "You wouldn't let me share your king-sized bed? You barely take up ten inches of mattress."

Kenzi looked at Lauren, "You see? She knows I don't like the ladies, but she's still always trying to get into bed with me. I'm telling you, Hot Pants, you've gotta watch out for this one."

Lauren laughed, "I think I'm safe, but I really wish you wouldn't call me that."

Kenzi leaned sideways, looking at Lauren's ass, "Why? It's true even if I'm not interested in it. Have you not seen the way my bestie looks at it?"

Bo blushed, "Kenzi!"

"Awww… I'm embarrassing my BoBo. Sorry, sweet cheeks." Kenzi laughed, pulling a pencil from above her ear, "What'll it be, girls?"

Shannon and Carolyn spoke in unison, "Salmon."

Kenzi nodded, "And I suppose you two are having the usual?"

Bo and Lauren nodded, leading Kenzi to reply, "Four salmon dinners it is, courtesy of the Bo Dennis fishery."

"You own a fishery?" Shannon asked.

Bo wiggled ten fingers in front of the ladies, "Yea, it's called my hands and a rod. I do have a wheel as well, but it's not very easy to move. I have a small wheel around the bend down the river from my property, but Lauren and I ate all of those fish last night."

"She made the best dinner last night." Lauren grinned, "Hey? Can we do that with them one night this week?"

Bo nodded, "Why don't we do that on Saturday. They can spend the day learning how to live off grid through the hangover I'm sure they'll have from the bar."

Shannon laughed, "It takes a lot to get me hung over."

Bo smirked, "We'll see. Just know that off grid living starts with taking care of the transportation first thing in the morning, but you'll get three square meals and a bed to sleep in when it's time."

Shannon smiled, "Sounds perfect. You in, hon?"

Carolyn nodded, "Absolutely."

"Okay, so we're yours from Friday at five o'clock until Sunday… whenever." Shannon smiled.

Bo smiled, "Train to Anchorage, dinner and my ceremony in Point Siku, head back to Anchorage to dance the night away, then back to my… village home. When we wake up Saturday, we'll catch morning train at nine, take care of the dogs and then head to my off-grid home."

Carolyn clapped her hands together rapidly, "I'm so excited. This is going to be so much fun."

Bo and Lauren shared a glance, Bo whispering, "That's one way of looking at it." Bo looked up, "Food's here!"

The couple smiled brightly when Kenzi placed a plate of salmon in front of each of them. While they were distracted by Kenzi's explanation of what was on the plate, Lauren took the opportunity to lean over to Bo and ask,

"Will there be enough room in your village home for all of us?"

Bo smiled, "We'll figure it out."

"Okay." Lauren smiled, "So we're going to eat and run after this?"

Bo nodded, "Are you sure you're okay with staying at my place another night?"

Lauren smiled, "I don't care if we sleep at my place or yours as long as I'm with you when I lay down my head to sleep at night until… you're sick of me."

Bo smiled, "You mean until you go back to Boston."

"No, I mean until you're sick of me." Lauren said, her eyes holding all of the sincerity she could muster.

Bo grinned, "You don't seem to understand, Doctor Lewis. I will never get sick of you."

She kissed Lauren's cheek and the pair turned back to their meal.

"I'm so excited to see who cooks the salmon better." Lauren laughed.

Bo smiled, "Well, don't tell Kenzi if it's me. She'll fire the chef."

"And you'll have yet another job."

"I am not spending my day in an indoor kitchen." Bo replied emphatically as she took her first bite, but Lauren was already moaning along with their two guests.

She smiled, watching the three women share their enthusiasm over something that Bo ate about three times a week. She looked down at her plate thinking about how many times she must have consumed this very same meal and it hit her… how she took for granted that every piece of fish she ate was very fresh. She looked up at the other women,

"Do you eat much fresh fish in Boston?"

Lauren shrugged, "We're mainly known for clams and lobster…"

Carolyn chimed in, "Especially clam chowder and lobster rolls…"

Shannon added, her mouth full, "Cod and haddock are huge."

Lauren nodded, "She's right. They usually turn those into fish and chips, another very popular dish in Boston."

"Chips?" Bo asked, "Like potato chips?"

Lauren smiled, shaking her head, "Chips as in steak fries or potato wedges – like what they call French fries here... well, sort of."

"Which aren't actually French." Shannon said, pointing her finger to emphasize her point.

"Really?" Bo asked, "Why are they called French fries then?"

Carolyn shook her head, "We just talked about this last month. Belgium and France both claim they invented them… lots of drama on that topic."

"Huh?" Bo asked.

Lauren shook her head, "Never mind, Bo. They like to argue over trivia. They do it all the time. They're part of a Friday night trivia team that plays at some bar."

Bo shrugged, "I've never heard of teammates arguing."

Lauren laughed, "That's the thing… they're on different teams."

Bo looked up, "You are?"

Carolyn smiled, "Yup. It's actually how we met. We started arguing over a question that we can't even remember anymore and… well, I thought she was such an ass."

Shannon smiled, "But you couldn't take your eyes off of my ass." She laughed, turning to Bo, "I thought she was so incredibly hot… all smart and sassy."

Bo smiled, looking at Lauren, "I know the feeling."

"I'm sure you do." Shannon grinned, fist bumping Bo. They shared a laugh before Bo turned to Lauren,

"So, fish and chips are a piece of cod or haddock with French fries?"

Lauren shrugged, "Forget about the French fries. They're called chips because they're chipped off of a potato, so they're more potato wedges. They can be served with a malt vinegar, ketchup or a variety of other sauces. The fish is breaded and fried until it's a golden brown. It's Boston's version of comfort food."

"So, if I ever get to Boston, I'm having fish and chips, lobster rolls and clam chowder?" Bo asked.

Shannon smiled, "Union Oyster House! Gotta have some oysters!"

Bo nodded, "And oysters."

Carolyn smiled, "Does Alaska have potatoes?"

Shannon dropped her fork, "Do you not see those little white things with skins on your plate?"

Carolyn laughed, taking another sip of her beer, "Right. So, why don't we make Bo some fish and chips this weekend?"

Shannon nodded, "I have the best ever recipe!"

"We can hit the General Store for anything we can't get fresh… which is likely most of the spices." Lauren added, looking at Bo, "I mean… if that's alright with you."

Bo shrugged, "I've never fried over an open fire before, but I suppose it's possible… possibly a bit dangerous if the oil spills into the fire."

"Right." Lauren replied, "You don't have a stove?"

Bo shook her head, "If the solar panels are installed, I'll have a cooktop. My oven is what you ate out of last night."

Lauren nodded, "That makes sense."

Bo thought for a moment, "You know, we could cook in the kitchen here when we get back on Saturday. Would that work?"

"Let's play it by ear until we figure out what happens with your solar panels." Lauren suggested.

Bo nodded, "Good idea. Of course, we won't be living off grid…"

Lauren smiled, "You're absolutely right. We'll do the fish and chips on Sunday after our off-grid experience."

"Perfect." Bo replied.

"Perfect." Shannon and Carolyn agreed.

Bo smiled, "Eat up, kids. We've got to get on the… road… so to speak."

"So to speak?" Shannon asked.

Lauren laughed, "This is Alaska, Shannon. Sometimes the roads lead to a dead end in which case, you must find an alternate means of transportation."

"Like that train?" Carolyn asked.

"Sometimes." Bo smiled.

"And sometimes not." Lauren smiled, putting down her fork and wiping her mouth. She downed the rest of her beer and tossed her napkin onto her plate, "I'm ready when you are."

Carolyn and Shannon shared a glance as they turned back to their plates to finish their meal, each wondering what they had gotten themselves into tonight.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 **Bo's Kennels…**

"Uh, Lauren?" Carolyn asked, nudging the doctor.

"Yes?" she responded.

"What are we doing here?"

Lauren smiled, "Consider this… the train station."

Shannon scowled, "A train comes through here?"

Lauren chuckled, tossing the two several items of clothing, "Face, eyes, hands, neck and put these on your feet right over your shoes."

The pair looked at each other while Lauren walked up the ramp to where Bo was pulling a sled from its wall mount.

"What can I do?"

"Get the girls?"

Lauren nodded, "Mine or yours."

"Yours, of course. I'll get mine."

"I only have three on my team and one is still out of commission."

Bo nodded, "I'm aware."

"So, two dogs are going to pull me and one of them?" Lauren asked, thumbing over her shoulder towards her nurses.

Bo smiled, "No, you're going to choose any ten dogs you want."

"Can I choose your dogs?" Lauren asked, nudging Bo.

"You can." Bo smiled.

"Really?"

Bo nodded, "You're ready."

"Bo, I almost crashed your sled… well, I did crash your sled." Lauren said.

"No, you didn't, Lauren. You just went a bit crooked. You can handle it. I promise."

"But you won't be on the sled with me."

Bo sighed, turning to face the blonde, "Are you saying you don't want to do this?"

Lauren shrugged, "I'm responsible for their health and well-being, Bo… and I can't run the clinic without them. I'm too busy. I'm just… well, I hate to admit it, but…"

"You're nervous about driving the sled without me there to jump in if anything goes wrong."

Lauren nodded, "That's precisely my concern."

Bo smiled, "Okay then. How 'bout you take Harper and one of our guests who will hold a pup and I'll take the other guest with a pup. Harper will bark at the dogs when you give commands… no chance they won't listen to her. They're young and she's the alpha of the pack."

Lauren smiled, "Okay, but can two dogs handle the job?"

Bo shook her head, "You'll need six dogs. The snow is melting around here, but it's still pretty deep out my way. Use your kids as the leads and choose any of mine for the rest of the positions."

Nodding, the blonde agreed. Bo smiled, "And remember, never let on to your passengers that you're not confident in what you're doing. The dogs will sense their fear."

Lauren chuckled, "Right. Can we just review a few things?"

Bo nodded, "Whatever you need, Lauren."

The pair set to the task of prepping the sleds, chatting about some of the finer aspects of mushing for Lauren's review. When they were finished, they brought the dogs around on the ramp and hitched them to the sled. They packed up all of the gear they needed for the night, grabbing some extra clothes and outerwear for Shannon and Carolyn before inviting them to jump into the basket of each sled.

Carolyn was with Lauren, so when Harper jumped in on her lap, her tongue hanging from her mouth while her tail wagged with excitement, all anyone could do was laugh… including Carolyn, who was pinned beneath the beloved dog.

"Is this what you meant when you said I had to hold onto one of Bo's puppies? Does she even realize she's not a puppy?" Carolyn laughed.

Bo smiled, "Harper, off. Haw, girl. Carolyn doesn't need you climbing all over her."

She watched as the older dog slid off of Lauren's friend and into the space beside her. Carolyn just smiled,

"Yes, but she is not the puppy. Sorry about Harper. She's been cooped up in a hospital for a long time. Her recovery has been slow and she's only just now starting to resemble her old self. Unfortunately, that also means she misses running with the team. Riding in the basket is the next best thing, so she gets her happy face on."

"Well, she's adorable, so we don't really care, do we Harper? You may be a bit older, but you are a puppy at heart, right?" Harper licked Carolyn's face from chin to forehead, the woman laughing even harder, "She is just something else."

"Well, this is the actual puppy." Bo smiled, handing the furry white pup to Carolyn who's eyes lit up as she held out her arms to take the little one from her owner,

"Hello you." Harper licked the pup's head, "Isn't she beautiful Harper?"

Bo nodded, "This is Harper's granddaughter. They've got quite a bond."

"Congratulations, Grandma!" Carolyn smiled at Harper, before looking back to the pup, "Aren't you just the most beautiful thing I've ever seen?"

"Hey!" Shannon protested until Bo held the other pup in front of her, "Oh my… you are just five pounds of adorable fluff!"

The two women held up their puppies, looking at each other, "If we stay here with Lauren, we are definitely getting puppies!"

Lauren smiled, "Well, they're a lot more work. These are sled dogs in training. Take my word for it, they are definitely not lap dogs or your typical household pets!"

Bo smiled, naturally hoping they all stayed. It was truly the first time in her life that she had been surrounded by so many people who were so fond of her dogs. Molly was already attached to Elise's new pup, Lauren had her own team, LJ was talking almost daily about getting into breeding her line one day and now these two new women who had entered her life through Lauren, were clearly smitten as well.

She looked up at the doctor who had busied herself with winding some centerline. She hung it on the wall, before moving to double check the lines on her team. It took a few more moments before Bo remembered what Carolyn had just said,

" _If we stay here with Lauren, we are definitely getting puppies."_

Bo sighed, taking a moment to gather her thoughts before she closed the distance between them,

"She didn't mean anything by what she said, Lauren. No one is trying to pressure you into staying."

Lauren dropped the line she was holding, checking to see that the two nurses were paying close attention to the pups they were holding before she looked up at Bo, her eyes a mix of anger and sadness,

"It doesn't matter what anyone says, Bo. I'm feeling the pressure no matter what. It's inside me. The truth is, I've just realized that I mention going back all the time in an attempt to convince myself I need to revisit Boston to be fair to myself. The truth is, I've found something here I've never had in Boston. The truth is, I love you and the thought of leaving you is starting to make me physically ill. The truth is, now that I've solved the mysterious disease that was killing people, I'm afraid I'll never be challenged as a professional ever again. The truth is, I didn't go into epidemiology, I'm a cardiothoracic surgeon and a good one at that… one of the best. I don't want to bandage cuts and treat hypothermia. I'm not in general medicine or family medicine. I want to fix damaged hearts because too many people die from heart disease every year."

She pulled off her gloves and threw them onto the seat of her sled, "The truth is, I'm starting to realize many truths about myself and my life before I came here and… well, there are so many things here that I am just not willing to give up, but there are so many things in Boston that I love. My truth is that I don't know what to do. I love my life here, but I love my career and a few things about my city back home."

Bo nodded, "So there are two truths here if I'm interpreting your frustrated rant correctly… one, you've found your personal nirvana and two, you've found your professional hell."

Lauren laughed, "You said it better than I did."

Smiling, Bo replied, "Well, what do you say we just enjoy your friends for now, focus on your personal nirvana for the next few months and then send you on back to Boston so you can be challenged professionally again?"

"And give up my personal nirvana?"

Bo shrugged, "The answers will come, Lauren. One day at a time, live in the present and let's not worry so much about what's around the corner. Okay?"

Nodding, Lauren agreed with a chuckle, "Wow. Doctor Gray is really good, huh?"

Bo smiled, "I just have a different perspective. I'll tell you all about it later. For now, we're losing daylight. Aer you ready to go?"

Lauren nodded, "Let's get these ladies moving. They're definitely ready for a run."

"I'll be right behind you." Bo smiled.

"Just don't follow to closely so if I crash you don't run us over." Lauren smirked, stepping onto the rails of her sled. She looked down at Shannon, "Put those goggles on, Carolyn. You'll need them when we hit the trail. Make sure you're in the basket and comfortable and tuck the pup into the opening."

She did as she was told, while Lauren waited for her to finish. Once they were all settled, she unhitched the pick from the post,

"Line out Diana!" The veteran lead took a few steps forward, Belle matching her movements until the team was standing, lines extended, "Hike! Hike!"

Bo smiled as the blonde made an expert departure from the chute. She did a quiet happy dance before she, too, instructed her team to pull out. Lauren had taken most of her veteran dogs, so this would give Bo a chance to see how some of the others were doing in their training. They were all in positions unfamiliar to them, so it would be a challenging ride. Bo was pretty psyched to have a good run. She was hoping Lauren would just let the team run and go with the additional speed.

They crossed over the street to the trail head and the dogs immediately picked up the pace. It was a beautiful evening, the skies dark enough to see some stars, but not so dark that they needed the headlamps yet. Chances are, they would have to pull over halfway there to add some light as it would get darker once they were in the trees.

As Bo watched Lauren on the sled in front of her, she noticed her legs had a bit of bend in them. She was finally starting to relax with the sled, leaning with the turns in the proper direction to keep the sled centered on the trail. Driving a sled was nothing like driving a car and she was starting to get a feel for it. Bo was so proud of all she had accomplished, largely due to her own determination and hard work. It was hard to believe this was the same stubborn woman who had moved into town in mid-winter.

Bo smiled as they picked up the pace, her dogs pushing to keep up with the sled in front of them. She was pleased to see this mishmash of a team she'd thrown together running so well. She would have to jot down some notes about this group when they go to the house. Finally, she noticed Lauren looking over her shoulder at her. She held up her fist, signaling she'd like to stop, and Bo complied, calling her to a stop. She watched as Lauren drove her hook into the deep snow before walking back to her,

"I can't see a thing."

"You know what to do." Bo said, tossing her pick into the snow and pulling the lights from the pack on the front of the sled. She stopped to check on her passengers,

"You alright?"

Shannon grinned, wiping the ice from her goggles, "This is awesome!"

Bo smiled, "Glad you're enjoying yourself. I've got to light up the sled. It's getting a little dark for us to see. While I'd love to trust the dogs to keep us on the trail, this group might get a bit rebellious if they think I can't see them."

"Rebellious?" She asked, nervously.

"You know, run us into a snowbank or a tree…" Bo snickered, mounting the lights on the front of the sled before turning on her headlamp.

She looked up to see Lauren ready to step on her sled. Bo gave her a thumbs up and the blonde turned around, pulled her hook and set off down the trail once again. The night grew dark and the stars came out in full force. It was a beautiful night and the view at home was going to be magnificent. Bo could hardly wait to get there. It was time to show the outsiders just what Alaskan life had to offer.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_


	11. Chapter 11: Bears and Betrayers

_**A/N:**_ _FYI – This update is three chapters beginning with Chapter 9. If you haven't read chapters 9 and 10, you should go back to get the full scoop before reading Chapter 11._ __

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **CHAPTER 11: Bears and Betrayers**_

 _ **Thirty Minutes Later, Bo's Home…**_

They pulled into the barn and got the dogs settled in their crates. Harper and the pups would have to sleep inside tonight because there weren't enough indoor crates for all the dogs. They fed and watered the group before taking them out back for some evening play time.

As Bo expected, the stars were amazing tonight against the backdrop of the snow-capped mountains and the moonlit river that was flowing high and fast thanks to start of the spring melt. Fishing would be good tomorrow morning, so she would at least have something to offer her guests for breakfast. The two outsiders played with the dogs in the yard for quite some time while Bo showed Lauren how to start a fire in the pit. Once it was burning bright, they pulled the two Adirondack chairs and two old folding chairs out of the shed and set them up by the fire. Lauren revealed a bottle of wine Kenzi has snuck into her bag when no one was looking.

Bo checked the label, "Wow. I guess you're growing on her for sure. She gave you the good stuff."

Laughing, the blonde replied, "We're bartering. Free medical checkups for free food and wine."

"Perfect arrangement." Bo smiled.

Lauren took a seat in one of the folding chairs, "I'm thinking I'll let one of the girls have my chair."

"Oh, your chair is it? I thought these were my chairs."

"Well, wasn't I the first guest to sit in that chair?" 

Bo smiled, "Well, yes you were."

"Then it's my chair."

"Do you want me to carve your name on it, my Queen?" Bo asked.

Lauren laughed, "What a grand gesture that would be."

"Then it shall be done, m'lady, for I am definitely grand, and I've got a lot of gestures."

In that moment, Bo decided that there was no sound quite as incredible as the sound of Lauren Lewis' laugh. She watched as the blonde threw her hair back off her shoulders and smiled out into the night. The light of the fire caressed the edges of her profile when she turned to look at the mountain. She stood and moved to Bo's Adirondack chair, making herself comfortable in the brunette's lap. She laid her head in the crook of her neck and wrapped her arm around her waist. Bo felt her relax into her body with a heavy sigh.

"Comfortable?" Bo asked.

Lauren nodded, "Very much so, thank you."

They sat together enjoying the view, the sound of high-pitched puppy barks and laughter from the two women playing with the dogs in the backyard as the music of the evening. It wasn't long until Bo could hear the soft snores of Lauren's breathing. The doctor had been at working hard all day, so she wasn't surprised that she had fallen asleep so quickly. The truth was, Bo could stay awake watching Lauren sleep for what felt like forever. She turned her head into the blonde strands upon the doctor's head and enjoyed the coconut scent of her new shampoo. Molly told Bo that Lauren had come into the store to buy a shampoo that would make her feel like it was summer at the beach. Bo now wondered if this is what the beach truly smelled like. If it was, she was possibly just curious enough to chance a trip to one of Lauren's favorite destinations one of these days.

Out of the corner of her eyes, Bo saw one of the pups heading for the river. While she didn't want to wake the sleeping blonde, the pup would drown if it made it to the water with the river current as strong as it was tonight. She planted her feet and went to move but stopped when she saw Shannon come sprinting after the pup. She laughed as the woman dove, catching the fluffball by her hind quarters just as she made her final strides to the water's edge.

She rolled over, pulling the puppy to her chest and sat up. Shannon looked up to see the sleeping Lauren and smiled,

"Well, that is just adorable." 

Bo blushed as the woman walked towards her and smiled, "I've never seen Lauren that comfortable on a woman's lap in my life. I've never seen Lauren on any woman's lap. She never cuddled with Nadia... well, I wasn't around them at home, but never in public."

She held the pup up, scratching beneath her jaw, "Sorry about the mad dash for the river. Apparently, I didn't latch the gate properly behind Lauren."

Bo smiled, "As long as you caught her and she's not drowning down river, it's all good."

"I'd never forgive myself."

"Me either." Bo said, her face deadly serious as she spoke.

Shannon shuffled her weight and Bo immediately sensed the tension in her. Still, the nurse continued, "These dogs really are your world, aren't they?" Shannon more stated than asked.

Bo looked down at Lauren, "Them and this sleeping beauty here. They're everything."

Shannon smiled, looking back at Carolyn playing with the dogs in the yard, "I know the feeling."

Bo watched the look on the woman's face as she gazed back at the yard, "I'm sure you do."

"Hey, would you mind if Carolyn and I went in and crashed?"

Bo smiled, "I think we're ready to do the same."

"Need any help with anything?" Shannon snuck over towards Bo, holding the puppy out to Lauren's face. The two women smiled as the pup began to lick Lauren's face, "Wow… she's out."

Bo whispered, "Try again."

The pup extended its front pads and softly pawed at Lauren's cheek before leaning in to lick her face again. This time, it did the trick. As Lauren opened her eyes, she laughed,

"Hey there. What are you doing?"

Bo chuckled, "I'm waking you up to go to bed. You look really tired."

Lauren looked up to see Shannon holding the puppy and smiled, "How did I now you would have something to do with this."

Shannon stood, holding the pup close to her cheeks, "Because we're two peas in a pod."

"That you are."

She smiled, sitting up at Shannon moved to the back yard. Looking down at Bo, she stretched, pulling her hair back out of her face. Bo's eyes roamed the length of her body. Even fully clothed, Bo was completely drawn to the strong, slender frame of her doctor,

"Sorry I fell asleep."

Bo smiled, "You're exhausted. It's been a very long day for you, Doctor."

Yea, but we found the cure."

"You found the cure. Congratulations, by the way. No one has to die of this anymore."

Lauren smiled, "I certainly hope not."

"You ready for bed?"

Holding out her hand, she replied, "With you? Of course. Shall we get the pups settled?"

Bo nodded, "Can you put together some sort of crate for the puppies and pull Harper's bed out while I get the rest of the dogs settled in for the night?"

"Of course. Where is Harper's bed?"

"Under our bed." Bo said, climbing out of the chair and looking up at the sky, "I think I'm going to leave the chair out tonight. It's going to be clear and it's starting to warm up just a bit."

She walked to the fence and picked up at large steel barrel. She flipped it upside down over the fire, limiting its access to oxygen. She pressed the edges down hard into the sand to be sure her property would be safe, then stood and brushed off her hands,

"That'll do it."

"So, no more snow?" Lauren asked, walking with Bo towards the gate.

"We'll probably have one or two more good ones, but they won't last. It'll heat up eventually."

Lauren smiled, "I'm looking forward to experiencing my first spring here."

Bo grinned, "I'll see you upstairs?"

Lauren nodded, "I'll get everything settled."

"Tell Shannon and Carolyn I'll be in shortly. I hope they don't mind the small bedroom."

"I'm sure they'll be fine."

Bo headed to the garage with the doors, Harper again bringing up the rear while the pups followed closely behind her. She got the dogs settled in about fifteen minutes, locked everything up and then headed inside. There, she found the two visitors examining the wood frame of every wall in the house,

"Can I help you, Ladies?"

Carolyn turned, her hand still moving up and down along the center beam, "Lauren said you built this house beam to beam… ever nail?"

"Ninety-nine percent. I had to have help with the roof, but the rest was done by hand."

Shannon smiled, looking up at the ceiling, "Wow. This is… amazing."

Carolyn nodded, "If we end up staying, would you build us one of these?"

Bo laughed, "For a price, yes."

"Of course, of course! We would never dream of getting all of this for free."

"That's the second time you two have mentioned staying. Are you seriously considering staying here?" Bo asked.

Shannon smiled, looking at Carolyn who replied, "We are, Bo. It's amazing here and the work is perfect. There's no big hospital craziness. It's just us and our patients… our patients are the priority, not the egos and recognition that most of our doctors have become so concerned with."

Shannon shrugged, "In all honesty, it's the hospital board that's changed things. They believe that prestigious doctors bring in prestigious patients who are willing to donate money to the hospital in exchange for a life-saving procedure. That's why Evony is so obsessed with Doctor Lewis, but it doesn't seem she is as happy as Evony is. When we first started, Doc would show up at the Nurses' station with a big old smile on her face. She's saying good morning to everyone and bring us coffee and donuts. She would sit with patients who she had cared for just to keep them company. Now, it's all hurry, scurry. How many surgeries can she finish in a day and what's success to failure ratio."

Carolyn nodded, "She may be at her professional peak, but I think she's at an all-time low on the happiness factor… back home, anyway. I hope she will come to see that this place is perfect for her. She can have a career, friends, hobbies and a family."

"Family? She wants kids?"

Shannon laughed, "Lauren doesn't need a blood connection to be family, Bo. You're her family whether she wants to admit it or not. It's pretty obvious to us even after spending only a few hours with the two of you."

Bo nodded, more concerned right now that Lauren might be hearing their entire conversation. She smiled politely,

"Well, right now, I just want to take one day at a time and let Lauren figure out what she wants from her life. I would never try to take her career from her and… well, to be honest… I don't know Boston Lauren so it's hard for me to agree or disagree with you. I just know that she is a strong, independent, intelligent and beautiful woman who is quite capable of making her own decisions about her life. She certainly doesn't need us second guessing her choices. So, with all due respect and appreciation for your support of me and my relationship with Lauren, I think it's important for the two of you to support Lauren through this journey."

Bo turned to the fireplace and began building a fire to keep the pair warm through the night as she continued,

"Lauren was with Nadia for a long time. Jumping right back into another relationship isn't what she wants to do right now, and I support that train of thought. I love her and I will wait for her until she tells me to move on."

"Wow, that's real… mature of you."

Bo chuckled, "Well, it's not about maturity now, is it? When you love someone… truly love someone… they're not a possession or a slave to your needs and desires. They're a person who you want to be happy… you want the best for them, no matter what it may do to you."

"Sounds like martyrdom to me." Carolyn said as she stared into the fire.

Bo shrugged, "I'm no martyr. I just… I just love her and want her to be happy. If that's here with me, so be it. If not, then I want her life to be full of whatever it is that will give her joy and love daily. Life is too short to spend it miserable."

"Well, in that case, she'd better get to finding the happy because she's been miserable for far too long." Carolyn replied, "That girl is one bad-ass doctor who will fight like hell for what she believes in whether she's got to take on a patients' family or the entire pharmaceutical industry, but when it comes to her personal life, she's like a door mat. At least when it came to Nadia." 

Bo scowled as she leaned against the stone hearth, looking down into the fire, "Well, you'll forgive me if I don't see it your way. Out here, we live and let live and that means my perspective is that Lauren's life isn't some sort of game or movie to be messed with. It's her life which means it's also her path and her choices that will ultimately create her journey. Besides, it's easy to judge a person until you've walked a mile in their mukluks."

"Their what?" Shannon asked.

Bo laughed,

"Eskimo boots." She said, pointing to the woman's feet that still held the footwear they'd given her to wear, "And you really should take off your shoes before you come into someone's house."

Bo walked away from the pair and headed to the small storage closet beneath the stairway. She pulled out two pillows, sheets and a blanket, then returned to the living room and tossed them on the couch.

"I think that's enough discussion about Lauren's life for one evening. Frankly, it's a disappointing end to what was an otherwise lovely night. Try to keep in mind that – well, at least while you're in my presence – your undying support of Lauren's choices in her life and hope for a happy future would be greatly appreciated. This sort of conversation is not only not wanted, but unwarranted. You've told me that you call her friend and that she's the best boss evert. Given those two things, I can't fathom why you would begin to talk to me, of all people, about Lauren in the way you did just now."

She pointed towards the short hallway, "There's a bathroom there and the small guest room is there. If you pee, please put a scoop of the gray stuff in the bucket next to the composting toilet in the bowl. If you drop a log, please make sure you pull the bucket out from under the bowl, open the poop chute door in the wall and dump it outside."

"You mean… your toilet doesn't flush?" Shannon asked, horrified.

Bo didn't turn, but instead chuckled as she took the stairs, "You wanted to experience off-the-grid-living… this is it."

When she reached the top of the stairs, she stopped when she saw Lauren sitting on the floor at the foot of the bed near the railing. Her head was down as she stroked Harper's neck. Bo could see her cheeks glistening in the lamplight, so knew she had been crying.

Bo walked to her and sat down beside her. One of the pups pawed at her head from above her. She reached up and pulled her down from the bed, allowing her to cuddle up in her lap. The other one followed shortly and made herself at home between Harper and the first pup. She still had no conclusive name ideas but hoped that something would come to her soon. Of course, Elise's ideas were numerous. Maybe she really would just leave it up to her to name the entire litter. The kid deserved at least that much after her entire life had been uprooted.

"Want to talk about it?" Bo asked.

Lauren shrugged, shifting to lean on Bo's shoulder, "What difference would it make?"

She wiped her nose, "But thanks for sticking up for me."

It was Bo's turn to shrug, "I wasn't sticking up for you, Lauren. I was speaking my truth. It just happens to be that my truth… well, I guess it's sort of your truth too. To tell you the truth, I was surprised that they spoke of you the way they did. I was really starting to like them, too."

Lauren smiled, "They're fine, Bo. I guess they're just sick of watching me screw up my love life."

"They sort of have you up on a pedestal, medically speaking." She fluffed the fur on the pup's neck, "It's hard when our idols don't live up to our expectations."

"I'm hardly an idol, Bo. I'm human. I make mistakes." She dried her cheeks, "I guess the problem is, that I didn't know anyone else noticed until now."

Bo overhead the pair talking about the size of the size of the bed and the toilet below and chuckled, "It seems they're not satisfied with the accommodations either. I guess we've both let them down."

"They're young and until now, I think they thought they were on vacation. It's too bad they weren't here for the first clinic. It was smaller and had much less equipment."

"Well, Evony played her hand perfectly. She's now more popular than ever with all you can do in that clinic. Even though the hospital opening will be delayed, she's pouring even more money into the project. My foreman hired another dozen men yesterday and apparently Evony absorbed the extra payroll costs without complaint."

Lauren shrugged, "The sooner we're in business, the more money she makes back over time."

Bo nodded, "It's all about the dollar."

"Yup."

They were silent for a long moment before Lauren asked, "Bo? Will you go away with me?"

"Wh-what? Where?"

Lauren could feel the brunette stiffen at the request, but she did her best to keep her voice calm, "I have to run down to Seattle next week to pick up the water test results and any equipment we need installed to kill the legionella. I thought maybe we could get away… just the two of us… good food, good company. I'd just like to get away from… well, the clinic, people…"

She lifted her head to look at Bo, "There's this little island that a doctor friend owns. He owes me one and said I could use the house anytime between now and summer. What do you think?"

Bo hesitated, but then decided that life with Lauren was going to require courage that could match that of the doctor's. It was clear that Lauren liked the beach – hell, she owned a home at one. Maybe it was time that Bo came out from under a blanket of snow, ice, water and trees. It was a big country… hell, it was a big planet… might as well see some of it before she ran out of time.

"I've never been on an island."

Lauren smiled, "I know. I also know going anywhere outside of this state other than the Canadian Rockies will probably be a bit scary…"

"Scared? I'm not scared." Bo responded stiffly… and quickly.

Lauren lay her head down on Bo's shoulder again, "I know you're not. I'll make the plans."

Bo leaned her head against Lauren's, relaxing at the feeling she always got when her doctor was close, "Lauren?"

"Yes, Bo?"

"Maybe I'm just a little… nervous."

Lauren smiled, "Bo?"

"Yes, Lauren?"

"Will you fly us to Seattle, so we don't have to fly commercial?"

Bo smiled, "Of course, Lauren."

"Bo?"

"Yes, Lauren?" 

"Can we get into bed?"

Bo grinned, "I thought you'd never ask."

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

Bo opened one eye to the sun peeking in through the window. It was growing brighter each morning, the days longer and longer. She smiled seeing Lauren cocooned in the blanket, her head and face in Bo's chest. She was warm and being with her like this was an absolute dream.

Bo had meant what she'd said to the nurses last night. Something in her had shifted. She loved this woman with all of her being and she wasn't about to do anything that would upset Lauren's happiness. If she had to, she would let her go and retreat from her world. Until then, she would be at her side, giving her whatever she needed while simultaneously working on herself to become an actual human being rather than a mere fixture in nature.

For now, however, she could feel a pair of tumbling pups at the foot of her bed and didn't want them to wake Lauren. She carefully lifted her head, using her pillow to replace the warmth of her body against Lauren and sat up slowly. She smiled when she saw Harper, lying obediently still at the foot of her bed, ears perked up as the pups wrestled with each other beneath her chest.

She gave the spot between her ears a scratch and quietly slipped out of bed. Harper jumped from the mattress, stretching out her paws when she hit the floor. The two pups stood at the edge of the blanket, staring down at the long jump to the floor.

Bo smiled, walking back to the bed to pick each of them up by the scruff of their neck to help them down and then moved to pull on some clothing. First stop was the window that held the indoor clock and the outdoor barometer and thermometer. She smiled when she saw that it was five-thirty in the morning and a comfortable thirty-five degrees.

She looked down at Harper and whispered, "Above freezing, Harper. The fish are waking up. Wanna catch a fish?"

The dog's tongue hung from her mouth as her tail wagged. She ran to the top of the stairway, followed by the pups. Bo pulled on a pair of jeans and crew socks with a thermal shirt and hoodie before heading down the stairway. She turned and watched the pups staring at the series of steps. This was new to them, so she waited patiently to see if they would take the first leap or not. Finally, one of them took the first step, then the next and next. It was slow, but she made it about halfway before the other started down from the top. Moving a bit too quickly, she lost her footing and balance and began to tumble, taking out the other pup who had made it a third of the way down. The two landed at Bo's feet in a twisted lump,

"Graceful, girls. Very graceful."

She waited to make sure they were both able to stand and walk. Their bones were still very flexible at this stage of life, so it wasn't likely they would break anything, but still, tendons and ligaments could be strained or torn and that could make or break their career as a racing sled dog.

They followed Harper into the kitchen and threw the doggie door into the garage. Bo made a stop in the kitchen to brush her teeth and then headed into the bathroom, shaking her head when she saw a bucket of poo barely covered in the sawdust peat moss mixture Bo used for composting and a note that read 'sorry'.

"Right. This is taking hospitality to a whole new level."

She put the bucket back beneath the toilet seat and closed the lid. She picked up the hook and turned the crank, mixing the sawdust and excrement thoroughly before opening the lid and pouring the liquid waste bucket into the solid waste. She then closed the lid once more and gave the crank a few more spins before lifting the bucket from its receptacle, opening the slip door to dump the bucket into the compost bin outside.

She opened the lid and replaced the bucket, checking to make sure both it and the liquid waste receptacle were aligned properly before spooning in six hefty scoops of sawdust for the next use before closing the lid. Now that everything was fresh, it would last another day with guests, possibly two before she would have to empty it again.

She sat down on the toilet to relieve herself, shaking her head at her guests. She supposed she would have to give them a tutorial. Lauren figured it out, she thought they would as well, but alas, modern society only required the dump and flush method. She supposed she should be more patient with the pair, but their judgement of Lauren last night had left a bad taste in her mouth.

She finished up, giving the crank a turn to mix her waste into the sawdust and then moved to the sink. She used the foot pump to get the water flowing from the faucet to wash her hands and then headed out to go through her morning dog routine.

She quickly hitched up a sled, deciding she'd give Harper a go this morning. If she started to struggle in any way, she would pull her into the basket. She picked up the pups and tossed them into the basket before opening the garage door and heading out with a full complement of dogs. This would be fun.

She headed down the snowy road along the river, deciding to head all the way down to Crooked Bridge. She wouldn't take a chance on crossing the river shallows again until January. The ice wasn't going to be thick enough with the strong current and rising water beneath.

The snow was still plenty deep in these parts, but it wouldn't be long until she would have to head deep into the mountains by truck to give her girls a run. After that, it would be spring, and snow would be impossible to find unless she flew the dogs to the north slope for a run. Even there, from what she'd heard, there was nothing but tundra.

The ice was retreating as the temperature of the land increased dramatically with each year. She was again reminded of the negative forty-five to sixty-five climate she was raised in that now saw ninety degrees on some days of summer. The ice was vanishing and with it, the animals native to the lands. When she was in Nome, she'd overheard stories of entire homes dropping right through the permafrost into the ocean as entire chunks of land reached temperatures too high to sustain the ice beneath.

She looked around, breathing deeply as she tried to capture the beauty of the land where she grew up before it changed completely into something she would no longer recognize. While the governments of the world argued over whether climate change was real, she was watching the change right before her very eyes every single day.

Some say a culture was being lost, but Bo thought it was more their way of life. Without the ice, the people from the North Slope would have to find new ways to eat, start fires and survive. Wildlife was moving south, leaving them with fewer sources of food and clothing. They were relying more and more on the outside world to provide what they needed, and the outside world was not providing it cheap.

Word has it that the online companies were a big source of products now, but the cost of getting them up to the North Slope was still incredibly high. While it was warmer to Bo and the other natives, to the big companies, flying a cargo plane into their high winds and low temperatures was still expensive and those costs were passed on to the natives. The last time Bo had purchased a loaf of bread and a gallon of fuel oil up north, it had set her back ten bucks a piece. Supposedly prices had dropped a bit, but they were still probably at least half of that.

"Wow. How did I get to thinking about all that bullshit, Harper, huh? I guess those nurses are bringing more from the lower forty-eight than just themselves and their judgmental crap. Why am I so angry?" She thought about what Doctor Gray had said about when she recognized her own anger.

" _Ysabeau, I know you are concerned about your anger, so I will tell you this. When you feel the anger rise, recognize it… greet it as you would a child. Ask it why it exists and if it can't answer, be patient with it as you would a child. Talk to it, ask it the hard questions about why it must present itself in the way that it does… why it can't speak more calmly. Ask questions that make it truly consider its existence and listen for the answers. In time, you'll come to understand one another."_

" _Fine wine." Bo smiled._

 _The doctor took Bo's hand, cupping it in her own, "Life is not meant to be rushed, Ysabeau. It's meant to be savored. We each have our own paths to walk. Choose to walk yours in the same manner you love your dogs, care for your dogs, plant your seeds and grow your plants. Transfer the way you live your life to the way you approach those humans you despise so much. In that way, you may find a kind of peace you may never have known otherwise."_

Bo closed her eyes, allowing the sensation of riding on the sled to fill her being. She could feel every stride of her dogs, something most mushers never took the time to connect to… her mother had taught her to try to feel every heartbeat and every step her dogs took so that she could understand when they could be pushed and when they needed to rest, when they were too cold or too warm, when their breath was strained with effort that was within their comfort zone or when they were strained beyond comfort.

She smiled at the feeling of joy she received. They were having fun and so was she… until she had started to think of things that were not within her control. That was when the voice of her anger had reared its ugly head. It was the same voice that came around when Lauren was making decisions that might cause her pain and feelings of abandonment.

"Those nurses connect Lauren to Boston which connects to me losing the love of my life. It's how I was so calm about Lauren leaving. I've just moved the anger from Lauren to them." Bo chuckled, "So not as altruistic as I'd thought in my 'let Lauren love as she chooses' speech."

She searched through her feelings, slowly recognizing her true intentions and smiled, "But yet, I do want her to be happy – even if it's without me. It would suck, but… it's what I want for her. I love her that much. It's not martyrdom, it's just a simple fact. The thought of Lauren being happy… the image of her with a smile on her face, that look of deep concentration when she's in doctor mode, the picture of her dancing when she thinks no one is watching… it's all perfect. It fills my soul to know she's happy because somehow, I know I'll still be connected to her."

She laughed, looking at Harper to be sure her stride was still easy and not strained, "We'll always have Alaska, girl. No one can take that away from Lauren and I, can they. We'll always have Alaska."

They'd reached the bridge, so she slowed their stride and called out to her lead, Diana on the right, "Gee! Gee!"

She watched as Nike pushed into her partner, making the turn with her, rather than resisting. Gawd she loved this team. She often wondered what she would do when she had to retire this generation. Would she keep racing? She looked down at the two eager pups who were hanging out of the top of the baskets. They were sniffing the air and looking around at all the sites at times, but mostly their focus was on the role models before them. Their tails wagged relentlessly as they barked at the team with each command Bo offered. Would she continue to race? If it was with these two, damn right she would. They were as eager as their grandmother had been when she was a pup.

They crossed the bridge and headed up the trail into the mountains, the steep gorge not much of a challenge for the full team with an empty sled. They rounded the corner and headed back down the ridge to come along the opposite side of the river from her house. It was a quick three-mile loop, but it would be enough of a workout in the snow before they would make the trek back to town. At the other end of the loop, she could stop and check her wheel for fish. If there were none, she would fish with Harper when they got back home and set the cast iron dutch oven to coals before the others ever opened their eyes.

She smiled as her house came into view across the river, parts of the roof now visible as the sun heated the tin causing the snow to slide off into the drifts below. It was a fine-looking house, that was for certain. Her remaining dogs were in the yard which meant Lauren must have gotten up. Bo laughed, thinking of how Lauren would likely want those cooking lessons when she finally got to cooking their breakfast. Yes indeed, it was looking to be a great morning.

She felt a lurch in her sled before she looked up to see Diana and Nike arguing about something. There was usually only one thing that would cause these two to disagree,

"Whoa! Whoa!" She watched as the two followed command and slowed to a stop. Unable to turn the sled on its side because of the pups inside, she dropped the ice hook and planted it firmly in the ice. She slowly reached beneath the seat of her sled and pulled out the two axes she kept strapped beneath the bench.

She remained crouched as she crossed to the basket. She forced the pups into the cargo hold and pulled the cord taut to keep them locked inside. She didn't need them attracting attention right now. She dropped to her knees and slid past each pair, whispering calming words as she moved and commanding each to sit or lay down. Once Harper laid down, it made it difficult for the others to remain standing because of the tension she forced on the center line.

When she reached Diana and Nike, she watched their noses, looking first to the tracks on the ground before following them off in the right direction,

"Good girls, good girls." She watched the brush for movement and finally saw the target of concern, "Really? It had to be a grizzly bear? Couldn't be your cousin the brown or even a black, huh?"

She looked down at the axes in her hand, kissing each, "Whatever you do, if this big guy wants anything other than to go to the salmon run, don't miss." She looked at her dogs, "If there is a God, please keep them quiet or they will become the main course after he chews me up as an appetizer."

She watched as the bear sniffed the air, before its eyes came to rest on the sled. She could feel Nike's paw cover her wrist as she gave a low growl,

"Easy girl. Easy." She tugged her wrist from beneath the paw, "I'm gonna need that if I need to throw this axe. Shhh… it's okay. I've got this, right?"

She slowly turned to face the bear, moving to her knees before getting her feet beneath her in a tight crouch. She thought of everything she would do, step by step. She pivoted her right foot, sliding it slightly back behind her, making sure her weight was centered. She would need balance and a good push off when she went to stand. She would throw her left-hand axe underhand, striking the groin where the skin was thin and the blood vessels shallow. The bear would lower its head, exposing the weakest point of the skull where she would strike with her right-hand axe.

That would leave her defenseless… wait… flare gun. She slid back towards the basket, keeping her eyes trained on the bear. She pressed her right-hand axe into the snow before reaching behind her to unzip the side pouch, pulling out the flare gun. She forced her other blade into the snow, looking down to load the flare into the gun.

Now, the ultimate question… try to scare him off with a flare first or use axes, then flare. It was times like these that Bo questioned her decision not to carry a shot gun or rifle, but ultimately, it was not the way she was raised.

She reached into the pouch once more, pulling out the belt with the two blades she normally carried on her hips when trapping. Wrapping it around her waist, she tied it fast just in time to hear the bear release its first sounds.

She'd brought down plenty of bears, but usually with a trap and rarely hand to claw. The bear growled again, this time showing its teeth. It moved closer, but not yet in range for an axe to sink deep enough to cause any real damage.

She smiled, "There's lots of salmon down river. Aren't you in the mood for some really, really tasty salmon? There's so many of them waking up for spawning season and they're much tastier than me or my dogs. What do you say, huh? Hang a left and head down river so I don't have to kill you and you don't have to kill us?"

The bear stood up on its hind legs in response and Bo had her answer,

"Kill or be killed it is."

She put the flare gun in her waistband, and retrieved her axes from the ice, gripping them with purpose. Now fully armed, it was time. She pushed off hard with her back foot, launching herself towards the grizzly, making herself as big as she possibly could,

"AARRGGGH! HA! HA! HA BEAR! GO AWAY!" She thrust her axes upward with each shout, doing her best to scare off the massive beast, but he continued forward, not the least bit intimidated by her actions.

She maintained her stance, holding her ground, watching him close the distance on his hind legs and just before he dropped to charge, she took dead aim at his groin and released the axe with all of the power she could muster. It sunk in deep, causing him to drop to all fours and expose his massive skull. The fired her second axe, causing it to sink into the left side of his skull, but still he charged.

She ran from the dogs, hoping to draw him towards her and as she hoped, he followed. She could hear the dogs barking as she hit the waters' edge. The current was strong and would move her away from the bear more quickly should he get the better of her. She felt the claws hit the back of her calf first, grazing the flesh like a dull knife through warm butter. She fell, earning an Emmy for her dead fish act before thrusting one of her knives into the bear's left eye and the other up and threw the flesh beneath his jaw.

She felt the claws slash across the back of her ribs as she curled into a ball. She reached into her belt and gathered all her courage. With one last ditch effort, she lifted the flare gun, turned to the bear and as he roared in her face, she fired the single flare into his mouth, closing her eyes and turning her head so as not to blind herself.

He collapsed onto her, the full weight of his dead body now atop her own. She struggled to breath as the mammoth carcass bore down on her ribs. She could see a pool of blood forming beneath her but was unsure if it was her own or the bears'.

She heard a ruckus behind her… what sounded like human voices intermingled with the dogs barking and as she looked up, she could have sworn she saw a curtain of blonde hair hanging over her face before everything went dark.

"Jaysus, Lauren. How the hell is she still alive?" Shannon asked as the three women worked together to pull Bo from beneath the large bear.

"Are you sure it's dead?" Carolyn asked.

Lauren looked at the dogs, then at Bo before making a decision, "We won't be able to get her back across the river. The current is too strong."

"So, what do we do?" Shannon asked, turning her back to Lauren so that she could get to the supplies in the backpack they had brought across the river with them.

"We load her onto the sled. I'll drive it around to the house. If she was headed this way, there had to be a way back home. The dogs will know. She's run these trails plenty of times, I'm sure of it."

Lauren looked up to see the team clearly agitated by what had just happened, but she was grateful that Bo had brought a full team of dogs with her. She rolled her over onto her side and cringed at the sight of the three claw marks on her left rib cage,

"This is deep."

Shannon knelt down beside her while Carolyn spotted the damage to her calf, "Her calf too. Although this looks much more superficial."

"There's a puncture wound on her shoulder as well, Doc." Shannon observed, using some river water to wash away the blood, "Wow. It's… there's a tooth in there."

"Probably a projectile when she fired the flare into its mouth." Lauren said, spotting a portion of the bear's jaw in the sandy shore.

"I can't believe she's alive."

"Okay, okay! I know! Please stop saying that!" Lauren replied, trying to keep her emotions under control so she could think, "The mud from the shores seems to be keeping parts of the wound from bleeding. One of the native medicine books I've read said it's a common method of stings and wounds. I can't remember details, but I think it will work. Pull out the three ace bandages we found, then start making mud pies."

Carolyn started right away, pulling soil together and mixing it with river water, "A whole new course for nursing students. Emergency care for bear wounds in the arctic."

"Yea, well I'll sign you up for a class with Seline first, then you can teach it at the new hospital… if you still have the guts to stay after your first twelve hours off-grid."

The pair were silent as they thought about the argument, they'd had with Bo last night and the note Lauren had shared with them from Bo this morning about teaching them how to use a composting toilet. The blonde rolled Bo face down, pressing the mud pies against her wounds before working the ace bandages around her torso to add pressure to the wounds to slow the bleeding. Hopefully by the time she made it around to the house, there would be some clotting.

"Okay, that's about all we can do for now. You two take the puppies in your backpack and go carefully back across the river. Remember…"

"We know, Doc. The current is strong, but we drove the metal stake in deep enough to hold our weight on the rope if we lose our footing."

"Right. Just…"

"Don't let go of the rope. We know. We'll hook the carabiners to the loopy thing that's holds the two of us together on opposite sides of the rope. We're good. Honest."

"Call…"

"Seline. We know. We'll call her as soon as we get to the phone and do exactly as she says since Bo doesn't have a normal first aid kit in the house."

Lauren nodded as the three dragged Bo by the shoulders and hood of her jacket onto the sled's fully open basket. Lauren wrapped the enclosure around Bo, zipping it shut to be sure she wouldn't fall out. She pulled up her hood, knowing that blood loss was going to cause her body temperature to drop even further. She was partially in the water by the time they'd reached her, so she was already going to be battling hypothermia.

"Doc?" Shannon called to Lauren.

The blonde looked up to see her holding up the rifle they'd brought. Lauren nodded, walking back to her and taking the weapon in her hands.

"You sure you know how to use that?" Carolyn asked.

Lauren pulled back the bolt and checked to be sure the compartment was loaded before slamming it shut and checking the sight through the scope. She then pulled the sling over her chest, leaving the weapon behind her,

"One of the benefits of being raised in wealth is archery and marksmanship lessons." Lauren explained.

Shannon's jaw dropped, "You shot Bambie?"

She frowned, shaking her head, "I shot clay pigeons, Shannon. I'd never kill a living thing." She looked down at Bo, "Unless I was protecting someone I loved."

They watched as she pulled the ice hook from the ice and called out to the dogs, "Nike! Diana! Line out!"

Carolyn and Shannon grinned as the dogs obeyed and Lauren lifted her hood over her head and pulled on her gloves,

"I should be there in about fifteen minutes. I'm guessing the way across is somewhere near the bend. I know her fishing wheel is there as well. If not, I might be longer. Hopefully not. Be sure there's a warm fire and find anything you can that might help me close these wounds. She must have something because she treats the dogs all the time. There must be a suture hook somewhere. Try the garage kennel or the barn out back. Just be careful around the construction equipment. I don't need more patients."

They both nodded, "What about this?" Shannon asked, pointing to the bear.

Lauren shrugged, "Bo's going to be pissed as hell at me for leaving it behind. It's good meat for winter and it's a fur that would bring her a lot of money in trade, but I have no way of bringing it with me. See you soon."

The pair waved as the blonde set off along the river, now more than ever keeping her senses heightened as she now realized what the spring awakening truly meant in these lands. Bo had kept the dangers of her life off grid from her, for the most part, but watching the bear emerge from the woods had been her worst nightmare to date.

Shannon and Carolyn had emerged from the house and froze at the sight, but had quickly followed Lauren's instructions to get waders, line, ground stakes, first aid items and the rifle from Bo's kitchen wall. They worked quickly to pull on the waders, set the line and work their way across the fast-moving river. It was incredibly cold and despite the insulated rubber boots, their legs quickly grew numb making it difficult to walk. Lauren had been taught the dangers of waders filling up in a river adding too much weight to resurface should you fall in or go too deep, so she was careful to warn her nurses of the dangers as well.

They had stopped mid-river, Lauren shouldering her weapon and ready to fire when Bo took the shot with the flare gun. It had taken them all by surprise, causing them to lose their balance and grasp at each other to stay on their feet. They moved the rest of the way across the river, seeing spots from the blinding light of the flash.

As she moved closer to the bend, Lauren could see a bridge suspended over the river. She released a sigh of relief, the dogs slowing their pace as if they knew what was coming.

"Take us home, Diana! Show us the way, Nike! I'm trusting you, girls!"

She looked down, only now noticing that Harper was among the dogs hitched to the sled. She watched her carefully, knowing that Bo must have been doing the same. They slowly crossed the bridge that swayed as the dogs moved across. It was a tense moment, Lauren hyperaware of the basic physics of one sled rail or the other slipping too far right or left spelling disaster for all of them, especially Bo who lay unconscious in the safety of the basket… as long as they stayed out of the river.

She breathed a sigh of relief when the first five pairs of dogs had hit solid ground once more. They made a wide turn, taking care to get the sled off the bridge before it attempted to turn and continued back up towards the river bend. The dogs slowed when they came upon a large wooden wheel that spun through a trough in the water, a net on either side full of fish.

The team stopped, despite the lack of command, Harper looking over her shoulder at Lauren expecting… something. Deciding the dogs were not going to continue unless she did whatever it was they wanted done, she dropped the hook and walked to the front of the sled, planting her hands on her hips,

"You do know that your Master needs to get back home quickly, right? So why the strike, huh?"

She looked at the wheel. There were two empty baskets with straps attached. Lauren walked carefully to the bank, aware she still had waders on. Falling in was not an option. She stepped onto the trough and reached down to the net to grab a large salmon by its tail. It was heavy.

"Geez, how many of these does she carry at a time?"

She picked them up, one after another until she had about five in each basket. She went to lift the first basket and cringed under the strain,

"Ugh. That's not going to work."

She tried slipping the sling over her shoulder and lifting, but that didn't work either, not to mention the rifle that dug into her back under the added weight. She decided the drag method would work best, so dragged one, then the other basket to the sled. With some extra effort, she hauled one basket onto the bench, tying it fast with the bungee cords Bo kept attached to the handle. The other, she attached beneath the bench before heading the rest of the stretch back to the house.

The trail was easy for the most part, but it was clear to Lauren that here along the river, the snow was melting much faster than on the north side where the snow was protected by the mountain. Once home, she pulled up to the fire pit, deciding she could release the dogs into the backyard and open the doggie door to the garage since the weather seemed relatively mild today by comparison. The forecast had temperatures rising to the low fifties in the afternoon, so the dogs would be comfortable. If they got to warm, they could go into the shelter of the garage as the door allowed them to move freely between the two spaces.

She moved back to the sled, just as Shannon and Carolyn came outside to greet her,

"We've got everything set up in there, Lauren."

The blonde nodded, "Sorry it took longer than I expected. The bridge crossing was further away than I'd thought, and I had to make a stop. The dogs wouldn't let me miss the fish pick up."

Shannon smiled, moving to the baskets of fish, "Wow. Those are… massive. What are they?"

"Salmon, mostly." Lauren replied, "Once we get her inside, they have to be put on ice, or they'll go bad."

"Same with the bear." Carolyn replied.

"The bear?" Lauren asked.

The pair smiled proudly, pointing at the bear head that was barely visible beneath the snow pile against the fence,

"We used Bo's knives and axes to create a sort of spikey collar that allowed us to attach it to the line and tow it across the river." Carolyn explained.

Shannon added, "With the current so strong, we just dragged him upstream, then pushed him in the water and the current just moved him right down and across to shore while we pulled him towards us from the other side."

"Well done. I have no idea what to do with it, but hopefully putting it on ice will give us time for Bo to explain." Lauren said, "Can you help me get her inside?"

The pair agreed, but added, "We'll help you get her in then come out here and ice the fish for Bo. We've got a fire going in the living room and we made one in the little fireplace thing by her bed. Shannon will help you care for Bo since she talked to that smarty pants, Seline."

"She is wise." Lauren nodded, unzipping the basket. She looked at Bo who was now quite pale, but also still breathing. She reached up to find a slow, steady pulse, "Well, at least her vitals seem stable, but her color isn't good at all. I've got to get under those bandages and see what's going on."

"Let's just lift the whole basket off the sled. Can we do that? Detach this big canvas bag?"

Lauren shook her head, "It's attached to the rails."

She walked to the shed and brought out a blanket, "The old blanket carry?" The all nodded their agreement, setting to the task of moving Bo inside.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

Lauren sat by Bo's bedside, waiting for her to awaken. LJ had been here and gone, taking Shannon and Carolyn back to the clinic to handle the patients for the day. He was bringing back more medical supplies to help her care for Bo and would also tend to the fish and bear that were left on ice. Apparently, there was more to it than just freezing them. The bear had to be field dressed and while Lauren had no idea what that meant, it seemed important to LJ.

Apparently, the family was upset that they had no idea where Bo lived. It was situations just like this that had been the reason they had wanted to know, and LJ had made it clear that Molly, especially, was quite upset with her at the moment. They were family now and that made all the difference.

She looked at the clock and realized it was time for another bandage change. She started on the calf first. The bear's claw had luckily only grazed the belly of the muscle, but it was still a long, angry, jagged cut that was deep enough to expose the muscle below. It had taken sixty-four stitches both inside and out for Lauren to pull the fibers back together. The good part was that the reflexes in her foot all seemed intact. She would know for sure when Bo awakened, but everything looked good.

Her back was another story. The bear's claws had done their worst to two of her ribs, not only slicing through the flesh, but breaking them as well. Because they were exposed, Lauren applied some surgical glue, but that was about all she could do. Ribs just had to heal on their own which also meant no lifting, pushing or pulling of any kind for four to six weeks. Bo would not be happy.

The puncture wound in her shoulder would most definitely be a badge of honor. Lauren had sent the tooth off as an errand for LJ. He had loved the story of how it had come to make itself part of Bo's shoulder.

"Aarghh."

Lauren's attention shifted from the bandage to Bo as her eyes opened and she moaned in pain.

"Bo?"

The brunette opened her eyes, turning her head towards the blonde's voice, "Lauren?"

"Hi."

"Hi."

"I'm alive."

"You're alive."

"I thought I saw you."

Lauren smiled, "You did. We crossed the river to get to you. Nice shot with the flare gun, by the way. You saved me a bullet."

"You had a gun?"

Lauren nodded, "Took it off of your kitchen wall. We were almost to shore when you fired the shot." The blonde teared up, "I thought…"

"Hey. I'm here. I'm alive."

She smiled through her tears, "You are and I'm incredibly grateful. I must admit…" she wiped her face, "…I've never seen a woman enter hand-to-hand combat with a grizzly."

Bo smiled, "It's my specialty."

"Well, I think maybe you should take up a new specialty. This one is hazardous to your health."

Bo nodded, starting a roll onto her back, but Lauren stopped her, "You can't Bo."

"What's the damage?"

Lauren sighed, returning to her work on the bandage on Bo's left side ribcage, "Your calf has a relatively superficial cut by comparison to the one I'm tending to right now. He sliced through the muscle well enough, but spared the nerves as far as I can tell. Can you flex and point your left foot for me?"

She looked down to see the foot moving as directed and smiled, "That's good, Bo."

"I can definitely feel the strain in the muscle."

Lauren nodded, "You will for a while. It'll take about three weeks, but the cut should heal up. The internal stitches will dissolve, but the outside sutures will need removing."

"Got it. Remove the stitches in three weeks."

"No, I'll remove the stitches when that angry bear claw cut has healed properly. You cannot see the back of your calf so don't go trying to cut sutures that you can't see."

"Got it. Don't piss off the doctor."

"Exactly." Lauren smiled.

"So, what are you doing now?" Bo asked, trying to look over her shoulder without success.

"The worst of the attack was to your ribs back here. Almost seventy stitches. I had to work overtime on those. You owe me a nice bottle of wine."

"A nice bottle of wine, eh? It sounds like I owe you more than that." Bo replied, "How in the world did you find me, Lauren?"

"Well, unfortunately, I had a front row seat to the entire thing."

"Right. I was in front of the house when it happened."

Lauren nodded, "As soon as I saw it, I called for Shannon and Carolyn. They gathered everything I asked for and we made the crossing with your rifle in hand. I was just about to shoot when you fired that flare into its mouth. Blinded us for a second, but we got to you right after he fell on top of you. It took all three of us to get you out from under him. I thought I was going to have to hitch it to the sled to get you out."

Bo smiled, "The girls would have done the job for sure. He was a big boy, that's for sure. I thought I was a goner for sure."

Lauren couldn't muster a reply, but she had the bear in her sights. She would have shot it before she would have allowed it to take another speck of flesh from Bo. She hadn't fired a weapon since high school, but she would have fired to save the woman she loved.

"Lauren?"

She looked up, seeing Bo trying to reach back for her, "Stop it. You'll hurt yourself."

"Talk to me, then."

"He broke two ribs. If you stay still for the next two days, it'll give my glue a chance to do its work. You start moving around and it will take you much longer to heal."

"Glue?"

"Our friend Gary the Grizzly was kind enough to make incisions over both ribs, exposing the broken ends. I put them back together with surgical glue and a surgical patch wrap that we developed for use around arteries. Shannon just happened to have a small sample patch in a first aid kit she carries. She was supposed to give it to Evony but had forgotten to give it to her. Anyway, all of that amounts to the equivalent of a patch to a flat tire if it's permitted to cure for a while. If you can manage to keep yourself still, you won't have to worry about a long healing period. Think you can do that for me?"

"Lay here in bed for two days?"

"Yup." She said, covering up her patient.

"Will you lay here with me?"

"I'll be here as often as I can be, Bo. I have…"

"Patients, I know."

Lauren sighed, "Bo…"

"It's okay, Lauren. Really. I'll be still. Just stack up some bags of jerky and bottles of water next to me. I'll be fine. Uh… what do I do if I have to… you know… relieve myself?"

"Bo, you can sit up. I'm just going to immobilize your entire upper body for a few days."

"You said two."

"I meant three."

"You sure three is the last surprise?"

"Promise." Lauren replied, "Unless it doesn't seem to be healing."

Bo sighed, knowing this was one of those times the doctor was giving her an answer to get her to stop asking, but what she really meant was she'd have to wait and see how it healed. She watched Lauren move to the stove,

"Where's Harper and the pups?"

"They're out in the yard playing. LJ will be back in a few hours. He's going to take the pups tonight. We decided it's best to leave Harper here with you."

"Thanks." She replied, "Wait… LJ was here?"

"Don't be mad, Bo. We needed help. I had to get Shannon and Carolyn to the clinic to cover the patients for the day and I couldn't leave you alone. They don't know how to drive a sled and I wasn't about to leave you alone with them since they pissed you off royally last night."

Bo nodded, "What did he think of the house?"

"He was very impressed. He loved the kennel you created in the garage. He's bringing back some supplies from the clinic." She paused, "I had the girls call Seline."

"Lauren…"

"No, Bo. You have no first aid kit out here and I don't know how to treat wounds without my east coast medicine, as you would call it. She's taught me some basics and the books I've read about wilderness medicine all seem to contradict each other. Although I will admit that the mud I used to staunch the bleeding until I got you here did work."

"Got me here? How did you get me here?"

"I drove you in the basket of the sled down river to the suspension bridge. Of course, the dogs went on a fish strike when we got to your wheel, so I loaded up two baskets of fish and brought them back."

"You hauled two baskets of fish and me on the sled? You ran a full sled team?"

Lauren shrugged, "I wasn't going to let my lack of confidence on a sled stop me from saving your life."

"Where are the fish?"

"They're buried in ice… with the bear."

"You saved the bear?"

Lauren chuckled, "You'll find this hard to believe, but my nurses hauled that bear across the river and buried it in snow pile, then surrounded it with fencing so nothing could get in."

"That can't wait. The meat will go bad and that will make the fur useless to me."

"I'll take care of it, Bo. I promise. For now, you just relax and think of what you want LJ to do when he gets here. He'll be running the business for a few days."

"I think a nap is just what I need. I don't suppose there's anything you can do about that constant aching I feel, is there?"

Lauren smiled, "I know you don't like any type of drugs, so I didn't…"

"Thanks. I appreciate that. I know you hate to see your patients in pain."

"We can try ice?"

Bo nodded, "That would be great."

"I'll be right back." She leaned down and kissed Bo's cheek before heading outside.

When she exited the house, she waved to LJ who was just turning on to the property. There was someone in the basket. Behind him came two more sleds. As LJ dropped his ice hook, Lauren approached, arms crossed over her chest since she hadn't bothered to waste time grabbing a jacket.

"Hi Doc. Look… I tried to stop them, but…"

Lauren saw Seline as soon as LJ opened the basket, "God, you put her in the basket?"

"She insisted. She didn't trust me not to flip her off the bench."

Lauren helped her up, steadying her as she stood after the long ride, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, dear. How's our Bo?"

"I've handled the suturing, but she's having pain. I don't suppose you brought anything she'd be willing to take for that, have you? I was going for ice."

"Ice will work nicely with the herbs I've brought. Come. Let's make my special tea." She smiled, hooking her arm through Lauren's elbow before she looked over her shoulder, "Jon, be a good boy and get Lauren some ice, will you?"

"Yes, Miss Seline."

Lauren understood Molly and Tosh were in the sleds that came behind LJ. She also noticed that Molly had brought Elise and the three puppies. Lauren understood that Mark was probably running the store in her absence and handling Elise and the pups on top of the store and kennel in LJ's absence would be just about impossible. But regardless, Bo was probably not going to be very happy that they'd all come before she'd had a chance to put all the finishing touches on the house. Still, they weren't here to see the house. They were here to see Bo and Lauren would do her best to make that clear if the brunette protested.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **12 Hours Later…**_

"Seline? Are you sure that tea is supposed to put Bo out for this long?"

Seline smiled from her chair by the window, her eyes never leaving the beadwork she was doing on the small corner table LJ had moved in from the barn for her,

"I told you it would make her sleep. Sleep is best for her injuries. I suspect you know our Ysabeau quite well by now, Lauren. Do you really believe she will lay still for you if she is awake?"

"She did promise under the threat of a six-week healing period instead of three to four." Lauren replied, coming to sit at the table with the village elder and healer, "This is absolutely beautiful."

She smiled, "This is for the coming of age ceremony for a young boy in our village. His great grandfather is our chieftain. He has big shoes to follow someday."

"Is that a falcon?"

She nodded, "This design represents his tribe and the falcon, his spirit animal. I believe that Ysabeau will struggle to keep her promise to you, child. She is not one to stay still. She is a restless one who is always seeking answers."

Lauren shrugged, "With all due respect, I believe that recently, she has slowed down and found some of her answers."

"I would hope to see this for myself."

"Of course." Lauren nodded, unsure of exactly what the woman meant by her comment, "Can I get you anything? Are you hungry? Thirsty?"

She shook her head, "No, thank you, child. Must you go to your clinic today?"

"I took off to see to Bo. My nurses are handling the clinic today and tomorrow. We'll see what happens from there."

"I understand you have found a cure for the plague that has been ravaging our villages?"

Lauren nodded, "Yes. You should have received your doses of the cure. Did they not come?"

"They did, indeed. I was just surprised you did not come to administer them yourself."

"I was under the impression that you would be administering them. I did not believe your people would take too kindly to an outsider giving them medical treatment."

"It was we who sought out your Evony for an answer. It was she who provided you to us. Have you so little regard for our place in securing your future here?"

"Excuse me?" Lauren asked, taken aback by the older woman's suggestion that she was somehow taking them for granted… if that was what she was inferring.

"You've got a clinic, a hospital, members of our community at your beckoned call, you've gotten our Ysabeau and yet you have made no commitment in return. We are a bartering people."

"Are you saying that I am taking advantage of you and your people? That I'm taking advantage of your kindness and am not providing enough of an effort in return?"

Seline's silence was answer enough and it made Lauren's blood boil, "And were you here with me matching me hour for hour to find a cure for your people? And do you realize just how far outside the realm of your village this spread? Do you realize the part your village played in the spread of this condition? Do you know how many people have died because of the plague that you failed to cure? Do you understand that if you had not waited as long as you did to accept Evony's offer to help that hundreds of people would still be alive today?"

She looked out at the yard to where Elise was playing with the puppies, "That little girl out there… she lost both of her parents to a plague that came from your village waste getting into the town's water supply. I flew out to treat her mother, I flew back to the hospital in Anchorage with her and sat with her as she watched her last surviving relative die. I then helped to find a home for her where she will now live the rest of her life – if they choose to keep her – without either of her parents. There are countless stories like Elise's and it's no thanks to any effort on your part. How dare you judge the amount of effort I have put into your community?"

She stood, her legs nearly giving out from the emotions that were running through her body. She swayed for a moment, but felt two strong hands steady her before a voice filled the room,

"I believe it is our village custom that when a guest in the home of another, that you hold to the rules and manners of that dwelling. Lauren is an invited guest in this home… a permanent invited guest until she chooses to leave. You, however, were not invited. You came of your own accord and I am appalled that you would speak to her in the manner I just observed. Is it possible that they jailed my father's body, but his soul was passed on to you?"

Seline stood, gathering her belongings, "How dare you compare me to that man? When all others turned on you, I allowed you to stay in our community."

"You allowed me to stay, Seline, but you never allowed me to truly be a part of the village. You never allowed me to claim my birthright. You never spoke up for that birthright to the chieftain."

Bo gazed down at the garment, "You never held a birthright ceremony for me and never allowed me to take my rightful place as a native member of the village. I was and always will be an outsider, right? This ceremony on Friday… it's not truly to welcome me to the village, is it?" Silence. "Is it?"

She smoothed her hands over the fabric, "This young man… it is his wish that you have your full birthright restored."

"Kimba wants me to have my full rights?"

Seline nodded, "But he is three seats removed from Chieftain."

"So, you're saying maybe when I'm seventy I can get my identity back." Bo laughed, "You know what? You can keep it. I've found a new identity. I've got a new home and a new family."

Seline turned to Bo, "And yet, they are members of our village as well. You are setting yourself up for the cycle that your father began to continue."

Bo heard boots behind her. Turning too quickly, she gripped her side, falling against the edge of the sofa. Lauren quickly helped her to sit,

"You have to be more careful. You shouldn't be out of bed."

"Doc's right. Go to bed, Sis. I'll handle this."

Bo looked up to see her Tosh standing tall, his brow furrowed, "You heard?"

He nodded towards the window, "Everyone heard, Bo."

She looked outside and saw Elise sitting on the downed tree trunk that Bo had planned to start carving this week.

"I should go…"

"I'll go, Bo. I'm pretty sure it's what I said to Seline that has upset her."

"I heard what you said, Lauren. The problem is, that Elise will blame the village for her parent's death. Mark is a member of that village as is Tosh, LJ and Molly by association. I may not be considered a member of the village by the elders, but I am linked to them regardless."

"You had nothing to do with the water contamination… none of you did. I will make that clear to her, Bo."

The brunette shook her head, "I don't want anything to upset the progress Mark and Molly have made with her, Lauren… least of all that damn village." She looked up at Tosh, "They have a way of screwing up the lives of outsiders."

Tosh nodded, "Go on back to bed, Bo. Lauren will see to Elise and I will get Seline home if that is your wish."

Lauren helped Bo to stand, but the brunette had a few more words for her longtime mentor,

"Seline, we will not see each other for a long while. I am very upset by the words you have spoken while under my roof to one I care deeply for. Many things have come to light during my father's trial. My brother and his sons have done a great deal of research into who played what part in my life and it seems that you have not always been forthcoming with me. It also seems you were not as supportive as you portrayed yourself to be."

Tosh helped her to steady herself as her calf wound was now making itself known once again. Standing was becoming difficult and she could feel herself breaking out in a cold sweat. The last thing she wanted to do was to pass out in the middle of a magnificent speech. The words were coming much too easily, as if she had figured out all that had been done to her in her past,

"You revealed a side to yourself in the way you spoke to Lauren that I had not seen before. Now that I've seen that side, it would seem to me that you see her in the same way I believe you have always seen me… cheechako. Now I'm not sure what game you've been playing, but I am no longer certain that you were not party to Big Jim's plans. In hindsight, it would make sense that you were the one keeping tabs on me. All of the conversations I witnessed between the two of you from a distance that you blew off as your fighting for my rights…" Bo chuckled, "Shame on me for not considering that you may have been telling him details of my life… my feelings… as I had shared them with you."

Seline stood silent, gathering her remaining belongings into her bag. She picked up her shawl and pulled it over her shoulders, then walked to the door and stepped into her mukluks,

"Tosh, if you please."

Bo smiled, "So I'm right? You're just going to walk away without admitting it?"

Seline turned to Bo, "You will never have your birth right in our village in Point Siku. Find another village with which to cling to your so-called Athabascan roots. There are still many questions about that mother of yours and as such, your roots are muddied beyond repair. It's inside of you… the mixed blood... her mixed blood."

"And my father? He remains an honored member of the village despite marrying this muddied Athabascan of which you speak and giving birth to a mixed blood child?"

"He was forgiven by the tribe a decade ago when he admitted his error in judgement. His marriage to your mother was never sanctioned because he was married to another at the time. You, Ysabeau, are a bastard child born out of wedlock. You were cursed from birth."

She spat the words as venom from a snake's mouth. Tosh gripped the woman roughly by her shoulders and turned her towards the door,

"Make your way out to my sled, Seline. Say no more." Tosh demanded before turning back to Bo who had fallen back onto the sofa with Lauren at her side, holding tight to her hand. He knelt before her,

"Bo, we are your family. We are your tribe. You have never needed the village, your father or Seline. You have survived through your own efforts. You are a strong, proud, native woman who has followed in her strong, proud Athabascan mother's footsteps. I believe in your mother, Bo. She could not have taught you all you know if she had not been native. You belong to her, Bo. You belong to us, Bo. To all of us."

Her eyes were filled with tears as she looked at him, "How do I know that you're not party to all of this, Tosh? You're part of the village as is Mark and Big Jon."

"I don't know, Bo. You only have my word. But I assure you that Molly has heard every word spoken here. Her attention may be on Elise, but I know my daughter-in-law. She's hanging on every word. We will have a family meeting about this, and it is my intention to leave the village… our residence and our birthrights."

"Tosh, I'm not asking you to…"

"It's time this family did the right thing. The village is on the wrong side of this, Bo. Now, I can't speak for my sons or their kin, but I can speak for myself. I'm with you on this, Bo. You are my village. You, Lauren, LJ and my sons and Molly… even those pups of yours."

She smiled, "Thank you, Tosh."

"No need to thank me, Bo. You're my sister." He placed a gentle finger beneath her chin and lifted her eyes to his own, "I love you, Sis. I always will. In this short time we've shared together, I've grown to feel this… I don't know… connection… with you. I've got your back Bo and I plan to prove to you that you can trust my word."

He smiled, "Now normally, I would give you a big old bear hug right now, but seeing as that would cause you excruciating pain, we'll go with the brotherly kiss on the cheek." He did as promised before standing and righting his pants at the waist, "I'll be back as soon as I've had words with the council of elders and dropped off Seline. Until then, I'll leave you in the doc's very capable and adoring hands."

He gave Lauren a wink and she grinned in reply. He leaned down to the window, "Molly, can you come in here please? Lauren's coming out to keep an eye on Elise and the dogs."

Tosh headed for the door, calling to his dogs to head for the sled. He shared a whisper with Molly before she entered the home, stepping out of her boots,

"Well, that was quite a revelation."

She looked up at Lauren who kissed Bo on the cheek, "I'm going to go talk to Elise and keep an eye on your pups."

Bo nodded, wiping her tear-stained cheeks, "I think I'm going to need some ice."

Lauren smiled, "You just took the ice off when you got up. You'll have to wait about thirty minutes. Until then, why don't you lay down. Leaning against the back of the couch is not helping any. Would you rather be in the bed? I'm afraid the couch won't be very comfortable."

"Well, in my bed, I can only see the mountain and sky unless I'm standing. I might have to replace that window with a floor to ceiling number."

"Well, right now, you're not doing any heavy lifting, remember?"

"Right." Bo replied, getting to her feet, "Bed it is… if Molly doesn't mind."

"No problem for me, Bo. I can take a nap right next to you if you fall asleep. I forgot how much energy a pre-teen can have."

They all shared a laugh while Lauren excused herself to the yard and Molly helped Bo to the stairs, each preparing to have the tough discussions assigned.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

"How are you, kiddo?" Lauren asked, coming to sit beside Elise on the stump near the end of the property by the bank of the river.

"Did the village really poison us all?"

"Right to it, huh?" Lauren smiled, "I don't think they did it intentionally, but I do intend to report the old woman's reaction to the CDC. She didn't seem to deny anything,"

"But why would they do that?"

Lauren didn't want to think that it was all done for the same reasons the fires were set, but she wasn't completely sure. Either way, both were a sick, sick plan to hurt Bo. Wiping out innocent lives to harm one individual was sinister at best,

"I don't know, Elise. I just don't know. What I do know is that your parent's bravery and knowledge is the prime reason we've found the cause and the cure. No one has to die anymore, Elise."

The child lowered her head, poking at the sand with the stick her tiny fingers held, "But mine did."

Lauren nodded, "Yes, they did. And we're all very sorry about that, Elise."

"Molly said she's not a part of the village."

"She's from the west. She left her village when she married Mark. I'm sure she'll take you there if you'd like to visit."

Elise shrugged, "But I'm white."

"Not all villages are the way the one in Point Siku is, Elise. As a matter of fact, Mark told me a while back that most villages are very accepting. They want the world to learn about their cultures and their way of life."

"That would be nice if that's how it is. I would like to know about where Molly grew up. She's pretty cool."

Lauren smiled, "And Mark?"

"He's cool too. He's building me a dog sled… me size."

Lauren chuckled, "That's very cool."

"He said when my dog gets big, with a little sled, she can probably pull me since she'll get big before I do. Is that true? Why does she have to grow so fast?"

Lauren smiled, "For every year we live, dogs age about seven years."

Elise shaded her eyes as she looked up at Lauren, "So she's almost as old as me now!"

"That's right! You're almost twins!"

"Snow! We're twins!"

The pair laughed as Snow came running over, jumping on Elise who screamed, "Eeeewww!"

"Down, Snow!" Lauren said, pulling the pup off the youngster. She was mud from toe to tail, so Lauren picked her up and cleaned her off in the river while Elise did her best to wipe off her clothing.

"Will Molly get mad at my clothes?" Elise asked as Lauren returned to shore.

"It wasn't your fault, sweetie and Snow is just a pup. She doesn't know any better."

"She won't get in trouble?"

"I doubt it. If she does, you can plead her case, right?"

"Right!"

"So, is there anything else you'd like to talk about?" Lauren asked.

"Elise shrugged, "Did that lady Seline really do bad things to Bo? I thought she was her friend."

"We all did, sweetie. We're not sure what happened yet, but don't you worry about Bo. She's strong and brave, right?"

"Right. But still, it's hard when your heart hurts."

Lauren smiled, "It is. But if our hearts never hurt, we would never know when they were happy."

"I guess." She sighed, "Is it true you're leaving?"

"Where did you hear that?" Lauren asked.

"I heard Molly and Mark talking to LJ. They said Bo was going to be really sad when you leave."

Lauren nodded, "Well, I'm from Boston and I have a job and a home there. I was only supposed to be here for a year, but now I'm not so sure. I've built a life here in just a few months, so it's hard to say what I'll do."

Elise smiled, "I think you should stay here with us."

"Well, I'll have to take that into consideration then."

"Take it where?"

Lauren smiled, picking up the pup, "Take this pup into the yard with the other dogs. Right?"

"Right!" Elise replied, running to catch up with Lauren.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **Four Weeks Later…**_

Lauren was waiting for Bo when she got out of the shower. She smiled, moving to the bed to lay down on her stomach. Today was the day and Bo couldn't be happier about it.

"You'll feel a bit of a tug with each stitch I remove, okay?"

"You do remember this isn't my first rodeo with stitches, right?"

"I know. It's just a habit."

Bo smiled, "Well, let's get this party started. I can finally go in the water to fish again!"

Lauren placed the sterile pan that held scissors, tweezers, alcohol, gauze and bandages on the bed. She sat down below Bo, crossed her legs and pulled her calf into her lap. She dabbed the area with alcohol, took a breath and began.

"So, are we taking your truck to Anchorage tonight since we're not going to the village?" Lauren asked.

Bo nodded, "If that's okay with you."

"I'm not the one driving." Lauren replied.

"Well, it gives me an excuse not to drink. Less questions."

Lauren smiled, "They know the deal by now, Bo. Besides, Kelly is going with us, so they'll have a drinking buddy in her."

Bo groaned, "I can't believe she's going. Kurt sure did pick the perfect night to take on a weekend charter."

"The man has to make a living, Bo."

"Why didn't she go with him? That girl just rubs me the wrong way."

"I'm well aware. You work it into conversation on most days." Lauren said, snipping at the sutures on Bo's calf, "Here come the tugs."

"Can't wait." Bo replied sarcastically, cringing when Lauren tugged the first suture from beneath the skin, "Owa!"

"You big baby." Lauren laughed.

"You've also removed sutures from me before and they never hurt that badly! You did that on purpose!"

"I did not, Bo. These are much deeper than your last. That bear cut you deep. An inch lower and you would have lost the use of your foot."

"How?"

"He would have severed your achilles tendon."

"Whoa."

"Yea, whoa." Lauren nodded, "So what are we doing tonight? I'll have to tell the girls what time we're leaving."

Bo sighed, "Are we having dinner in Anchorage?"

Lauren nodded, "They want to go to that waterfront place."

"They have good food and the scenery isn't too bad."

"Well, nothing is as good as this view, but it's closer to the bar. Did you want to give them a curfew? It's a long drive back and I want to make sure you're okay to drive."

"I'll be fine, Lauren. I want them to have a good time." Bo replied.

"I know you do, and you've been a fantastic host."

"Until I ended up in grounded by my doctor for four weeks." Bo pouted.

Lauren laughed, "Well, I didn't hear you complaining for the past week."

"That's true. We certainly had ourselves some fun, haven't we?" Bo smiled, pointing her toe so that it grazed the seam of Lauren's jeans.

The blonde flinched, "Hey! Holding scissors here!"

Bo laughed, "I thought you had the steadiest hands in the business."

"Not where you're concerned." Lauren smiled, "Okay. All done with the calf. Now those ribs."

"I'm not looking forward to this." Bo said, as Lauren pulled her towel down, uncovering her upper torso.

"Are you cold?"

"Nope. It's got to be high forties in this house. It's warming up nicely."

Lauren nodded, "I was amazed at how quickly the snow melted."

"It's faster every year. The sun is hot even when there's a breeze. We're supposed to get into the high sixties, maybe low seventies today. July is bound to be eighties. Last year we even hit ninety a few times. Those days were brutal on those of us who live here year-round. We're just not used to heat."

"Well, then you should definitely not visit the east coast in summer unless we're at the beach."

Bo smiled, "Thanks for showing me pictures of your beach house the other day. It really does look beautiful, Lauren."

"Well, I hope you'll come with me for a little vacation there. Even if I move here, I'd like to keep that house for an occasional trip east in winter and summer."

Bo nodded, "It would be a nice vacation spot, for sure. Of course, I do plan to show you some great spots here during the summer. This isn't the most scenic spot in Alaska for summer."

Lauren smiled, "Well, I look forward to seeing anything you want to show me, but right now I'm going to be pulling out the outer stitches. These are pretty deep, so it's bound to be very uncomfortable."

Bo gripped the pillow over her head and braced herself for the first tug. This was going to suck.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

With the stitches out and the pair dressed, they headed outside to give the dogs some time to play in the yard. They sat by a warm morning fire while Lauren cooked eggs on the griddle. She'd been forced to learn to cook these past few weeks or starve, so had gotten quite good. She was more grateful for online videos now than ever.

When they finished eating, Lauren checked on Bo's wounds. As expected, the one on her ribs was weeping a bit, but it was healing quite nicely. Her calf, being much more superficial was now just a jagged scar. In time, both scars would fade, but the one on her ribcage wouldn't fade as much as the one on her calf.

When they finished eating, they put out the fire and headed into the house to get their day started. Bo checked on Harper and the puppies. Lauren had kept the puppies from Bo after one of them had pounced on her back and opened a suture. After that, she'd missed them so much, but in the past week, she'd been making up for missed time.

"So, what do you want to do today?" Lauren asked.

Bo smiled, "Well, I thought we could drive into town, check out our respective business places, then I'll leave the pups with LJ and take you for a drive to one of my favorite spots to have lunch."

"Sounds perfect."

"Okay then, let's hitch the dogs to the truck and head out."

"Hitch them to the truck?" Lauren asked.

Bo nodded, "I'm not actually going to have them pull the truck, Lauren… although that would be an interesting challenge for all forty-six dogs. They're just going to run in front of us. The engine will do all the work. Think of it as my truck taking the dogs for a walk."

Lauren laughed, "You and LJ are really up to forty-six dogs?"

Bo smiled, "Not including the puppies, that's correct."

"So, you're really doing this, huh?" Lauren asked.

Bo shrugged, "I suppose so. Do you think it's a mistake?" Bo asked, pulling out an extra-long length of center line for the extra dogs that would be hitched to the team. It had been too late for LJ to take the team of six home last night, so Tosh drove him home.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

When they arrived in town, they went their separate ways. Lauren assumed that Bo would be a while since she hadn't been to the kennel for weeks. For the first two weeks, LJ had decided his training runs would be to Bo's house and back so that she could see each of the dogs, check their general health and stay connected to them. When the weather changed, he switched to the wheeled carts, but continued to visit Bo since the snow had begun to melt on the trail to her house. LJ's visits also allowed her to review their budget and make any decisions that needed to be made. But most of all, it kept her busy and a busy Bo is what Lauren needed.

By the fifth day of rest, Bo was driving Lauren crazy. She loved the woman dearly, but stationary Bo was not an easy Bo to deal with. While Lauren sat making notes and writing orders in patient charts for her nurses to follow, Bo interrupted to discuss every article in every magazine that Lauren had brought her to pass the time. When Lauren introduced her to Netflix on her phone… specifically all the various Star Trek series… Bo would pause the episodes to ask questions about how various things were possible. When Lauren explained the concept of fiction, Bo had trouble wrapping her head around the fact that anyone would make a show that wasn't true. In fact, it was two a.m. when she woke Lauren to ask if she thought there was really a planet called Vulcan and if, in fact, the people who lived there had pointy ears.

The week ended with Bo barking instructions from the lounge chair Lauren had put in the back yard at Bo's insistence she be permitted to watch the installation of the solar panels on her roof. Lauren understood the brunette's need to do the work herself. She had taken great pride in the fact that she had asked for very little help on the property, but still, Lauren wanted to be able to cook on the stove and solar panels were the only way that would happen. The doctor had become quite proficient at most of the skills required to live off-grid, but electricity definitely made things easier. Let's face it, Lauren was ready for a lot of things to be easier. She had to ask herself… _'Had I been this antsy after her sledding incident? Had I been a pain in Bo's shapely ass?'_ … Lauren chuckled, thinking to herself, _'If so, Bo probably hid it better'_.

Days later, Bo got antsy… very, very antsy. She started pushing the boundaries of what her stitches could handle. She would tell Lauren she was going for a walk in the yard, but minutes later, Lauren would hear wood being sawed as Bo decided that building her Adirondack chairs wouldn't hurt her broken ribs. Naturally, she had broken a stitch with just one pass of the saw's blade.

When Bo decided to do a 'low key' equipment inventory on the construction items in the barn, she ended up cleaning out the barn instead. It was when Lauren caught her trying to drive the heavy machinery out into the driveway that the doctor kicked in and led her to call Bo's foreman. He had a crew there in thirty minutes to clean, organize and inventory the entire space. Of course, Bo had to 'supervise' the entire operation, so an hour later, she was asking Lauren for ice for the pain. From that point on, Lauren told her if she didn't cooperate and follow doctor's orders for the next five days, she would withhold sex for two months. Bo behaved herself for the rest of the week.

The following week, Lauren finally agreed to allow Bo to work on planting seedlings in her small greenhouse. She left LJ in charge of her while she went off to check on things at the clinic. When she returned, Bo was groaning in pain in her bed with her torso packed in ice. LJ told her he was working on the budget at her living room corner table when he heard hammering. He went outside and found Bo had drawn up plans to add on to her greenhouse and was in the process of building the frame. Since he couldn't talk her out of doing it, he worked with her, trying to do the heavy lifting himself, but – according to LJ - she wasn't exactly in a listening mood.

Finally, her stitches had healed enough for her to start doing some light work around the property. LJ had helped her finish expanding her greenhouse, Tosh had come out to help her build twelve Adirondack chairs since both general stores had been selling out of them. Now that the weather was warm, people were sitting out on their porch swings when they weren't hunting, fishing, trapping and foraging to fill their winter food stores. At weeks' end, the Morton men had come over to put up a fence that even Bo had to admit looked very nice around the back yard. It didn't block her coveted river view yet protected the dogs from anyone who might wish them harm.

So, today was Bo's first day back in town. Lauren hoped to get at least two hours in the clinic and had told LJ to try to make conversation for at least that long. Still, she felt a bit guilty about trying to hire babysitters for Bo. The brunette was a grown woman who had been forced to rely on others for the first time in her life. Sure, that was probably a good social exercise for Bo, but Lauren knew that she wanted to be running wild with her dogs somewhere.

Lauren approached the clinic door and smiled when she looked inside and saw three women sitting at the nurses' station, hard at work. She stepped inside and smiled at Shannon, whose head popped up at the sound of the doorbell.

"Doctor Lewis! We weren't expecting you for at least another hour!"

Lauren grinned, "Well, it turns out, the patient was much more cooperative today."

Carolyn laughed, "You told her first thing this morning that she was allowed to start living again?"

Lauren smiled, "I took out her stitches and told her she could resume normal activities as long as she paid attention to how much stress was on the wounds."

Shannon laughed, "When did you suddenly become so trusting of this particular patient?"

"No one said anything about trusting this patient." Lauren giggled, "So how are the patients?"

"Everything is smooth, Doc." Kelly said, chewing a piece of gum as she spoke, "The little three-year-old girl who showed symptoms of the plague… are we still calling it a plague?... has recovered nicely according to mom. She'll be in for a check up on Thursday."

Lauren nodded, "Anything else?"

Shannon stood, "I have the images from Mr. Barkowski's PET Scan. You're not going to like it." 

Lauren scowled, "Pull them up."

The nurse nodded, turning the computer screen towards doctor as she walked around the desk, stopping just over her left shoulder,

"Dammit. I was hoping I was wrong."

Kelly looked over at the screen, her eyes going wide, "What the… is that a friggin' tumor in his heart?"

Lauren nodded, "And a nasty one at that."

"Blood work still comes back negative."

"Well, let's hope that means the tumor is a single, solid mass that hasn't managed to shed any of itself at the cellular level. Did you by any chance contact the specialist in Seattle?"

Shannon nodded, "I hope I didn't overstep, but yes, I did. I just figured…"

Lauren waved her off, "I'm grateful you did. This saves me time. What did he say?"

"Because Mr. Barkowski is a diabetic, he believes it would be too high risk to attempt radiation to shrink the tumor. He is recommending you excise the tumor before he decides on a course of treatment… based on what you find, of course."

Lauren nodded, "The margins look clean from the image, but I really won't know until I get in there."

"That's what I assumed. Well, you should know that Mr. Barkowski and his wife are heading to Seattle to see their daughter graduate from college."

"By plane?" Lauren asked.

Shannon nodded.

"Call them. Now."

Carolyn pointed to the phone on Lauren's desk, "He's on line one."

Pausing for a moment, Lauren shook her head, "You two really need to stop reading my mind."

She walked to the phone, Shannon and Carolyn sharing a glance before Shannon smiled and whispered,

"I'll take the old couple on the plane to the college."

Carolyn shook her hand, "Fine. I'll take the old couple on a boat or train to the college. She'll scare the livin' daylights out of them with all of the bad things that could go wrong at thirty-thousand feet when you've got a tumor in your heart… like never seeing your daughter graduate or your daughter having to find out that her dad died flying to her graduation because he was too stubborn to listen to his doctor about the added pressure on the heart at that altitude."

Shannon shook her head, "Dammit. I didn't think of that. I was just thinking about how stubborn that old man was when they were in here last week."

Carolyn smiled, "Well, bright side, we finally know the cause of the arrythmias he's been having."

"True."

Kelly closed her laptop and stood from her desk, "Speaking of altitude, I'm taking an early lunch. Kurt is taking me flying for lunch."

Shannon smiled, "Ooohh, how romantic."

Kelly nodded, "You guys… um… never mind."

Carolyn shook her head, "Uh-uh. What's going on?"

She sighed, "I don't know what to do."

"About what?" Carolyn asked.

"I'm really into this guy… like… really, really into him. I don't understand how it happened. I just… dammit! I think about him all the time. I feel… oh forget it."

"You're in love with him?" Shannon asked.

"I don't know! I've never been in love."

"Never?"

"Never." Kelly replied emphatically.

Shannon shrugged, "I'd take a page out of the Doc's book if I were you. Take it one day at a time. There's no rush, Kelly. You've got all the time in the world. No need to make any earth-shattering decisions tonight. Go and have fun. Take the rest of the day off. You're on a fourteen-hour shift starting the morning after next. Have fun and don't overthink it."

"If only my brain understood that concept." Kelly replied, grabbing her sweater, "See you guys. Say goodbye to the doc for me."

Shannon nodded, "Will do. Have fun."

"Thanks." She said as she headed towards the front door, "Good luck with Mr. Barkowski."

The pair smiled and waved as they watched their young friend leave the clinic. Carolyn looked at Shannon and smiled,

"Well, it looks like she may be staying in Alaska."

Shannon smiled, "That makes three of us."

Carolyn laughed, "Are you sure? That off-grid living experience seemed to be a deal breaker for you."

Shannon shrugged, "I think I would get used to it. I don't know Lynnie, there's just something about this place. It's like a lost piece of the country that everyone forgot about. Everyone seems to just enjoy the important stuff in life. I just feel… I don't know… healthier." She laughed, "God, I sound like such a nurse!"

Carolyn smiled, "I know what you mean Shannie. I feel the same way. It's like I've lost something that I don't really care I've lost."

"You mean the pace, stress, worry, traffic, noise, crazy bosses and massive caseloads?" Shannon laughed.

Carolyn snickered, "Actually, I was talking about Bad Betty's cat that thinks she lives in our apartment. I think she just crawls down the fire escape into our window because she can't stand the music of the roaring twenties that she's always playing."

Shannon couldn't help but laugh along with her fiancé, but their laughter stopped when they saw Lauren leave her desk and walk over to where they were seated. Neither woman could help but notice the firm crease in the doctor's brow.

"I couldn't talk them out of traveling, but at least they're going to take public ground transportation." Lauren hopped up on an examination table and sighed.

Shannon rolled her eyes at Carolyn's extended hand but passed a five-dollar bill under the table. Carolyn kissed the cash and whispered,

" _Winner winner, chicken dinner!"_

Shannon turned away from her gloating fiancé to ask the doctor,

"So, are we calling for surgical privileges as Seattle General or are we going to go to Anchorage?"

Lauren smiled, "Well, Evony has to buy operating room equipment for the new hospital, right?"

Carolyn nodded, "Yes… and?"

"Well, we have the other half of this building that's just paint, wood scraps and scaffolding. I could see how long it would take Bo to get a crew in here to build us a single operating room and have Evony order equipment to complete the room. Thoughts?"

Shannon nodded, "I'm sure she would love to showcase the doctor that she's been bragging about to everyone and his brother. It might give the people a better idea of why she's building the hospital and why it's a better bet than going to Anchorage."

Carolyn agreed, "Okay, so that's settled. We're all in agreement and I think it's safe to say Kelly would be on board as well since she's dying to get some surgical experience. The question is, who's going to ask Evony?"

Lauren and Shannon looked at each other before smiling. Together, they turned back to Carolyn and pointed their fingers at her. Carolyn's eyes went wide,

"No. You guys, you have so much more surgical experience in your respective roles…"

"Come on, Lynnie. You have more Evony experience than both of us combined. She never says no to you."

Carolyn sat back in her chair, the force of her shoulders hitting the backrest propelling the wheels backward. She tossed her pencil onto her desk and sighed,

"Fine. But the two of you owe me SO big time."

Shannon smiled, "Just say the word and your wish is ours to command."

"Well, one of you needs to ask for the cost of living salary increase." Carolyn smirked.

The couple looked at Lauren who sighed, "I know, I know. That's my department. I'm just not sure if she'll be willing to raise salaries this early in your tenure here. I think if the two of you took a job at the hospital when it opens, you would definitely get a sizeable increase."

"Does that mean you're staying?" Carolyn asked, excited.

Lauren shrugged, "I'm not ready to commit to that, but… well, the truth is… I overheard the two of you talking. Listen, I know you said you wanted to work for me wherever that was, but if Alaska is what you want, you should stay. If I end up in Boston, you know that I'll always have a place for you there. Give this a try to see if it's what you want. If you go back east with me, you might regret it down the road."

The couple looked at each other and nodded, Shannon voicing their agreement, "You're probably right. We're going to talk about it some more. We've got until January to make a decision, right?"

Lauren nodded, "For now, yes, but Evony called me two days ago. She wants me on a plane to Boston next week and she wouldn't say for sure how long I would be there."

"For what?" Carolyn asked, "She didn't tell us."

Lauren shrugged, "She wants me to do a presentation on the Lewis Technique and then possibly do the procedure for surgical amphitheaters at ten different teaching hospitals. She says I've been out of the mainstream for too long and she doesn't want me to fade into the woodwork. She also expects me to publish a paper on the plague that we had here."

Shannon nodded, "Did she give you a deadline?"

Lauren chuckled asking sarcastically, "Have you met Evony?" She shrugged, "Of course she did. I have until the end of June to publish."

Shannon shook her head, "Just over a month? Is she kidding?"

Lauren shrugged, her eyes set on the floor in front of her as her palms dug into the exam table on either side of her legs.

Carolyn eyed Lauren suspiciously, "There's more. What else did she say?"

She sighed, "She told me she's going to hold me to my contract in Boston. Not having me there is hurting our bottom line in Cardiology."

"What about the new hospital here? You were supposed to be the chief!"

Lauren shrugged, "She wants Boston beefed up again and then, if I renew, we can renegotiate the location."

"So, she's trapping you?"

Lauren shook her head, "There's plenty of hospitals in the world. Of course she's scrambling because patients are leaving our beloved Boston hospital for… get this… Doctor Michael Snood."

"They're going to that cheat? Are you serious?" Shannon asked, appalled that patients were leaving the incredible team of doctors that Lauren had developed at their hospital to see Snood, "Wait… how do people even know who he is? Why would they go to him?"

Lauren shrugged, "Evony claims it's because I'm not around in addition to the fact that his hospital is apparently doing a heavy-duty marketing campaign and he's the focus."

Carolyn faked sticking her finger down her throat, "Oh, horrfff!"

"I know, right?" Lauren said, "Please don't say anything to Bo. I don't want to tell her yet. She can finally get back to normal and I just want her to relax for a while until I bring more drama into her world."

Carolyn sighed, shaking her head, "She's not going to take this well, Lauren. She's supposed to have until January with you."

Lauren nodded, her eyes brimming with tears, "You don't have to remind me of that, Carolyn.

"She won't hear it from us." Shannon nodded.

"Thank you." Lauren said, taking a deep breath. She stood, turning to walk towards the phone as she continued, "Well, let's see if we can get this operating room built. If we can't, we'll have to get surgical privileges in Anchorage."

"Not Seattle?" Carolyn asked.

Lauren put a finger over her lips, pausing for a moment to consider how she wanted to phrase what she was about to say before looking up at the pair to speak,

"What do you think would happen if Evony denied me the operating room here at the clinic?

"Well, you just said you would access surgical privileges in Anchorage."

Lauren nodded, "And do you think they would like my work? Maybe offer me a job? Maybe be happy to have someone with my global resume on their staff? Maybe like what I could do with their bottom line when they come into competition with Evony's new hospital?"

Jaws dropped and Lauren chuckled, turning to walk back to her desk.

"The more I think about it, the more I think that working for both hospitals, only a couple of hours apart in a land where most transport is by plane…" She lowered her eyes to the photo of Bo she now kept on her desk, "…the more I think about it, the more I think that I don't think these two hospitals being in competition with each other would be good for the people of these lands."

"You intend to play the middle and do what's best for the patients." Carolyn smiled, "Because you're Doctor Lauren Lewis and it's what you do."

Shannon nodded, "Doctor Lewis believes in patient before patents and dollars."

Carolyn laughed, "And that's why we'll follow her wherever she works."

Lauren smiled at the pair, laughing at their affectionate mocking. They did it often, but there were serious moments the three of them had over the years that allowed her to know that they truly respected her philosophy of medicine. Their support had become invaluable the longer she had worked for Fleurette-Marquis, Inc.

Her mind drifted to Bo and how she was going to react to her latest news from Evony. She dreaded the thought of telling her she was going to have to leave for an undisclosed amount of time, but she also knew that if she withheld the information too long, Bo would be angry with her for being dishonest. Still, she would at least wait until tonight. Until then, they would enjoy whatever Bo had planned for her today.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **Three Hours Later… The Kennels**_

Lauren entered the main barn and immediately moved to where Elsa, Anna and Belle had run to the gate to see her. She climbed over the fence and sat down in the straw, allowing them climb on top of her. They barked, jumped and kissed her face until they finally calmed down enough to lay across her legs so that she could pet them all.

"How are my girls today?" She smiled, "I've missed running with you ladies so much. My lovely, lovely, strong, brave little ladies." Lauren planted her face in the fur of her Elsa and released an uneven breath, "I'm going to miss you so much… so very, very much." She pulled back, lifting the pup's face so that she could look into the blue eyes, "I've grown so fond of you. You're… you're the best friends I've ever had. How will I ever survive without you?"

She released her tears, the idea of taking them with her passing through her mind for a fleeting moment before she remembered that the heat and humidity of Boston at this time of year would never suit their thick coats, even though Bo had told her they would lose a good bit of their hair soon. She ran her fingers back and forth between her ears before moving on to rub Belle and then Anna. Giving each of the trio equal affection.

"Hey, Lauren. I'm sorry it's taking me so long. I had to meet with the Vet about…" As Bo moved closer, she realized that her beloved doctor was crying, "Lauren? What's the matter?"

The blonde shrugged, turning away from Bo to wipe her eyes before releasing a chuckle, "Did you ever have one of those overwhelming moments where you realized you loved your dogs more than you'd ever known?"

Bo smiled, "Harper… about six years ago." She came to sit beside the blonde, leaning back against the rail. Anna immediately crawled between Bo's legs, the brunette scratching both sides of the happy canine's neck just beneath her ears, "She pulled up lame during a race. I had to withdraw. The vet said she's fractured one of the bones in her foot. I thought it was my fault for running them to hard. No matter how much the doc told me that wasn't the case, I just couldn't stand the thought that she was hurt."

Bo turned her attention to Lauren as Anna lay her head in her lap, "She cried in pain for the first two days. I stayed with her every minute… as a matter of fact, I slept with her and the other dogs for three straight weeks until I was sure she would be able to run normally again."

Lauren sniffed, smiling at the image of the brunette curled up in the hay like one of the dogs. She could see it as clear as day, "Now that's dedication."

"When you live on your own out in the Alaskan wilderness for as long as I have, you come to depend on your dogs, and they depend on you." She looked up across the kennel, her eyes instantly finding each of the members of her usual team, "I love all of these dogs, but that original team of twelve and the additional eleven that joined me after Big Jim did his worst… those dogs have been my only family… until now. Even though I have Tosh, LJ, Molly, Mark, Big Jon and Michael now, I still feel most relaxed and at home with them. I think I always will. I trust them with every fiber of my being. It's hard for me to say the same about humans."

Lauren lowered her eyes, looking down at a very relaxed Belle and Elsa, "How about this human?" She looked up at Bo, "Do you trust me?"

Bo smiled, her eyes bright, "You above all. I'm trusting you with my heart."

She leaned in and kissed Lauren softly, her lips warm as they covered the quivering lips of the blonde. She pulled back, her eyes filled with concern,

"You're quite emotional today. Are you sure you're okay?" Bo asked, "Anything you want to talk about?"

Lauren leaned into the hand, hesitating for a moment as her need to spill the news rushed through her. Instead, she sighed, really wanting to have a nice day with Bo. They needed it… Bo needed it,

"Maybe later. I just want to have a drama and trauma free day with you. Do you think we could do that?"

Bo smiled, "I think that can be arranged. Are you ready to go to my favorite spot?"

"Your favorite spot?" Lauren asked.

The brunette stood, giving Anna's head a ruffle before sending her on her way back to the rest of the pack. She smiled as she watched the puppies gather around the newcomer, jumping and playing. Bo turned to Lauren, extending her hand,

"Doctor Lewis, I would be so grateful for the honor of your company for the afternoon."

Lauren smiled, lifting her legs to alert the dogs to her departure. They sat up, taking a moment to get their bearings. The blonde gave them each a head scratch as a sendoff before she took Bo's hand and allowed her to help her to her feet,

"I would love to."

Bo wrapped Lauren's hand over her arm, locking their elbows as she led her from the kennel. It was a beautiful day. The temperature would approach a perfect seventy degrees today. She led Lauren to her truck, opening the door and helping her up and into the seat. She closed the door, smiling as she walked around the rear bed, looking inside to be sure the wheeled cooler she'd just purchased from Molly was secured to the side with the bungee cords. She made sure the blanket was tucked in so it wouldn't blow away and then headed around to the driver's side door.

Climbing into the truck, she smiled at Lauren, "Ready?"

"Very much so. I'm very curious. There's actually a favorite place that you haven't showed me?"

Bo smiled, "Yup." She started the truck, put it in gear and pulled out onto the road, "This place is the reason I decided to put down roots here."

Lauren laughed, "Awww, and here I thought that was because of me."

Bo chuckled, "I'm sorry to say that decision was made before you came, Doctor Lewis. Although, I'm absolutely certain that if you were to put down roots here, I would never wander far from this place ever again unless you were with me."

Lauren felt her throat tighten as tears again threatened to fall. She swallowed hard, gathering her emotions, before she asked,

"And if I were to stray from this place for a little while?" Lauren asked.

Bo grinned, "I might be convinced to follow for a time."

Her heart soared as Bo spoke those words, her heart filled with hope that the woman she loved might be willing to spend the coming months in Boston,

"The native follows the outsider to the outside?" Lauren asked.

Bo shrugged, "I can't say the thought doesn't unnerve me, but yes, I would follow."

"Bo, are you serious?"

They came to a stop sign. The brunette stopped the truck, checking the rear-view mirror to be sure no one was behind them before looking at the blonde,

"I'm serious about the way I feel about you, Lauren. I've never felt this way. I'll try anything if it means I get more time with you. I can't guarantee I could live elsewhere, but for you, I would try."

Lauren leaned across the seat and met Bo's lips with her own. She pulled back, her fingertips caressing the brunette's cheek,

"Thank you for being willing to try if it were to come to that."

Bo nodded, "You've made me realize that the world is a very big place. There's more to see than just the snow, ice, glaciers, oceans, lakes, mountains, forests and tundra of Alaska." She lowered her eyes to where their hands were now joined, "I love my home. I love it more than I can ever explain." She looked up into the beautiful big brown eyes she'd come to know so well, "But I love you so much, that I might be willing to leave her behind if it meant more time with you."

Lauren smiled, "You know, I've come to love this land almost as much as I love you."

Turning her attention back to the road, Bo made her turn and continued down the road, "What do you love about Alaska?"

Lauren smiled, "I never thought snow and ice could be beautiful… I mean, it's beautiful when it first falls in Boston. It falls softly there… well, most of the time. The city slows down and everything becomes quiet. Then, the plows come out and the snow is piled into roadside mountains. It's brown and then black from car exhaust, so it's just… ugly. Here, it's always white and with the mountains and rivers as a backdrop, it's just… majestic. Since the start of the spring melt, there's new beauty revealed every day. I've never seen such deep greens. It's like the trees were born and became fully grown overnight. It's simply amazing."

Bo smiled, "Speaking of rivers and trees…" she pointed to the horizon, "Here's our lunch spot."

She pulled into a parking spot, looking at Lauren's face as she scanned the horizon. The blonde turned to Bo,

"It's beautiful. What is this place?"

Bo pointed west, "Most importantly, this place is within jogging distance of where we're building your new hospital. You'll be able to go for a lunchtime jog, have lunch, jog back, take a shower and be ready for your next big surgery. You once told me that the more delicate and emergent the surgery, the longer you jog beforehand. I think this view will help to calm you just as much as a long run."

Lauren exited the truck, her hand moving her hair up and over her brow, her fingers securing it behind her ear as her eyes roamed the incredible scene before her. The sandy riverbed skirted the blue glacial waters that fed the soil to grow the thick green forest behind it. A cool wind sent down from the regal snow-capped mountain range in the distance, propelled ripples across the surface of the water.

The doctor stood, one hand on her hip, the other shielding her eyes as she continued to take in the breathtaking scenery before her. Warm hands wrapped around her torso from behind. She leaned back into Bo, nestling her head into the crook of her neck,

"It's magnificent, Bo."

The brunette kissed the blonde's cheek, "I'd hoped you would feel that way. Give me a second, I'll get everything set up. Why don't you go for a short walk along the water?"

Lauren smiled, leaning up to steal a kiss, then headed down towards the water. A stroll along the water would be perfect right now. She needed to clear her head from the earlier news and formulate a concrete plan for how to deal with Evony. One thing she knew for sure, when she arrived in Boston, she would be visiting her longtime mentor and friend to seek his advice.

Bo watched with a grin as Lauren headed off down the path to the sandy of the river. She had brought Lauren here today so that she could relax. She'd sensed tension in the blonde over the past week and today was no different. She hoped that this place would bring to the doctor what it had always brought to her… stillness. Not the paralyzing, unmotivated type, but the quiet, mindful sort. She always felt more focused and certain about her path after visiting this place. Perhaps that's why she had really come today. There was no doubt that her first appointment with Dr. Gray had changed her perspective. Maybe this place would help her to understand exactly how.

She pulled the blanket and cooler from the bed of the truck and headed down the path to the river. When she arrived there, she continued along the path to the place she had come to call her own. She could breathe here… she could relax here.

She found her spot, nestled among a small grove of trees. Here, a small stream flowed across the land and a flat rock served as a perfect table for the many picnics she'd had here. She would cast her rod into the river, pull out a salmon, make a fire to heat the rock and cook the fish. When her belly was full, she would lay back and stare at the mountain range, wondering if she would ever again see her mother.

Now, word had reached her today that Tamsin had a lead… one she told Bo gave her reason to hope again. She said she would be back day after tomorrow with news one way or another. Bo shook out her thoughts, turning to the things she'd brought along. She first holstered her bear spray, something she'd brought just in case. It was spring and her furry friends were hungry. They loved to frequent local rivers to fish, eat and then nap with their young. She hoped a family would come along so that Lauren could see them in their natural habitat rather than angry and violent as she'd seen them thus far.

She laid out a blanket, then opened the cooler, pulling out fish tacos and salmon spread with fresh bread she'd picked up from Kenzi while Lauren was at the clinic. Taking two flat wood cutting boards, she made two plates and covered each with a towel. She opened took out the two travel mugs filled with Kenzi's spring sweet tea and placed one next to each board before placing a cloth napkin next to each as well. Finally, she pulled out the single red rose she'd bought from the town florist and placed it atop the towel covering Lauren's plate. Satisfied with the arrangement, she stood and headed off down the path to find Lauren.

She only walked about a hundred yards before she spotted Lauren sitting by the river. She stopped short, not wanting to intrude on the blonde's personal time. She watched her from afar, just wanting to be sure there were no more tears. Satisfied that she was just enjoying the scenery, she took a seat on a nearby boulder and waited patiently, giving her some space to… just be. She smiled at the memory of Lauren when they'd first begun with just a physical relationship. Her doctor had been right… taking one day at a time was a new concept to Bo. She'd always lived in the past or fantasized about the future. It was strange to think of that now since she had come to realize that her lifestyle was better suited to the 'live in the moment' philosophy.

Now more than ever, she wanted to savor every single minute she had with Lauren until she left in just over six months. It wasn't a lot of time, but she had every intention of making the best of it as Lauren permitted. She pulled out her phone, opening the screen and looking at all the little picture thingies that were on the screen. She spotted one that sort of looked like the front of a camera and touched it. Seeing a picture of her feet, she smiled and whispered,

"Guess that's the camera. Now…" She held it up, taking a minute to find Lauren in the frame. Finally, she smiled, centering the image to include the background. She hit the smaller camera in the corner, only to see herself, "Shit. How do you take a picture?"

Bo hit the button once more and saw Lauren on the screen again. The brunette smiled, seeing the wind blow her golden hair off her shoulders. She was a vision, even sitting curled up in a ball to fight the chill in the air. Seeing the word 'photo' above a large round button, Bo pressed the circle and watched as a picture moved into the corner of the screen. She clicked on it and smiled when the image of Lauren she was watching in real time appeared.

"All those days of phone lessons while I was laid up and she never once showed me how to work the camera."

She laughed, snapping a few more pictures before figuring out how to slide the screen to make a video. She had no idea what she was doing, but Bo knew it was possible to make a movie from a bunch of videos. She knew because Lauren had showed her on the internet that a fan had clipped videos of Bo's Iditarod journey together and posted them to something called a social media platform.

She smiled thinking of the movie that Elise had showed her of her mom. The kid knows how to make a movie… the now nine-year old little girl. Bo could be embarrassed about her lack of knowledge of things such as phones, but she wasn't. While others had taken time to learn such things, she had been exploring the lands around her, providing for her community when they could not provide for themselves and taking care of the dogs that would be strong and fast enough to purchase a kennel that would become LJ's future. Still, Elise might be able to help her make a going away movie for Lauren so that she could take her memories of Alaska with her when the time came. Until them, Bo would have to start taking pictures and movies such as these.

She changed the camera to the various settings, taking short bursts of video with each to see what they did. When Lauren stood and continued to walk along the river, she followed, filming with time lapse. When she played it back, she had to laugh at the rapid wiggle in the blonde's bum. She used the last setting labeled 'pano' and struggled to figure out how to do it. When she finally did, she smiled at the playback of the 360 degree view she had captured of Lauren's first day in this park… she smiled until she realized there were bears up ahead of Lauren. She put her phone away and quickened her pace, catching up with the blonde,

"Pssst. Pssst. Lauren." The blonde turned to see Bo holding a finger over her lips. She watched as the brunette pointed two fingers towards her eyes, then turned those fingers and pointed them down river. Lauren turned, moving close to Bo as she pulled them into the trees, parting two branches so she could see what she had been pointing at,

"Mom and cubs. She won't bother us if we don't bother her or try to harm her cubs."

"They're so adorable." Lauren smiled, "How old are they?"

Bo grinned, "I'd say just a few weeks. They're just playing in the water. They don't really understand how to catch a fish yet. Mom on the other hand, she's heading towards that little waterfall. You'll see the fish jumping out of the water to try to avoid her massive paws, but she'll catch a few regardless. Bears are quite skilled fishermen."

Just as she said the words, the bear swiped a paw through the water and a fish jumped up stream over the waterfall,

"See? That little fishy got lucky."

Lauren smiled, "He's having a good day, huh?"

Bo chuckled, "In all likelihood, it was a female going upriver to spawn. It will take them a while to get there, but spawning season runs from July to August."

"So, there will be a lot of fish?"

"We don't take a lot of fish until August. A single Chinook can spawn up to seventeen thousand eggs, but if you kill them before they have a chance…"

Lauren nodded, "Zero population growth."

Bo corrected, "Actually, negative population growth since some will die of age or other environmental causes before they spawn."

"Of course." Lauren replied, leaning into Bo, "It's amazing to be able to watch this. I've only ever seen a bear family on National Geographic channel or in the Goldilocks book."

"Goldilocks?" Bo asked.

Lauren smiled, "It's a story about three bears. You can look it up on the internet. It's a children's story I read as a child."

Bo nodded, "My favorite story was called Julie of the Wolves. Well, her real name is Miyax. She's thirteen years old and she is lost in the Alaskan wilderness because she ran away from her home in Utqiaġvik to meet her pen pal in California. It was all about the cultural changes the outsiders were forcing on our people and… well… I guess it stuck."

"Sounds a bit like an autobiography of Bo Dennis." Lauren commented, her eyes trained on the bears, now fully immersed in the water while their mom dragged fish from the river, tossing them onto the shore. One little bear cub finally caught on that lunch was being served. Lauren laughed watching the cub stumbled across the beach, it's feet too clumsy to keep up with its desire for food. The other two cubs followed suit before the momma bear crawled from the water to enjoy the fish with her babies.

"I guess Miyax has been a big influence on my life and the way that I live. Of course, the story might also have something to do with my judgement of the outside world as well. Do you want to head back and have some lunch?"

Lauren smiled, "That sounds good."

She had one last long look at the family, watching as Bo pulled out her phone to snap a few pictures, the last being of Lauren in the foreground of the family's picnic, her face full of excitement. She took Lauren's hand and led her off through the woods, not wanting the bear to catch their scent if they went back out onto the beach where the wind would surely blow their scent towards the anxious mother.

"So, can I ask… if you do come to Boston, what are you expecting to see?"

Bo shrugged, "Lots of traffic and even more people, I guess. Lots of tall buildings."

Lauren nodded, "And how are you expecting to feel?"

Just imagining it, Bo could tell exactly how she would feel, "Like I can't breathe."

Lauren stopped, gently turning Bo to face her, "Then why on earth would you want to come to Boston?"

"Because the love of my life would be there. Because when I'm with her, I can breathe."

Lauren's eyes teared up as she thought of her truth. She had to tell her. She had to tell her now.

"Bo…"

"Come on, lunch is just over here. Let's eat before some animal decides to take full advantage of my hard work… well, honestly, Kenzi's chef's hard work, so more my hard-earned money." Bo chuckled.

Lauren sighed, following the brunette as she reminded herself to give Bo a good day before dropping the early departure news on her. She stepped into the grove of cottonwood trees to find a small sheltered nook that held a beautiful lunch spread on a large flat rock with a blanket beside it. Atop one of the plates was a red rose."

She smiled, taking Bo's hand for support as she came to sit beside her, leaning against a large fallen tree. Offering a nervous chuckle, she leaned into Bo, "This is very romantic."

Bo smiled, "It's my favorite place to eat lunch in the spring and summer. This flat rock is the perfect table and when you throw a blanket into the soft bed of needles, it's super comfortable. This big fallen cottonwood tree makes the perfect backrest." She pointed through the gap in the trees, "It's semi-private so you can watch the river without folks on the river watching you."

"Are there a lot of people on the river?"

"This time of year, there's pretty many… I mean, for Alaska. Mainly tourists… river rafting groups and adventure seeking types. There's also the jet boat drivers fulfilling their 'need for speed' dreams." Bo chuckled, "I hate the damn noise they make, but they'll be gone in a few months. We can come back then. You'll like this place when the snow first starts to fall. All of these trees dusted with the white stuff… well, it's really pretty."

"So, what's this place called? I wasn't really paying attention to where we were going."

Bo pointed back towards town, "Main Street is right back there."

"Main Street in Talkeetna?" Lauren asked, "The same one that leads to my clinic and the hospital?"

Bo nodded, "One and the same. This is Talkeetna Riverfront Park and those are the Denali and Alaska mountain ranges." Bo pointed across the river to the twenty-thousand-foot peaks, "It's the best view from a town in the country, if you ask me… which you didn't. You'd have to go to the park at the base of Denali to get a view this good. Most towns have been spoiled by 'progress' and buildings that block the view, but not this spot."

"It is beautiful. I had no idea I had this view this close to my clinic. I mean, I see the mountains in the background at spots in town where there are breaks in the buildings, but this… this is amazing."

Bo nodded, "You see? You don't have to go all the way to my place to feel like you're in the wild."

"I'll definitely have to come here more often."

Bo nodded, "Just be sure to bring your bear spray."

Lauren raised a finger, "Noted. So… tell me about this place. The river looks so… blue."

Bo smiled, "Three wild rivers come together here which is why the water is so fast – the Talkeetna, Susitna and Chulitna. They're all glacial rivers which is why it's so blue, but if you look really close – which I tend to do – you can see the three different shades of turquoise, sky and a sort of azure blue blend into this part here which is called the Big Susitna River." She smiled, "I come here because it's one of the last untouched beauties in this town. I love the noise… the sound of the wild… somehow, it drowns out everything in my mind and makes it seem the quietest place in the world. Does that make any sense?"

Lauren smiled, "It does, actually. While I was sitting there, I was thinking about a recent argument I'd had with Evony over how she was… delegating staff. My mind was filled with anger and then, I don't know – there was just… nothing. I was lost in the view and the sound of the river."

Bo grinned, "Quiet."

Lauren nodded, "Very quiet despite knowing the roar of those rivers was right at my feet."

The two sat staring out at the river, lost in their own thoughts before Bo finally emerged from her daze,

"So, shall we eat?" 

"Yes, definitely!" Lauren smiled, lifting the rose from her plate, "Thank you for this. I haven't seen fresh flowers outside of the little buds in your greenhouse."

Bo smiled, "Well, the florist in town will now have flowers through October and sometimes a bit beyond. The variety will decrease as the weather gets colder, but there are some fairly hearty buds that will bloom in her greenhouses through winter. If you ever really need flowers, you can get something most of the time."

"I'll keep that in mind." Lauren smiled, taking a bite of the spread on her plate, "Mmmm… this is… amazing."

"Salmon spread. It's actually Kenzi's recipe."

"With all of the meals we've eaten in that hotel, how have I never had this?" Lauren asked, partially covering her mouth to avoid any food coming out while she spoke.

Bo chuckled, "Because you're always getting the crab soup or crab legs."

Lauren laughed, nudging Bo, "You really have to force me to expand my palate when it comes to that menu."

"Honestly, I'm no better. I tend to stick with my usual too."

Lauren held out her pinky finger to Bo who looked confused, "Hook your pinky around mine. We're going to pinky swear."

"Pinky swear?"

"Trust me. It's a thing." Lauren chuckled.

"Okay then." Bo replied, hooking her finger into Lauren's.

"I swear to force you to sample everything on the menu at the Talkeetna Hotel restaurant until you've tried every item on the menu."

"And I swear the same, except the sauerkraut… I hate that stinky weedy stuff." Bo cringed.

"Okay. Except the stinky weedy stuff." Lauren smiled, releasing Bo's pinky.

They sat, leaning against one another as they cleaned their plates. When finished, Bo packed everything back into the cooler,

"So, are you ready to go?"

Lauren shook her head, "Can we just stay here for a while? A long while?"

Bo nodded, "Don't you have to be back at the clinic?"

Lauren smiled, "I took the rest of the day off."

"Really?" Bo asked, "But you've been taking so many days off to take care of me…"

Lauren smiled, "I'm the boss. I can do what I want. Besides, I was running back and forth. I didn't take off anywhere near as much time as you may think." She leaned into Bo, "Now, with the plague under control and the EPA in here to handle the water supply, we're all good. The CDC is following up with the residents, so my work is done. Now, it's just the day to day care of patients. Most of those will be handled by the nurses. They'll call me if they have something more serious. If we stay within a fifteen-minute drive or so, I'm good."

Bo smiled, "Well, we're a ten-minute drive, tops."

"And we're not visible to the people on the river?"

Bo shook her head, "We're in our own little world here. The river people are more concerned with what's on the river and there's plenty of wildlife on the shores to keep their eyes busy."

Lauren gave Bo a devilish grin, a hint of danger in her eyes as she rolled onto the brunette, straddling her lap, "Well, then let's live in our own little world and make our lives a little wild in our own way."

She captured Bo's mouth in a fierce kiss, her hands gripping both sides of her face before they moved to open the zipper on the brunette's jacket. She wasted no time slipping her hands beneath Bo's layered shirts, but quickly became frustrated when she couldn't feel her skin,

"I want… I want…" Lauren said between kisses, pawing at the clothing. Bo stilled her hands,

"Lauren…" Her eyes calmed the blonde whose eyes remained trained on every movement the brunette made. She pulled off her jacket, then lifted her shirts and sports bra all in one movement, leaving her upper body completely naked before the blonde.

"Bo, it's cold."

The brunette chuckled, "Lauren, it's summer."

"I'll never understand how your body temperature works." Lauren grinned, capturing her lips once more as her hands enjoyed the feel of the ample breasts now at her disposal, "Do you want to lay down?"

Lauren watched as the brunette lay down on her back, her hands immediately going to the blonde's hips as she straddled her again, but the doctor was in control right now. Grasping Bo's hands at the wrists, she pulled them above her head, pressing them into the blanket as she lowered her mouth to the erect nipples of Bo's chest,

"Lauren…" Bo spoke, the blonde's name a mere whisper on the wind that blew gently through the trees, giving rise to small bumps over the surface of her bare skin. Bo's torso twisted with want, the involuntary rise of her hips didn't go unnoticed by Lauren,

"Just how naked are you willing to get in our own little world?"

Bo smirked, "Don't take off my socks."

"Bold." Lauren smiled, lowering the zipper on Bo's jeans, "I like it."

Bo kicked off her shoes as Lauren yanked down her pants, pulling them off and tossing them onto the downed tree. She placed her hands on Bo's lower legs, gently running them up behind her knees where she gripped and pulled until her thighs were draped over her own. She slid her hands up her torso to cup both breasts before returning one hand down between her thighs.

Her hands skimmed the neatly trimmed hairs the covered her most sensitive skin before dipping her fingertips between the folds, gliding easily through to the slick opening. She teased slowly, watching Bo bite her bottom lip, her eyes watching Lauren's hand intently. The blonde's thumb stroked her hardened clit, causing Bo's hips to buck with need.

Bo covered the hand on her breast, moving it to the other as her eyes met Lauren's, "Please. It's been too long."

Lauren smiled down at her lover, knowing all too well what Bo meant. With the gash in her calf and the broken ribs, making love had been out of the question for the last few weeks. It was clear to Lauren in this moment that the brunette had missed her too. She entered her, watching the dark brown eyes close, her mouth opening as pleasure rushed through her body. She loved seeing Bo like this and when her eyes opened again, she saw the love she always saw with just a touch of lust.

Her thrusts were slow and gentle as her thumb continued to rub Bo's clit, "Your body is so beautiful." Lauren said, her hand explored the skin of Bo's body before returning to her breasts again, "I don't think I will ever tire of this, Bo."

"Even when I'm old and flabby?" Bo chuckled.

Lauren smiled, "I highly doubt you'll ever get flabby, but yes, even then." He leaned down, capturing Bo's lips with her own, the tip of her tongue teasing before plunging into her mouth where it was welcomed with a deep moan. Bo flipped her over suddenly, two hands pressing down on her shoulder as she thrust herself down on Lauren's fingers. Lauren's gaze moved from dark eyes to her hips, watching the powerful movements of the brunette. The blonde's strong forearm and fingers strained with effort gaining relief when Bo finally came hard, her pleasure saturating her skin.

The doctor expected the brunette to collapse with exhaustion, but instead, she found herself being stripped naked beneath her. Lauren giggled as Bo joked about being a little kid in a candy store,

"I need my favorite sweet treats." She joked as covered Lauren's body with her own, "I'll keep you warm. I promise."

Lauren laughed as Bo's tongue teased at her neck, collarbone and neck, "I can't believe I'm naked in a public place with you."

Bo laughed, "You're not merely naked. You're actually having sex in a public place."

"Scandalous." Lauren chuckled.

"Not if no one catches us." Bo smirked, working her way down to the blonde's breasts, capturing a hardened nipple in her mouth.

Lauren arched her chest up, her eyes staring up at the blue skies overhead. She felt like she was floating in the clouds as Bo pleasured her. The sensation of Bo's hands and mouth combined with the cool mountain breeze on her skin made her feel free. She was pulled back to reality by Bo's fingers finding their way inside of her. The brunette was slow at first, her movements sensual and erotic before Lauren's soft moans brought a sense of urgency to her pace. Bo lifted her head, her eyes roaming every inch of her doctor's form before coming to rest on Lauren's, sharing the moment of ecstasy that she brought through her touch.

As the wave of pleasure passed, it was replaced with a shared silence with the background noise of the rushing river current in the background. They laid there in each other's arms, savoring the moment they'd just shared and the quiet time together.

"There's something about you, Bo. There's something about this place."

Bo laughed, "Is that a good something or a bad something?"

Lauren smiled, "Oh, it's definitely a good something." She wrapped her arms around Bo as the brunette settled into the crook of her neck, "I feel like something has awakened in me that was always there, but never allowed to come out… or maybe it's just that I never let it out. I'm not sure, but whatever it is, I feel… free."

Tracing featherlight circles on the blonde's chest, Bo smiled, "I'm glad you feel free with me, but there are many types of freedom, Doctor Lewis. What sort of free is this?"

Lauren shrugged, "The uninhibited sort, I suppose? I spoke my mind to Evony today. I also set some things in motion that could anger her today… and honestly, I don't really care. For the first time, I've realized that she can't hurt me. Even if I broke my contract with her, she can't hurt me. She could take a lot of money from me, but you've taught me that money isn't really necessary for me to live a healthy and happy life."

Bo didn't lift her head, but the worry was evident in her eyes, "Lauren, I want you to be happy, but one of the things you mentioned to me not so long ago was that you were worried you couldn't be happy if you weren't being challenged… medically speaking. Along those lines, you also said that one of the reasons you've put up with Evony for so long is because she can afford the surgical toys that allow you to do the complex surgeries that you do. Are you sure you want to piss her off?"

Lauren smiled, "One of the calls I made today was to the University of Alaska. I have a video conference call with the head of the department of biomedical engineering tomorrow."

"Oh?" Bo asked, curious as to what the doctor was up to.

Lauren nodded, "They specialize in arctic engineering at the Fairbanks campus and the Anchorage campus has a pretty good program in biomedical. I'm thinking that it might be cool to build my own instruments for performing the procedures I need to perform with my own techniques. I'd like to do that directly with a university rather than rely on Evony to buy my equipment. The university would benefit from having my approval on the tools and make money on the sale of those tools or the patents. I would in turn, get the instruments for free in exchange for providing my expertise."

Bo smiled, "Kind of like me and Kyle working together to produce a line of sleds."

"I guess so, yes. Speaking of Kyle, she's coming home next week."

"How's her condition?" Bo asked.

Lauren smiled, "She's getting around in her wheelchair. Kurt has installed ramps at all of her entrances and modified her truck so she can drive. She'll pick up her therapy sessions at the physical therapy place in Anchorage."

Bo nodded, "I'm glad to hear she's coming home. She must hate that hospital."

"She's hoping to see you soon."

"I guess she's a bit upset about me not coming to see her in Seattle."

Lauren shook her head, "She knows you don't venture out of Alaska unless you have an air delivery to make. She's the reason I suspected you may not be too crazy about cities."

"She told you that, huh?" Bo asked.

"She did." Lauren nodded, "So what do you think of my plan?"

"I think it's brilliant. My question is, will it satisfy your need as a doctor?"

Lauren smiled, "I think it will, yes."

"Good to know." Bo replied with a smile, her heart filled with hope that Lauren might be seeking a way to stick around Alaska on a more permanent basis, "We should get dressed."

"I am a bit chilly." Lauren admitted.

Bo leaned in and kissed the blonde softly, "I love you, Lauren."

"I love you, Bo. Thank you for a fantastic lunch."

"You're welcome." Bo grinned, sitting up and gathering their clothing into a pile between them so they could dress.

When they were finished, Bo offered Lauren a hand up and they walked back to the truck. Once inside, Bo started the vehicle and turned to Lauren,

"So, do you want to run by the clinic and check on things?" 

Lauren shrugged, "I can give them a call and check in to make sure everything is okay. I'd really like to see something else that you love around here."

Bo smiled, "Within ten to fifteen minutes? You've pretty much seen it all."

"Okay, so what about within an hour of here?" Lauren asked.

Bo grinned, "It's not like you to take chances like this… I mean, away from your clinic. What if someone has a cardiac emergency while you're gone?"

Lauren shrugged, "There's always a pilot with a bush plane who can get them to Anchorage, right? Besides, there is going to come a time when I won't be available, right?"

Bo couldn't believe her ears, "Where is this coming from, Lauren?"

"I never get time off and I told Evony so."

"What was her reply?" Bo asked.

"She said she's paying me enough to make it worth my while. What she doesn't realize is that she's isolated me by keeping me tied to that clinic. I have a life outside of work and she's preventing me living it. All I do is work, work, work. I've been here for the better part of six months and how much of this state have I actually seen? I want to go to the North Slope where you grew up. This is the best time of year for me to do it and the one chance I've got to go I lose, because she has yet to provide the second full time doctor she promised."

"Lauren, we've got all summer to go. Why the rush?"

The blonde sighed, biting her tongue as she offered a casual reply, "I'm in the mood to explore today. It's a day off, but it's not really, is it?"

Bo nodded, "I suppose not."

Lauren shrugged, "I noticed that Molly had ice cream in the store yesterday."

"So, you would like to explore ice cream flavors?" Bo asked.

Lauren offered a devilish grin, "After our little appetizer in the grove of trees, I'd love to explore ice cream flavors using your body as a table."

"Frisky doctor's in town today." Bo chuckled, "What happened to exploring the land?"

"Sorry, I'm sort of stuck on exploring _your_ land." Lauren sighed, rubbing Bo's thigh before pulling her hand back, "Okay, we'll do that later tonight. For now, can we just have some ice cream?"

Bo smiled, "We can. What's gotten into you today? You seem… eager."

Lauren shrugged, "We've been talking about you showing me so many things in the spring. Well, spring is here, and I want to see them all."

Bo smiled, "Okay then. Maybe you'd better check in with your nurses while I go over to Molly's to check out the ice cream."

Lauren nodded, leaning into Bo as the brunette pulled her truck out of the parking lot. Bo could sense that something was up with Lauren, but if there was one thing she had learned about her lover, it was that she had her own clock. It was clear she was struggling with something difficult, but she trusted that the blonde would share what it was in her own time. Until then, she would continue to provide as many memorable moments with her as she could.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **Talkeetna General Store**_

"Can I get you ladies anything else?" Molly asked, smiling down at Bo and Lauren who were each enjoying an ice cream cone on the back patio of the store.

Lauren looked up, smiling, "Can you join us for a bit?"

Molly smiled, "Mark's inside, so… well, why not? These old dogs of mine are super tired."

She kicked off her shoes and propped her feet up on the open chair at the small café table, "So what brings you two by today? Just a craving for ice cream?"

"Lauren saw that you had ice cream in the freezer when she came by yesterday. I'd be willing to bet she's been thinking about it ever since."

The blonde smiled, "It is my weakness… the dairy version, that is. The Eskimo Ice Cream that Bo had me try when I'd first arrived was… well, no offense… nasty."

Bo and laughed, but Molly just glared at the musher, "You actually made her try that?"

Bo shrugged, "I didn't know her yet, so…"

"Being the prankster, huh?" Molly suggested.

"I have to admit, it was a bit more sinister than that." Bo replied, showing no remorse whatsoever, "I was trying to make it clear that life was different here."

"You thought I would go running home to mommy?" Lauren mocked.

Bo smiled, "Actually, I did. Honestly, I was surprised she survived the first week, but then she pulled that stunt with the dog sled and… well…"

"She fell madly in love with me." Lauren smirked, "She just couldn't help herself."

Bo laughed, "I wanted to. I really did."

"Yea, me too." Lauren agreed.

Molly smiled, "So, neither of you looking for love, but both of you finding it. Sometimes love just finds you even when you're not looking for it."

Elise came bounding out, a puppy running close behind. She jumped into Molly's lap and cupped her face, "Is that what happened with you and Mark?"

Molly pouted, "What did I tell you about eavesdropping on other people's conversations, little one?"

"Bo and Lauren aren't other people. They're my aunts!"

"Well, I'm fairly certain the conversation would have been different had you been sitting here from the start."

"Why? I'm nine now! I can know about love!" She said, crossing her arms over her chest.

Molly looked down at the puppy who was clawing at her thigh, "Oh? And what about the love your dear puppy is seeking right now? Do you plan to offer her your love?"

"Oh, Snow! I'm so sorry!" She jumped off Molly's lap, scooping the pup into her arms, "You know I love you, ya big fluff ball!" She smiled before turning to her guardian, "Can me and Snow go fish?"

Molly nodded, "If you both wear lifejackets and you don't catch more than ten. The freezer is almost full."

"Ooh! Goodie! Lauren, wanna come?" Elise asked, looking up at Lauren with hopeful eyes.

The doctor looked at Bo who smiled and gave her a nod. Lauren's eyes remained on Bo for a moment longer before she turned to Elise,

"I've got thirty minutes, okay? Then Bo and I have to go."

"Cool! Bo? Wanna come? I mean… if you feel better enough?" Elise asked.

"Do I want to go fishing with my two best gals? Of course!" Bo stood, "Wanna go piggyback down to the shed?"

Elise hesitated, "Molly says I can't hurt you. Won't it hurt you?"

Bo smiled down at the youngster, "Doctor Lauren gave me a clean bill of health for piggyback rides. Right, Lauren?"

"You bet!" Lauren smiled.

"Awesome! Bo gives the best piggyback rides!" Elise smiled, crawling onto the chair before jumping onto Bo's back.

Lauren watched as Bo cringed just a big when Elise's knee banged into her ribs, but it was just a moment. The doctor was sure that her patient was still just a little bit sensitive to any impacts to her side, but her incision was fully healed. There was simply a small amount of residual bruising.

Lauren turned to Molly, "Well, we're off to the river. Is there a cooler in the shed?"

Molly nodded, "Bo said you're getting pretty good with a rod."

"I'm holding my own. We didn't starve while I was taking care of her if that says anything."

"It does. Didn't she have any fish in her cache?"

Lauren nodded, "She did, but I've never cooked fish from frozen, so wasn't sure what to do."

Molly smiled, "I'm sure she'll teach you in time."

Time was the issue though, wasn't it? She looked up at Molly and nodded, "I'm sure she will. See you in about thirty minutes then?"

"We'll be here." Molly replied.

Lauren headed off down the path to the river. Up ahead, she could see Bo spinning circles with Elise on her back. While Bo was injured, Elise came to see her almost every time Molly came out. She was so worried about her, but the musher assured her every trip that she would make a full recovery. Elise would sit and read to her to pass the time. She read magazine articles about her mushing career that Bo had never seen or heard. She never paid attention to that sort of thing. She read her all her favorite children's books – stories Bo had never heard growing up on the North Slope. Each time Elise left her bedside, Bo would tell Lauren how grateful she was that little girl came to see her.

They passed Mark's kennel on their way and stopped to say hello to all the dogs. When they left, the canines were barking up a storm. He was now leaving them out at night since the weather had warmed. Bo had given him free lodging when the kennel opened, something she traded for credit at the store.

When they got to the river behind the store, the current was high and fast-moving. Both were concerned, so they not only put Snow and Elise in lifejackets, but they also anchored both to the trees with spare pieces of centerline that were kept in the shed. Bo could tell that Lauren was still a bit nervous being as close to the water as she was, so she pulled out an extra piece of line and anchored Lauren to a nearby tree just to be safe. She wasn't as strong a swimmer as Bo, so the brunette also found solace in knowing the blond would be easily pulled to shore if a fish gave her fight enough to pull her in.

They fished for the thirty minutes they agreed to and Elise jumped and shouted with every fish she hooked. When she caught her last fish, it was a beauty. She was dangerously close to the edge, so Bo tossed her rod and ran over to the little girl. She pulled her into her lap, wrapping her legs over the smaller ones and took hold of the rod.

"Here we go, sweetie! This is a big one!"

Elise's eyes went wide, "Is it a King Salmon? Is it?"

Bo looked up at Lauren, "I'm pretty sure it is." She said to Elise but mouthed 'Mark' to Lauren. The blonde nodded, running towards the store to get Bo's nephew, dropping their rods by the shed on the way.

"I'm tired, Bo." The youngster said, her hands dropping from the rod unexpectedly.

"Okay sweetie, do you want to crawl out from under my arms so I can work your big catch onto the land?"

She nodded, ducking under Bo's arms, sitting next to her so she could watch. Bo was straining with the efforts, her heels dug into the ground while her ribs ached with every pull. She hoped Mark would get here soon because she wasn't sure how much longer she could hold onto the rod from a seated position.

She leaned back, almost lying down with each pull before rapidly turning the crank on the reel to take up the slack. She then allowed the fish to swim again, waiting for it to tire before again pulling back and tightening the line.

"Come on, Mark."

"Mark?" Elise asked.

"Bo? Bo!"

"Hey, Mark! Need a little help here! I think your little girl has caught a trophy, but I'm not in any condition to land it… not from a seated position, anyway."

"Are you sure?" Mark asked, not wanting to take a fight away from Bo.

Bo sighed, "Can you see him?"

Mark approached the water's edge, a long net in hand, "Yup. He's still about thirty yards out."

"Ugh. I dunno." Bo said, pulling back hard and reeling rapidly, "Maybe if you give me something to brace my feet or harness yourself to me from behind?"

Mark nodded, "I've got a harness. Hang in there a second." He turned to Lauren, "If you can sit behind her and wrap your arms around her waist, it'll help until I'm ready."

Lauren nodded, doing as asked and Bo explained, "Every time I pull back, you pull me back. Try to keep me as close to you as possible." She whispered over her shoulder so that Elise wouldn't hear, "My ribs are killing me, Lauren and my calf is straining every time I push off it, but I don't want lose this fish for her. It's a monster."

"I'm with you, Bo."

The pair worked together for the next several pulls until Mark came to replace Lauren, but the blonde waved him off,

"Where is it, Mark? We've got to be close."

Mark ran to the water's edge, "Wow. Nice work! He's getting tired. Damn! He must be fifty pounds or more. I've never seen a King that big before, Bo."

Bo gritted her teeth, "Me either. Get the net!"

He grabbed the pole and watched as they gave one, then two more pulls, landing the fish perfectly allowing Mark to pull it in with the net.

"Got it! Geezus, Molly and Jonathan! This thing is huge!"

"Can I see my fish? Huh? Can I see my fish?"

Bo and Lauren laughed as the brunette fell back against Lauren, exhausted, "Well, now you've experienced Alaskan King Salmon fishing."

"Yes, I have." Lauren smiled, pulling Bo's hair back out of her face.

Bo rolled over and watched as Mark showed Elise the fish. He helped her to carry it up onto the bank where she introduced him to Bo and Lauren.

"Look! It's Hank!"

"Hank, huh? He's a monster of a fish, huh?"

Elise smiled proudly, "Sorry I couldn't bring him the rest of the way in. I guess he belongs to all of us, huh?"

Bo shook her head, "You hooked him, so he's your catch. I think Mark is going to have to measure and weigh that one for sure!"

Mark nodded and headed to the shed, grabbing his scale and measuring tool. He came back out and laid the fish down on the sand, being sure to measure from lips to tail,

"Wow. He's thirty-two inches long and…" they all watched while he hung the fish from the hook on the scale, holding it aloft and carefully watching the numbers spin until still, "…eighty-two pounds. Damn, Bo! I can't believe you landed this thing!"

Bo laughed from the ground, "I can't believe you can hold that thing up with one hand!"

He smiled towards Elise, "Lots of piggyback and shoulder rides lately. She's getting me back in shape."

"You were never out of shape. You can lift, pull and push more than anyone I know… except maybe your wife." Bo laughed.

Bo stared up at the sky, calming her breathing. Everything hurt, "I'm so out of shape. I really have to get back into my workout routine."

"You guys coming? We're gonna go show Molly all our fish!" She grabbed the stringer that held the other smaller fish and tugged twice, trying to drag them across the ground, "Ugh… I can't… I can't…"

Lauren smiled, "Mark will carry your big one. I'll carry these."

Bo protested, "Lauren, that's over a hundred pounds of fish. Get the cart from the shed."

"I'll get it!" Elise yelled, running off to the shed with Snow right on her heels.

Bo rolled over, crawling to all fours before putting a hand on her thigh and pushing up to her feet, "Damn, I'm so done."

"Come on, old lady. Let's go get something nice and cold to drink." Lauren chuckled, giving Bo her arm.

"I need something cold to soak my body in." She smiled, leaning on the blonde as they all headed inside.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

"Hey, Doc! Honeymoon over so soon?" Shannon asked as Lauren walked into the clinic.

"Hey, Burt. What happened?"

"Hey, Doc. I was taking down some rotted trees from winter and cut my hand with my saw blade. Nurse Shannon's fixing it up."

"I see that. I guess you have to be more careful with that saw of yours, huh?"

"Will do, Doc."

Carolyn waved her over from the desk, "Hope to not see you here anytime soon, Burt."

"Me too, Doc."

Lauren walked up to the desk and leaned over, "So, how's the day?"

Carolyn shrugged, "Nothing we can't handle. Why are you here?"

"We had ice cream at the General Store and then we went fishing. Bo's resting with ice on her ribs and calf. She pulled in a King Salmon that Elise hooked, and it was just massive."

"Is she okay?" Carolyn asked.

Lauren nodded, "Nothing is bleeding. She's just sore or, so she says, out of shape."

"Out of shape? That woman is ripped from head to toe."

Lauren laughed, thinking of the naked form she'd seen earlier, "Don't I know it. Anyway, I just wanted to check in to make sure…"

"They're on their way to Seattle, Lauren. You're not going to stop them from seeing their daughter. If something happens, it'll be the big city hospital's job to handle it."

Lauren nodded, "Any news from the boss?"

Carolyn raised her eyebrows, cocking her head, "Shannon talked to her earlier. She wasn't happy about you taking the day off when you've been off so much to take care of Bo."

Lauren went to speak, but Carolyn waved her off, "Shannon was not shy about reminding Evony that you've been working non-stop since you got here with no days off and that most of those days – especially over the last two months – were close to twenty hours a day because of the plague. She also didn't hesitate to ask her where the second physician was that you were supposed to be shift sharing with. She told her you were losing weight and exhausted – that you couldn't keep up this pace forever and she was responsible for making you physically, mentally and emotionally ill. She also said that if it came to it, we would be testifying in court on your behalf about the working conditions."

"Shit. Does Shannon still have a job?"

Carolyn smiled, "Well, after all you said this morning, she didn't really care. She's right. There are plenty of hospitals that would want someone with your resume."

"Any news from Anchorage?"

Carolyn handed Lauren an email, "That came about twenty minutes after you sent your email. It's from the president of the hospital and co-signed by the chief of staff. It turns out their chief of cardiothoracic surgery is hoping to retire in six months to a year. They would love to have you whenever you're interested in coming on board. And get this… they sent their budget."

"What?" Lauren asked, shocked.

Carolyn handed her a hard copy of the document, "We highlighted the… well… highlights. Lauren, they're facility is incredible. They're using the TAVR procedure with the Sapien aortic valve. I thought for sure they would still be cracking open a chest."

Lauren smiled, "I've got to at least visit, right?"

Carolyn shrugged, "I would. I mean… they're definitely going to be competing with us."

"It looks like they also use Seattle's facilities a great deal rather than do some procedures here. That probably cuts costs as well."

Carolyn nodded, watching Lauren rifle through the papers. The expression on the doctor's face was fluctuating between optimism, surprise, curiosity and excitement.

"You're really considering this, aren't you."

Lauren shrugged, "I'd be crazy not to if I'm staying. At the very least, it's leverage I can use against Evony."

"How would you handle the daily commute? I mean, I'd assume you would eventually be living with Bo here in Talkeetna, right? By train, that's a little over two hours each way."

Lauren shrugged, "Bo does a lot of business in Anchorage since her brother Tosh is there. I'd guess we'd have to cross that bridge when we come to it." Lauren thought for a moment, "Of course, if… well, I don't want to get ahead of myself."

Carolyn sat back in her chair, "We're just airing thoughts here, Lauren. I'm not holding you to anything."

"What if Anchorage and Talkeetna were sister hospitals? We could literally compete with Seattle."

"Thinking big, huh?"

"Well, like you said, I'm just airing thoughts."

Carolyn nodded, "Okay, so what are your thoughts about taking the day off for real?"

Lauren smiled, "Okay. Are you sure you can handle anything that comes up?"

Carolyn nodded, "I've got the number for our emergency helicopter services, Kurt is on call by plane and now we've secured Anchorage hospitals as our critical care facilities. You may be a cardiothoracic surgeon, but you've got nothing here to help you with anything beyond the basics. It's not like you could perform a catheterization, valve replacement or pacemaker surgery."

Lauren nodded, "That is true."

"We're basically a first aid center at this point and those cases, we can handle. Anything else, we'll send to Anchorage."

"Okay then. I'm off to whatever Bo has planned for the rest of the day."

"Good." Carolyn smiled, "So you're definitely telling her tonight?"

Lauren nodded, "Yes. I don't want to keep anything from her. I'm having enough trouble not telling her right now. I'll see you tomorrow."

Carolyn nodded, "Kelly is in tomorrow morning at nine with Sam."

"Okay. I'll have my phone with me if you need anything."

"Go, venture out into the wild and have fun." Carolyn smiled as Lauren headed for the door, waving to Shannon as she passed the treatment table.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_


	12. Chapter 12: Land, Sea and Sky

**A/N:** Here's a quick (short, for me) chapter but wanted to keep this moving along… and then stop suddenly just to keep ya'll on your toes. Thanks so much for the reviews and messages! They are always greatly appreciated!

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 **CHAPTER 12: Land, Sea and Sky**

Bo and Lauren had departed directly from the clinic to the Talkeetna Hotel where Kenzi and Vex had prepped one of Bo's bush planes and set up her flight plan with the local aviation officials.

"Why are we going with the Beaver, Kenz?" Bo asked.

She could feel Lauren's hand stiffen on her arm, "Is there something wrong with the plane?"

Bo smiled, "No, Lauren. This one is just not as fast, although it's definitely faster than a typical DeHavilland Beaver with the modifications I've made to it with Kurt. That boy is a genius with a wrench." She turned to Kenzi, "But I'll ask again, why the…"

Kenzi shrugged, cutting her off, "It was Vex's idea. You have both DeHavillands parked back here and he figured since you were taking your lady love up, the Beaver was more appropriate than the Turbine Otter."

Bo shook her head at Vex, "Perve."

"Beaver." Vex replied.

"Grow up, Vex or at least grow some class. Either would have the same result."

"And what result would that be love?" He asked, smirking as his eyes traveled over Lauren's form. Bo stepped between him and the blonde and led her to the plane,

"A cure for your foot in mouth disease." Bo spat, before turning to her best friend, "Now, is my flight filed?"

Kenzi nodded, "All taken care of, BoBo. Oh yea, and I talked to Noah and Liam up on the hill. They're nearing the summit with a group of semi-experienced climbers. They asked if you could keep an eye out since you're going to have a doc with you."

Bo nodded, but Lauren was suddenly concerned, "Do I need my medical bag?"

Shaking her head, Bo placed a hand on Lauren's shoulder, calming her, "I assure you, if they need us, everything you could possibly need will be in their packs or in my plane's medical kit."

Bo took the map from Kenzi, opening it and propping it up on the side of the plane. She followed the red line that Kenzi had drawn,

"Good flight pattern."

Kenzi nodded, "It's not my first rodeo designing a perfect tour for you."

Bo smiled, "Thanks, Kenzi. It's perfect."

"I thought you'd like it. When did my two favorite boys leave?"

"Just over 2 weeks. Maybe a day or two?"

Bo nodded, "So how are they not at the summit by now?"

Kenzi shrugged, shaking her head, "There was a lot of static on the radio, so I'm not really sure. I mean, it's clear up there now, so hopefully they're finishing up. Maybe they're even on their way back down?"

Lauren poked her head out of the plane, "Bo? Where are we going?"

Bo smiled, "I want it to be a surprise."

"Well, with what you two are saying, it sounds like we're going up to a mountain?" Lauren asked, nervous.

Vex closed the engine hatch and wiped his hands with a rag before stepping between the two friends, "You two just keep yammering on and on and on. Too bad you have to spoil your own surprise."

"Shut it, Vex." Bo said, pointing her finger at the man as he loaded some boxes into the plane.

"These are for Ace and the boys. They arranged your little fly by." Vex said.

"I hope it's the good stuff this time." Bo said, hands planted on her hips.

Vex tossed his rag over his shoulder as he walked back towards the hotel, "Oh, it's the good stuff all right. Wait until you get my bill."

Kenzi stopped Bo before she had a chance to reply, "Don't worry about the bill. He owes you guys for getting the Board of Health off his back. Speaking of our little water dilemma, you got my text?"

Bo nodded, "Hard to believe."

"I'll take that as a yes. Tamsin will need…"

"To talk to me, right."

"Bo…"

"It's okay, Kenzi. I'm okay - for now, anyway. I've got other things to focus on. It just feels like this thing will never end."

"It'll end, Bo. Our favorite blonde federal agent is very persistent." Kenzi replied.

Bo nodded, "I don't know that I'd call her my favorite, but… well, let's just say… she's growing on me."

"Like fine wine." Kenzi smiled.

"More like mold or weeds." Bo corrected, sarcastically, "Well, I'm burning daylight here…"

Kenzi nodded, giving her friend a hug, "Have fun and radio when you want me to light up the runway."

Bo nodded, "It depends on how crowded things are… peak season and all."

She walked around the plane and climbed into the pilot's seat while Kenzi stepped back to watch the takeoff. Bo pulled on her headset and pointed to Lauren to do the same. She gave the blonde's hand a squeeze, speaking into the intercom,

"Can you hear me?"

Lauren smiled, "Yes."

"Nervous?"

Lauren shrugged, "Honestly, a little. I was never a big fan of little planes, but I feel better knowing you're at the helm."

Bo talked Lauren through some general things she wanted the blonde to know about flying in Alaska as well as some emergency details. Of course, Bo had assured her that they wouldn't have need for emergency procedures but had also explained that 'shit happens'.

Lauren watched as Bo pushed the throttle forward, the plane's tail skidding just a bit before they were rushing through the spray of white that glistened across the windshield. The trees that lined the field seemed to rush by in a blur and before she knew it, the doctor felt weightless as the plane lifted into the sky. They climbed quickly, Bo smiling as she saw Lauren's hand and face find the window.

Shortly after take-off, Bo began pointing out the sites below while Lauren just grinned and took it all in. It was amazing… incredible… beautiful… awesome… and then some. After about an hour, the doctor had confessed that she had run out of words to adequately describe what she was seeing. Bo understood exactly how Lauren felt. Even though she was native to these lands, she had long ago decided that she would never tire of the view.

"So where are we going?" Lauren asked, staring down at the open land below, "The snow hasn't melted here yet?"

Bo shook her head, "Well, I was going to take you out on the three-rivers boat tour, but then I thought that maybe you'd like to zipline back in Talkeetna. Of course, you would have had a blast, but…"

"I would have said no because you would have been in too much pain with the bruises you still have on your ribs."

Bo shrugged, "It was just a risk I would rather not take considering we have all summer to do the zipline – more than once if you really like it."

Lauren cringed internally for what felt like the tenth time today as she replied, "So we ended up in a plane to…?"

Bo smiled, "All of this. I decided I'd give you the same plane tour I give the paying customers out of the flightseeing company I usually work for."

"I take it that's where Noah and Liam come in?"

Bo shrugged, "I do most of the flights now. They're handling most of the climbs before and after peak season. I'll do some during peak because it's when the weather is best."

"Is Denali dangerous to climb?"

Bo paused, choosing her words carefully, "It's a high-altitude climb of 20,310 feet, so things can definitely go wrong. It's not the most difficult climb – that would be Everest or K2 – but as I've explained before, Denali has its own weather system and it's unpredictable for even the most experienced native Alaskans."

Lauren nodded, her eyes trained on Bo's profile as the brunette traveled through her memories of the mountain,

"It's special to you, isn't it?" Lauren asked.

Bo smiled, "The first time I climbed it, I did it solo with my mom's gear and map. It was her favorite thing to do before she had kids. She worked as a guide in the summers when her family would come down from the North Slope. When I was little, she would show me pictures of her climbing friends and clients. Her idol wasn't a musher as you might think – it was a climber."

She looked at Lauren, "It was a native Athabascan named Harper who first topped Denali."

"Oh, Bo."

The brunette teared up, "It's why…"

"You named your first dog Harper." Lauren finished, wiping the tears from Bo's right cheek, "That's very special."

Bo nodded, taking a deep breath, "No one else knows that. I don't usually tell people the real origin of her name and I rarely explain things in my life that I associate with my mom."

"Well, I feel quite special that you would share that with me."

"You are special, Lauren. Very special." Bo smiled, leaning over and kissing the blonde softly on the lips and then her forehead as she leaned in and placed her head on Bo's shoulder.

"As much as I would love to cuddle with you right now, you really need to look out your window… there she is in all of her glory."

Lauren looked up to see the most majestic sight she had seen since she'd arrived in Alaska. She'd seen many mountains that she had referred to that way since her arrival. She'd even seen Denali from the ground in Talkeetna and on the train, but seeing it like this…

"My… Bo… it's… it's… magnificent." Lauren said, her voice barely a whisper in Bo's headset.

"I wanted to be sure you saw it before I do the rest of the tour. There's no guarantee it will stay visible the entire time. We'll be going much higher and, weather permitting, we'll circle the summit but first I want to show you a glacier. Open that little compartment and you'll see a stack of tiny envelopes. Pick one and open it up."

"What's this?" Lauren asked, doing as she was told.

"You'll see."

Lauren grinned, staring at the envelopes she had fanned out like playing cards, "I'm so nervous. Which one should I choose?"

Bo chuckled, "Lauren, they're not filled with infectious diseases you have to cure. They're potential landing sites. They're all beautiful. I just wanted you involved in the choice."

"You call this a choice? This is torture." She replied, still staring at the envelopes in her hands until she saw Bo's hand come to rest on the wrist of her left hand. She looked up to see her lover's eyes staring back at her, the aviators she'd been wearing hanging from her shirt collar,

"Not everything has to be planned and carefully thought out, weighing the pros and cons. Sometimes, you just have to follow your gut. Make a choice and enjoy the journey."

Lauren smiled, exhaling the breath that had caused her to stiffen with worry, "Just take a chance?"

Bo grinned, "Just take a chance. I promise, it'll be okay no matter what you choose."

Lauren lowered her eyes, "But what if I choose wrong?"

Bo turned her eyes to check the horizon before turning back to Lauren, her hand moving to her cheek. She saw the watery eyes and knew that they were now talking about more than choosing an envelope. Bo didn't want Lauren to feel this way. She wanted her to know that she was always going to support her – to be there for her no matter where her life took her on the great path.

"If you choose wrong, then you'll readjust your sails and try again."

"But what if it's too late?" Lauren said, before turning her lips into Bo's palm and placing a kiss there.

Bo smiled, "It will never be too late, Lauren. Some things just have to happen in their own sweet time. I'm not in any hurry. Are you?"

Lauren shook her head, "I feel…" the truth was, Lauren was in a hurry because Evony had unexpectedly stepped up her timeline. As each minute ticked away before her departure, she could feel a sense of urgency building inside of her. She just wanted to hold onto Bo until the last possible second. She didn't want to leave her… she just didn't want to leave her, "I love you… I just… love you."

Bo's eyes softened, "I know you do, Lauren. And no matter what choice you make, you'll still love me, and I'll still love you. No one… nothing… no amount of distance can ever change that." But Bo was realistic, "But distance can change love and that's okay too. Change is a part of life. Choice is a part of life. We always have some choice in those changes."

Lauren sighed, "Sometimes outside forces impact your ability to make choices."

Bo nodded but Lauren's words only confirmed her earlier suspicions. Something was up and she'd bet dimes to donuts that Evony had something to do with it. According to Carolyn and Shannon, the boss had been calling Lauren relentlessly while she was recovering, and it had put a great deal of stress on the lone doctor. She smiled,

"That may be true, but we can always choose how we respond to those outside forces as well. There's always a choice, Lauren. I suspect you know that better than anyone. Think about it - how many times had you been told a patient that you ultimately saved couldn't be saved?"

Lauren chuckled, "Too many."

Bo smiled, "Exactly. And yet, you made the choices that led to proving them wrong. You see? There's always a choice. You could have heeded their warnings and those patients would all be dead, but you didn't. You always believe there's another way… another path… another choice along the path."

Lauren smiled, "I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but for a girl who never finished school, you are certainly brilliant."

"I'm super smart." Bo chuckled, "Other kids may have a diploma from a traditional version of school, but I have a doctorate in life choices."

Lauren nodded, looking down at the envelopes in her hand. She closed her eyes and pulled one of them free from the rest. She opened the envelope and read aloud, the card inside,

"Let's drop down and land on Harper Glacier." Lauren grinned at Bo before looking out across the massive mountain range, then back at Bo, "Which one is Harper?"

Bo chuckled, "She's due east. Hang on, lover. I'm banking right."

Lauren gripped the frame near the door window as the plane dove right, "Bo!"

She looked at the pilot, the grin on her face clearing demonstrating that she was having a blast… at Lauren's expense,

"That was mean!"

"Nah… I'm just getting you loose."

"Loose? I'm stiff as a board!"

"Relax, Lauren. This is no different than riding on a sled with me."

"Uh… other than the fact that we're in the air over a mountain of rock, snow and ice?"

Bo chuckled, "I thought you trusted me."

"I do trust you. It's the man-made contraption we're flying in that I don't particularly trust."

"Vex and Kenzi did a full check before we left…"

"Oh, and that's supposed to make me feel better?"

Bo laughed, "They're the best! More importantly, they love me and would never let anything happen to me. Hold on. This could get a bit bumpy. There will be wind sheers."

"Great. I'll just start watching my life pass before my eyes now." The blonde said, sarcastically, leaning back in her seat with her arms folded over her chest.

"Lauren, I promise you we're fine. I've landed her at least a hundred times."

Bo radioed her position, letting ground control know she was going to be on the glacier for a bit just in case another flightseeing company was planning on landing on the same glacier. Kenzi had carefully timed her trip to be between the usual landings, but they were just a bit behind schedule.

The plane was tossed off its parallel axis quite a bit on the approach, but as promised, Bo made a perfect landing on the glacier. She shut down the plane and turned to Lauren,

"You okay?"

Lauren nodded, "I'm fine."

"All that worrying for nothing, right?"

Offering a tight smile, Lauren nodded, "I'm sorry I doubted you."

Bo reached behind the seat, pulling out a backpack, "In this pack is a GortexTM jacket and pants, gloves and a hat. There are also crampons, two walking sticks and an oxygen tank."

"We need oxygen?" Lauren asked, eyes wide.

Bo smiled, "You're breathing without it right now, correct?"

"Yes." Lauren replied.

"Then do you need oxygen?"

Lauren sighed, "No."

"However, the air is definitely thin up here. I've landed us about three thousand feet below the actual glacier, so as we go up, you may feel quite winded. I wanted you to have the oxygen just in case you feel the need to use it. Otherwise, it's for emergencies when we fly around the top because you will want oxygen at the summit. I'm required to wear it as a pilot once I'm above 15,000 feet. I prefer to strap it on a little sooner just to be on the safe side… not to mention more comfortable."

Bo stopped adjusting her gear and looked at Lauren, "You okay?"

She looked up at Bo, "I don't know why I'm so tense. I just… I'm being silly."

Bo leaned forward, "Look. I don't know what's going on with you, but it's clear to me that something is bothering you. I know you don't want to talk about it right now and that's fine, but I want you to know that I'm here for you and you don't have to be afraid to tell me…"

"Evony's forcing me to go back to Boston next week. I don't have a choice. I have to go."

Bo pulled back, sitting up straight in her seat as Lauren's words replayed in her head several times before she fully understood the meaning. Then she connected the dots and realized that Lauren was upset… truly upset to be leaving.

"You're upset because you have to leave?" Bo asked.

Lauren's eyes filled with tears, "Of course I am! You have to ask?"

Bo shook her head, "No… I mean… I wasn't really asking, I was more… concluding… a thought that was happening in my head finished out loud. Sorry… I just… so… you're worried about how I'll react?"

"Aren't you mad at me?"

"You? Hell no. You're not leaving voluntarily before January, are you?"

"No! Of course not!"

"Then we should both be mad at Evony, right?"

"Yes!" Lauren replied, "Wait… you're not mad at me?"

Bo smiled, "Of course not, Lauren. I am furious with Evony for all she's been putting you through."

"Shannon and Carolyn told you?"

"Of course they did. They love you to pieces, Lauren and dare I say, those two would follow you to the end of the world."

Lauren smiled, "I am aware. They're staying though."

Bo nodded, "So Evony's going to fly in another doctor to work with the nurses and emergency staff she's built up here so that you can go back to Boston to do what?"

"Apparently there's another hospital making the move to number one in Boston because I'm not there."

"What?" Bo asked.

"It's complicated."

"I'm sure. So, dumb it down for me so I can understand." Bo replied.

"Hospitals build their reputations on the backs of the top doctors who work there…"

"Right. You are the best in your field, but if you're not there, then they go to the next best doctor available."

"Michael Snood. He totally fudged his research when we were in college, but somehow, he made it through med school and his hospital is making him the poster child for cardiothoracic surgery using the Lewis Method for repairing heart valves and transplants."

"So, if Lewis returns…"

Lauren shrugged, "You buy your sleds from Kyle because she designed her sled with you. Other people buy their sleds from Kyle because she's selling you sleds. If you started selling sleds of your own, would people still buy them from Kyle?"

Bo smiled, nodding, "I get it."

Lauren sighed, "I haven't published a paper in years, so people I'm no longer in medicine."

"Evony wants to show you off to boost her ratings."

"Basically, yes."

Bo nodded, "For how long?"

Lauren hung her head, "She won't give me an answer to that question. She just says… until further notice."

Bo shook her head, "I know what this is about."

"You do?"

Bo nodded, "She told my foreman that production was down ever since I started getting… well… being intimate with you. Of course, I called Evony yesterday to tell her how inappropriate it was for her to talk to my foreman about my personal life, but she said that my personal life was interfering with my ability to meet the terms of my contract. She complained that I'm never on the job site. She's got a point, but I wasn't going to tell her that. After all, I'm rarely on a job site since I have many other jobs that pay the bills for my construction company until I'm paid for a finished job."

Lauren nodded, "I understand."

"I'm sorry, Lauren."

The doctor shrugged, "She's separating us to get the best result for her two biggest investments." Lauren smirked, "She's not expecting any resistance."

Bo paused, looking at the expression on her doctor's face, "Should she be expecting some?"

Lauren released her harness and pulled the GortexTM jacket from her bag, "Let's go see this glacier, shall we?"

Bo watched as the blonde pulled on her gear, before holding up the metal crampons, "What do I do with these?"

Deciding that letting the topic go for now was best, Bo sighed, "They go on your feet."

The brunette pulled on her gear, pulling on her goggles last, "Goggles, then we go out and put those on." She said, referring to the metal spikes used for the bottom of boots on an icy terrain. Lauren watched Bo strap hers on before following her lead to put on her own.

"There's first aid gear and water in the packs, so put that on as well. I thought you might like to summit a small peak just to get the idea of what it's like to climb. You game?"

Lauren smiled, "Definitely! I mean… as long as you'll be okay."

Bo smiled, "I'll be fine, Lauren. Come on, you're gonna love this."

They exited the plane; Bo showing Lauren how to extend the poles and use them for leverage before they began their ascent up the glacier. They walked in silence for some time, each mulling over their thoughts about Lauren's departure and Evony's role in it. Bo was definitely curious as to what resistance Evony was planning. She was sure they needed to coordinate their efforts, otherwise the sharp businesswoman would undoubtedly cause problems for the other.

It was Lauren who spoke first, pulling Bo to a stop so they could face each other,

"Okay. I'm just going to say this and then we're going to get on with our day. Evony is a bitch. We both know that. She just has to have her way. She's interfering with our lives to get what she wants for herself. There's nothing more selfish than separating two people you know damn well are in love, but that's exactly what she's doing. She can hire another construction company, but as she's learned from your employees, no one is going to go against an existing contract for an outsider. Your people are more loyal than that. It would just delay her construction project. The easier thing to do is to get me away from you so you dive into your work."

She shrugged, "The problem is, there is only one me and if she breaks my contract, she'll lose me to another hospital. If we stand together on this, we will win, Bo. We'll figure it out. I've already started doing some research on my options. Carolyn and Shannon are helping. I'll explain more when I have a plan fully in place so that we can discuss next steps."

She moved towards Bo, pulling her closer and wrapping her arms around her waist, "But for today, I would just like to make sure that we focus on us and why you brought me all the way up here to this beautiful place."

Bo smiled, "That is the more important item on our to-do list today, right?"

"Right. So, are you going to show me your mountain or what?"

Bo leaned in, "First, I'm going to kiss you on my mountain. Then I'm going to show you my mountain."

The brunette was true to her word, kissing the blonde squarely on the mouth before pulling back, a grin plastered on her face. Lauren playfully slapped her shoulder,

"Come on then. Lead the way." Lauren smiled, stepping back and taking her poles in hand once again.

Bo turned and headed forward up the glacier with Lauren close behind, still at a loss for words over the beauty that surrounded her.

"So, what can you tell me about this glacier or glaciers in general?" Lauren asked.

Bo smiled at Lauren's scientific curiosity, but complied with her need to know, "Well, right now, we're about four thousand feet from the top of Harper Icefall which is the descent side of Denali."

"So where do you go up?"

"West of here over those mountains.

Lauren looked up at the top of the mountain, "Maybe… someday."

Bo grinned, "Depends on how I'm traveling. My usual route by plane is from Talkeetna past Kahiltna Glacier on to Mount Foraker, Mount Hunter and up to Denali. I go around the summit of Denali if the weather is clear, then down through the pass and around the West Buttress before showing clients Wickersham Wall and Harper Icefall before flying through The Great Gorge and landing on Ruth Glacier. I get them out of the plane there so they can walk around and get some pics at a lower altitude."

"Is that what we're going to do?" Lauren asked.

Bo nodded, "Yup, right after this little walk."

Lauren nodded, "The air is definitely a little thin up here."

"Do you need your oxygen? There's no shame in using it. Remember that I've been doing this most of my life, so I'm used to it. People respond differently to altitude."

Lauren nodded, "I usually do okay. I mean, I was fine in Denver at a medical conference, but I suppose this is higher."

"I suppose." Bo chuckled, turning up a mountain pass, "Okay, here comes the trickier part. Just be sure to keep your hands in front of your pole tips."

"Got it. I love these little spikey things on my feet."

Bo smiled, "They are a great invention."

"So, can you just throw our random facts about this mountain so that I have something to focus on while we climb so I don't have to use my oxygen to talk?"

"Random facts, huh? Well, let's see… my ancestor, Harper, climbed this before it was cool to do so. Between 1913 and 1950, not many people climbed Denali. This guy named Bradford Washburn climbed it in 1951 and that led to larger groups coming up. He climbed it by way of the West Buttress, so it was kind of a big deal back then. Now, it's the highest mountain in North America, so a lot of people climb it every year. They have a 50/50 chance of making it to the top. Over a hundred climbers have died trying to hit the summit."

"It's big." Lauren commented, looking up at the summit towering above her.

Bo smiled, "And that's just the top of the Harper Icefall. Denali is over that and up higher. You'll see what I mean when we're in the air."

"You mean Denali is higher than that?" Lauren asked.

Bo stopped, looking up above her, "Makes you feel pretty small, huh?"

"Completely insignificant, as a matter of fact." Lauren commented.

Bo nodded, "I know what you mean."

They both continued to walk, "So the mountain tops out at 20,310 feet, but she's gaining size every year. She's 18,011 feet from base to summit which is the steepest elevation gain in the entire world."

"When you were doing the Iditarod, I just remember thinking the Alaska range was so big, but when you see it up close, it's even bigger."

Bo nodded, "Actually, this is part of the Yukon Mountain Range. There are five total glaciers around the mountain and a bunch of different icefalls. This one just happens to be my favorite at this time of year."

"You have a favorite at other times of the year?"

Bo shrugged, "It's spring, so there's a lot of people up here… well, a lot by my definition."

"Meaning one person is too many?"

Bo smiled, turning back to look at the blonde, "You've helped me with that and talking to Doctor Gray has helped me with that. Now, I can handle a group of five or so being on my mountain."

"Oh, so it's your mountain, huh?" Lauren laughed.

"Fastest woman alive on this big girl."

Lauren smirked, "And the men?"

"Only Noah's faster, but we're going to race again next month."

"You race up a mountain?"

Bo shrugged, "Well, we'll go together for safety, but the last two thousand feet or so will definitely be a battle."

"Well, good luck with that. I hope there will be pictures or video."

"Kurt will probably fly Kenzi around the summit and try to get it on tape for Vex."

"For Vex?" Lauren asked.

Bo smiled, "He and Kenzi will definitely have a bet on the climb."

Lauren smiled, nodding as they reached a particularly steep section. Bo turned, opening her backpack and pulling out a long rope,

"Okay, so now you're going to be attached to me for this last stretch. Just keep on moving. If you feel yourself slipping, try to shout out 'falling' before you fall so I can have a little warning to brace myself."

"And if you don't brace yourself?"

Bo shrugged, "We slide back down to the bottom."

"Are you sure…"

Bo placed a hand on Lauren's shoulder, "You're the strongest woman I know, Lauren. Don't overthink this. You've got it. Remember those workouts I've been putting you through at my house from my deathbed?"

"Ha. Ha. Yes, I remember."

"Those were all climbing workouts. You can climb a rope from floor to ceiling six times without hands. You can handle this."

"But your ribs…"

Bo smiled, "I'll be fine, Lauren. Just trust me and trust yourself more. We've got this. Together, right?"

"Together." Lauren smiled, placing a kiss on Bo's cheek.

The blonde watched as Bo tied several knots on the rope between them, hooking in metal clips and pulling things tight. As she worked, she continued sharing facts with Lauren,

"Denali is mostly igneous rock granite. It's formed beneath the Earth's crust as part of a batholith. Do you know what a batholith is?"

Lauren searched her memory, "I'm not sure, but I seem to recall it having something to do with magma?"

Bo smiled, "Very good, Doctor Lewis! It's a bubble or mass of magma within the Earth's crust. Despite erosion hitting most of the coasts of the world, Denali is still growing at a rate of about half a millimeter a year."

"So, a kilometer ever two million years."

Bo shook her head, "You are scary smart."

Lauren smiled, "Yes I am."

"Okay smarty pants, let's get going before the weather closes out the view."

"Bo? I'm pretty cold now."

Bo nodded, "Do you want to turn back?"

Lauren shook her head, "Just curious. How cold is it?"

"We're probably at about thirty degrees or so here."

"So how cold is it up at the summit?" Lauren asked as they began to climb the steep ice.

"This time of year, it depends on the weather. It can go anywhere from 38 degrees to minus 75 degrees Fahrenheit."

"Wow. That's really cold." Lauren replied.

"Yup. You okay?" Bo asked, driving her two axes into the ice to be sure she had a good grip in case Lauren slipped.

"I'm fine. I think I got my second wind."

"Good timing then. I'm super out of shape." Bo moaned, "It feels good to be out here doing something, though."

"This is sort of fun."

"I'm glad you're having a good time."

"Maybe I will try climbing all the way to the top."

Bo smiled, "Well, that can certainly be arranged. We'll be doing a bunch of smaller climbs first, though."

Lauren nodded, "Probably a good idea."

It took about another thirty minutes, but they finally reached the summit of the Harper Icefall. Standing atop the relatively smaller peak, Bo pointed over their heads,

"There she is in all her glory."

"Oh my… Einstein, she's… massive… I mean… majestic."

Bo chuckled, "Majestic is the word and you are now more than halfway to the summit of Denali. I think it worth noting a little known… or discussed… fact. That when Washburn topped the mountain, his wife Barbara was with him. A woman's place is on top of the mountain, Lauren. Which woman depends on how hard she's willing to fight. I'd like to stand atop any mountain you choose to climb. I'd like to do that for the rest of my life. I realize you may have other plans, but any time you call, I'll be there at your side."

Hearing a plane in the distance, Bo smiled, "It seems we have company."

"A flightseeing tour? Will your plane be in the way where it's parked?" Lauren asked.

Bo smiled, "Nope. This one is just passing by."

"But how could you possibly know that?" Lauren asked, as the plane came into view, it's wings tilting up and down, "Why's it doing that? Is it going to crash?"

Bo laughed, shaking her head, "Nope. It's just Kurt and Kenzi letting me know it's them. You should look up as they fly by."

Lauren turned and looked up at the plane, watching as a large streamer fell from the passenger window.

"It's a sign. What are they trying to tell us?"

Bo smiled, waiting for Lauren to read the message,

"Bo loves Lauren." Lauren said, her face morphing into a smile, "Oh my goodness. Bo…"

She turned to find Bo smiling at her, turning her axe over to unscrew the bottom of the handle,

"Lauren, I realize you sometimes have moments where you're not sure about us. I also realize you have no idea whether you will be returning to Alaska or not. I realize that you've gone through a hellish marriage and are unsure about any type of commitment – marriage or otherwise. I realize that you feel like I've got shit to overcome and work through. I realize you think I'm a raving lunatic sometimes. I realize you may choose to stay in Boston. And, unfortunately, I also now know that you are going back to Boston much sooner than either of us had planned, but despite all of that, I am sure that I want to walk side by side through this life with you. Now I realize, you may never feel the same about me, but until you tell me for sure, I will be here, waiting for you to say that you want to commit to a life with me."

Bo stood, finally flipping open the end of her axe, "I hollowed out my axes long ago so that I could carry valuables and identification inside. For this trip, I put this inside…"

She pulled out a long gold chain that held a small gold nugget with a white and gold stone mounted on it.

"This small gold nugget was the first gold I ever mined as a child. I've had it my entire life, waiting until the day I would find a special use for it. I thought knowing that I have held onto this for over twenty years, it could serve as a symbol to you that I am a very patient individual… that time moves differently for me. I don't live by a countdown clock. I live moment to moment and I most love my moments with you. While other women have certainly made advances over the years, I've never even considered pulling this out… until you. This little nugget represents my version of time. You see… I can wait, Lauren. I don't need marriage or rings – not that I'm opposed to those things, but life in a village as a child was always focused on the moments of a day, so if there's a moment where you want to say that you'll never want to be with anyone else, I'll take it when you can say it. I can wait, Lauren. I can wait longer."

Bo could see Lauren's mouth twist, unsure of how to respond, so she continued,

"The stone embedded in the nugget is called Gold Quartz. Alaska is one of the few places in the world you can find it. It's left in its natural state – just as you should be… just as I plan to love and live my life with you. I don't want to change you, Lauren. I don't want you to change for me. I want you to live your best life. I just want to be able to love, cherish and appreciate you as we walk through this journey of life together… if I'm the one you want to walk it with. If the time comes, we can put this all into a ring if you want, but for now, I just thought you might need a reminder of this land and the woman who is waiting here for you."

She took Lauren's hand and dropped the stone into her palm, wrapping the chain around her hand, "I don't need any sort of answer or discussion. I don't need an explanation or reassurance. I just need you to accept this gift and carry it with you in any way you choose." Bo looked up at Lauren, her eyes brimming with tears, "When you look at it, I hope that you'll remember this moment… remember what we accomplished together on this glacier and all that we have yet to do. I hope you'll think fondly of me and of your time here in Alaska. I hope that you'll remember the life you built here and the people you left behind and know that even when you're quite literally half a world away, we're all thinking of you…" Bo lowered her head as the tears began to fall, "… and we're all missing you… loving you… me especially."

Lauren placed two fingers under Bo's chin, brushing away the frozen tears on her face, "Thank you, Bo. Please know that every word you've said is carved into my heart. I'm going to miss you more than I can ever say. I do love you, Bo and I can't imagine how I'm going to wake up in the morning and not think of you. I've grown accustomed to sharing my moments with you."

She smiled, pulling Bo's goggles back over her eyes before covering her own, "And if Evony ends up dead in a ditch somewhere, please don't tell anyone that you know I'm the one that killed her."

Bo could help but let out a laugh that came straight from her belly, "Not if I kill her first."

Lauren launched herself into Bo's arms, squeezing her tightly as the winds swept across the peak. Bo pulled back,

"As much as I don't want to leave your arms right now, I have to consider your safety. I don't want to be stranded up here if the weather suddenly locks us in."

"That could happen?" Lauren asked, tucking the necklace into her breast pocket before following Bo down the peak.

"It could, but I would have no problem keeping us alive up here, Lauren. I'm an experienced guide and brought more than what I would normally have if I were leading an expedition to the summit."

"Okay." Lauren replied.

They worked their way back down the mountain in silence, leaving the worst of the winds and weather behind at the higher altitude. It was strange to Lauren that after walking just a few thousand feet, it was like they were in a completely different land. The sun was warm, and she could see the snow melting on her jacket. She was warming up quickly and felt a need to open the ventilation zippers on her jacket.

She looked back up the mountain, again seeing the larger peak. She was curious,

"Bo?"

"Yea?"

"How do you usually climb Denali?"

"Depends. Am I climbing as a guide, with a partner or solo? If I'm with a partner, are they as experienced as I am, less or a total rookie?"

"How about all of the above?"

Bo smiled, "The West Buttress is the most commonly climbed route with a guide. The West Rib is much more difficult, so if I'm working as a guide with someone who wants more of a challenge but is not a professional, I'll take them up that way. With Noah and Liam, I'll take the Cassin Ridge. It's one of the hardest alpine routes in the world."

"What makes it so hard?" Lauren asked, now seeing the plane down below.

"Well, for one thing, my ice axes are a must, it's a very technical climb and it's high altitude so I have to carry dex with me and worry about altitude sickness. Of course, Noah and Liam want me to do Everest with them. I just don't want to… you know…"

"Leave Alaska?"

Bo shrugged, "Of course, things change… I've changed."

"Have you had to use Dexamethasone?" Lauren asked, a bit surprised, though she had heard of climbers using the emergency drug at high altitudes.

Bo shook her head, "Not on myself, no. I'm very careful about listening to my body when I climb. Of course, if you carry Diamox, you can usually stay ahead of any pulmonary edema that would require dex. I just don't see the need to risk death to climb a mountain. Honestly, I'd rather try to navigate a route no one has ever tried on Denali than climb Everest and risk death because of altitude."

Lauren exhaled, relishing in the sense of comfort that came from hearing Bo's climbing philosophy. She hoped she would never venture onto Everest, but she certainly would never stop her if she really wanted to go. She watched as Bo moved ahead of her, leading the way to the plane. Lauren decided she would chance the exposure to the cold and pulled out her phone. She snapped a picture of Bo heading to the plane before turning and taking several pictures of the mountain. She zoomed in on the summit of Harpers Icefall and smiled. She had actually just climbed to that very peak. It was dwarfed by the height of Denali, but still, she felt a sense of pride and accomplishment just the same. It warmed her heart to think that she had done it with Bo and the gesture the brunette had made atop the peak.

She put her phone back into her zippered pocket and opened the one on her chest, pulling out the necklace. She pulled back her hood and wrapped the gold around her neck, fastening the clasp quickly before her fingertips grew too cold to perform the task.

She turned back to see Bo lifting the engine compartment. She pulled out her phone and snapped a few more pictures, trying not to panic over the thought that there was something wrong with the plane. When she got closer, she asked,

"Everything okay?"

Bo smiled, "Ship shape. Just want to have a look to make sure we don't run into problems up at the summit. You ready to see the big girl up close and personal?"

Lauren smiled, "Any adventure with you is one worth having."

Bo grinned, opening the door for Lauren and helping her into the plane. She then ran around, hopping into the pilot's seat, ready to show the doctor the summit and check on her friends. She turned the plane around and headed down the glacier, picking up speed while Lauren held on for dear life.

"Bo?"

She smiled, "It's okay, Lauren. We go down to go up in order to get lift. We'll be on our way in a second. Remember what I said about oxygen? It's time for me to put mine on as required by law. You can choose not to. Just remember it's there if you start to get a headache or feel like breathing is difficult."

Lauren watched as Bo put on her mask before they did, indeed, lift into the air, hovering over what Bo pointed out as the mountains of The Great Gorge and Ruth Glacier below. Turning a wide circle, Bo pushed the throttle, gaining speed before accelerating up and over the tall peaks and glaciers of the western face of the mountains' base.

"Okay, so I'm going to show you the landmarks I mentioned before."

"The ones you pass when you take out your flightseeing clients?" Lauren asked.

Bo nodded, "So we're at about fourteen thousand feet and west of that range of mountains below us is Kahiltna Glacier. It's the longest glacier in the Alaska Range and runs right near the pass. Its main channel runs between Mount Foraker just northwest over there and Mount Hunter in the northeast."

Lauren pulled out her phone and snapped a picture, but Bo shook her head, "There's a camera with a telephoto lens that Kenzi packed for you just beneath your seat."

Lauren grinned, "Thank you, Kenzi! I owe you a bottle of the good stuff."

"I'll circle until you're ready." Bo said, turning the plane due south to buy Lauren some time.

"Okay, I'm ready." Lauren said, popping off the lens cap and looking through the viewfinder, "Wow! Denali is so big!"

Bo laughed, "Okay, let's get shots of the glacier first."

"Right. Glacier. Enjoy the little things."

She smiled, as Bo flew low over the glacier before beginning a climb into the distant mountain ranges ahead,

"Now we're climbing to 16,000 feet to circle Mount Foraker to the west of Kahiltna."

"Whoa." Lauren said, "How big is that?"

"Foraker tops out at 17,400 feet. Look ahead and that's Mount Hunter on the other side of the glacier. It's at 14, 573 feet."

"Wait. It's closer to Denali, but it's smaller than Foraker?" Lauren asked.

Bo nodded, "Yup. And there's the big girl. Denali tops out at 20,310 feet and growing. I'll take you around the peak twice so you can see Denali Pass on the east side. What's below us right now is the West Buttress. I'm going to slow down a bit to see if I can find Noah and Liam's group. Can you use the lens to have a look?"

Lauren looked through her lens, fine tuning the image so that she could get a better look, but everything seemed blurry,

"I can't focus the lens. It's all blurry."

"It's snowing. Shit. Keep looking. We're going to head up to the Summit."

Lauren nodded, "Do you want to look? I'm not sure what I'm looking for, Bo."

"I've got to fly the plane, Lauren. If they're in trouble, they'll put something out to make themselves noticeable. They're experienced climbers."

"Could they be in a cave or something?" Lauren asked.

"There's no shelter up there but the shelter you bring. Their tents are orange and yellow." Bo explained.

On the second pass around, Lauren shouted,

"There! There! I see tents!"

"Great! Is anyone waving? Doing anything unusual with their arms? We have signals."

Lauren watched as she passed them by again, "Crap. Can you go around again? I saw one hand up and one hand on a head maybe?"

Bo nodded, "That's a head injury. Did you count heads?"

Lauren closed her eyes, "There were five in all, plus the guy signaling. One of the five on the ground was in all orange."

"That's the injured member. I hope it's not Liam or Noah."

"Aren't they experienced?" Lauren asked, snapping a few pictures of the mountain when Bo pointed.

"Yup, but most injuries that happen to guides are when they have to save a client. They do unexpected things that get us hurt. Here we go again. Ready?"

Lauren focused the camera again, determined to read the signals for Bo, "Okay, hand on head, arm up, now hands crossed over chest, moving straight down to thighs, now hand making winding motion overhead."

"Great, Lauren. Turn on the flash and take three pictures of them. Quickly before I'm out of range again."

Lauren quickly clicked the lens three times in succession before turning back in her seat and blinking several times quickly,

"Dang. Damn near blinded myself."

Bo shook her head, "Sorry about that. I forgot to mention the reflection in the window. You okay?"

"I'm fine. What now?"

Bo grabbed the radio, "Mountain Rescue, this is DeHavilland 77701 declaring an emergency on behalf of Noah and Liam Riley of Denali Peak Experience."

"Bo? Is that you?"

"Hey, Parker. Yea, it's me."

"You up flightseeing?"

Bo sighed, "Yea, a private tour. My boys had a chat with Kenzi on the radio this morning, but there was too much interference for her to pick up anything other than a check in request. I'm on my third pass. It looks like they've got one climber down, four others appear to be in satisfactory condition."

"Roger that. How's the weather up there?"

"They've got snow, but wind speed is reasonable. They're on the descent about four thousand feet south of the summit."

"They did the West Buttress climb?"

"That's affirmative, Rescue."

"Can you land, Bo?"

"Whoever is signaling me down there requested a chopper. Liam and Noah both know what I can do in a plane, so if they're saying chopper, I wouldn't want to chance a landing."

"Agreed. We'll find them. Rescue is on the way."

"Thanks, Parker."

"You bet. Good to have you back on the mountain, Bo."

"Good to be back, Parker."

There was a long pause before the woman on the other end said, "You sound different, Bo."

She smiled, "Oh? And is that a good thing?"

"Sounds like it."

Bo nodded, "Yea, I think it is, Parker. I'm going to make another pass and then finish up with my client. I'll signal the boys that help is on the way before I go. I'm not hearing anything from them on the radio, so something must be up with their communications."

"Sounds like it. Thanks, Bo. Those guys owe you again."

"Yea, I keep telling them I'm their business partner, not their mother, but they don't seem to get it."

The woman laughed, "Safe flight, Bo."

"Thanks, Parker. DeHavilland 77701 out."

"Mountain Rescue Base out."

Bo made a steep descent, before making a wide turn to make a direct approach to the group. She tipped her wings back and forth several times until Lauren told her the person signaling was waving his arms back and forth over his head like when you do jumping jacks.

Bo smiled, "What are jumping jacks?"

Lauren chuckled, "I'll show you when we get back on the ground. So, do we just keep circling until help comes?"

"Now, we continue your tour. By the time we finish, we should see a helicopter on the way in. Mountain Rescue is at the base. They'll be here in a few minutes. Get your camera ready."

Lauren felt a bit of a headache coming on, so she pulled on her oxygen mask. Bo watched, taking a moment to be sure she was okay before circling around the mountain once again.

"It's incredibly beautiful… and quiet. It's so quiet up here."

Bo smiled, "Unless there's weather. It gets pretty windy up here. I'm guessing that's what happened to those guys. They're on their descent, so something must have gone wrong at the summit or on their way down."

Lauren snapped a few more pictures as Bo pointed out Denali Pass and Wickersham Wall. Bo started a steep descent and pointed straight ahead,

"There's your first climb - Harper Icefall." Bo grinned.

"Ooh, I want a picture to commemorate our first climb together." Lauren smiled, turning in her seat to snap the perfect picture, "Look! You can see where our plane was!" Zooming in on the snow, Lauren exclaimed, "Bo! I can see our footprints!" She snapped several pictures before her eyes drifted to the beauty of the snow-covered mountains.

Bo laughed, loving Lauren's playful excitement. It was good to see her enjoying something outside of the town she had rarely left unless it was for work. Lauren was built for Alaska, Bo was sure, but she'd never seen her in Boston. Bo knew that it would probably feel more comfortable back east, but could it really feel like home after the time she'd spent here? She really wished that Lauren had more time, but one thing was for sure, Bo was going to cram as much fun into her remaining days with the doctor as she could. She wouldn't let her go back to Boston burned out on work. Evony would make sure she had enough of that when she got there.

"What are we doing now, Bo?"

The pilot looked over at the doctor, unable to help the smile that stretched across her face when she saw how happy Lauren was,

"I'm hungry. How about you?"

"I could definitely use some food! Where are we going?" Lauren pointed out the window, "Is that the helicopter for your climbing friends?"

Bo smiled, "Yes, it is." She tipped her wings and gave the pilot a wave as they passed each other, "That was Jerry. He'll find them."

"I wonder how long they've been up there."

"Could have been as much as two days, based on when they left, but hopefully less." Bo replied, banking left to make her turn to the north.

"Where are we going?"

Bo smiled, "Fairbanks."

"Ooh! I've been wanting to go there! That's an alternate start for the Iditarod, right?"

Bo nodded, "It is, but that's not why we're going there. I thought maybe you'd like to do at least one tourist attraction while you're here. This one is fun because we can eat, catch a comedy show about how your ancestors came to be in Alaska, play miniature golf, listen to live music… there's a lot to do and there's a place for me to land, refuel and park."

"Sounds like fun. I'm game."

Bo smiled, "Great. You can take a nap if you want. It'll take us about thirty minutes to get there."

"Nap? How can I nap! I'm too excited!" Lauren smiled, just realizing she hadn't taken a picture of Bo flying the plane. She snapped two pictures of her profile, "Turn towards me."

"I hate having my picture taken."

"Oh, come on! It's for me! Don't you want me to have a picture of you for my desk? You have one of me!"

Bo grinned, turning towards the blonde, "But you looked good when LJ took that picture. I'm a mess because we were climbing."

Lauren just snapped away as Bo talked before leaning in and kissing her cheek, "You're always beautiful to me, Bo. I love you."

"I love you too, Lauren. Are you sure you don't want to take a nap?"

"Can I lean on your shoulder?"

Bo nodded, "Certainly. This is a full-service flight."

"Really now? I get all the services?" Lauren said, suggestively, running her hand down Bo's thigh and up into the space between her legs.

"Lauren, I'd rather not have to explain why I crashed my plane to the FAA."

The blonde chuckled, "You're a professional. Do you mean to tell me you can't fly a plane and enjoy my touch at the same time?"

Bo groaned as Lauren's hand moved beneath her jacket to rub her breast through the thin cloth of her polyester under layer.

"Lauren…"

"Bo. You don't want to join the mile-high club?" Lauren smiled.

The brunette turned to Lauren, "Are you a member?"

She really didn't want to admit it, but she couldn't lie to Bo, "Yes."

Bo nodded, "Nadia."

Lauren shrugged, sitting upright in her seat, "Wow. That was like a cold shower."

Bo smiled, "It's okay. Besides, I'd rather join the club when my hands are free so that I can give you an upgrade to gold card status in the club."

Lauren giggled, "Gold card, huh? Now that sounds tempting."

The blonde smiled, leaning back over against Bo's shoulder and closing her eyes, "Wake me up if there's something I'll want a picture of, okay?"

"Okay." Bo smiled, kissing the top of Lauren's head.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **Fairbanks, Alaska**_

"Can I open my eyes now?" Lauren asked, holding her eyes closed tightly while Bo led her through the parking lot to their destination.

"Not yet."

"Come on, Bo. We have to be there by now."

"Okay. Now." Bo smiled, watching as Lauren opened her eyes to see the large archway sign overhead,

"Pioneer Park?" Lauren asked.

"Yup! The premiere stop for all things Fairbanks tourist. Come on, I'm starving." Bo smiled, leading them through the archway.

"How does this bracelet work?"

Bo smiled, "We don't pay a dime with that bracelet on. The owner gives these free pass bracelets out to special clients."

"Oh? You're a 'special' client? And how did you get that status?"

"I won the Iditarod. It's this little dog sledding race…"

Bo flinched as Lauren swatted at her arm, "Hush."

"First stop, Salmon Bake!" Bo said, "Not only do they have unlimited wood-grilled salmon, but they also have this juicy slow-roasted beef, perfectly crisped beer-battered Alaskan Cod and Wild Alaskan Crab. Of course, there's also salads, sides and beverages. Then, you finish it all off with a visit to the dessert cabin."

"Okay, so all I heard was salmon and crab. Lead the way." Lauren smiled, following Bo as they quickly walked to the smoke above the outdoor dining space.

They at until their bellies were stuffed full, then played a round of miniature golf before catching the show. Bo grinned so much her cheeks were sore from watching Lauren laugh her way through the musical comedy. They walked back to the plane and flew back to Talkeetna under guided by the stars.

"What a beautiful end to an amazing day. Thank you so much, Bo. I couldn't have asked for a better date. It's been so long since I took any time off, I just can't remember having so much fun."

"I'm so glad Lauren. I had a great time, too. So, what's your plan for the evening? Do you want to go back to your place or are you coming out to mine? No pressure. I can do either."

"Will you stay with me if say I want to go to my place?"

"If you're sick of me, I can go home, Lauren. We don't have to stay together every night if you don't want to. I'll understand."

Lauren leaned over, placing her head on Bo's shoulder, "I love falling asleep in your arms whether we make love or not, Bo. I don't just stay with you to have sex."

Bo smirked, "I'm not just a sex toy?"

Lauren chuckled, "You're a pillow too."

"I feel so used." Bo feigned dramatically making Lauren laugh out loud.

"Seriously though, I want you in my bed, woman. The problem is, I'm out of clothes at your place and I must check in at the clinic early tomorrow to make sure my least senior staff member shows up for work on time. It would just be easier if I could just run downstairs."

"You don't trust that guy Sam to be there on time?"

Lauren laughed, "It's not Sam I'm worried about."

"Kelly." Bo smiled, "She and Kurt are really inseparable, huh?"

"They are. She's going to be a mess if Evony sends her back to Boston." Lauren replied.

"Do you think she will?"

Lauren shrugged, "You just never know with Evony. I'm a perfect example of that. So, are you okay with staying at my place?"

Bo smiled, "That's fine with me as long as you don't mind me taking a quick run into the hotel to grab a pair of jeans and a shirt for tomorrow. I promised LJ I would cover at the kennel tomorrow morning so he could sleep in for a change. I've got to radio Kenzi."

Lauren nodded, watching as Bo flipped on the radio controls,

"This is DeHavilland 77701 calling Talkeetna Hotel Base, requesting runway lights."

"This is Talkeetna Hotel Base, confirming request for runway lights. Safe landing, Bo."

"Thanks, Kenzi. See you soon."

Bo flipped off the radio and looked up to see the lights going on in the field behind the hotel grounds. Lauren sat up, allowing Bo freedom of movement,

"What are the big red X's?"

"They're the hotel train cars. We put lights on them to make sure planes avoided them."

"Good idea." Lauren suggested, "Makes me kind of glad I'm not staying there."

Bo smiled, "They're very safe. I mean, a plane could just as easily hit the hotel. It's not marked."

"There's that." Lauren nodded as Bo dropped to the ground, making another perfect landing, "You're very good with landing."

"Well, thank you, Ma'am and thank you for flying Bo Dennis Air." She grinned.

Lauren leaned over and captured Bo's lips in a fierce kiss. The brunette gripped her face, deepening the kiss before gathering her libido and slowing things down.

"Sorry. That was a long hold over." Lauren whispered.

"I know how you feel." Bo smiled, placing another soft kiss on the blonde's lips, "I've been waiting all day for that. Thanks."

Lauren smiled, "You know, you don't have to wait for me to kiss you, Bo. I do welcome kisses from you. I wish that you felt how much I want to be with you. I know that my leaving gives you reason to doubt that, but I'm truly hoping that life leads me back to you, Bo. I can't imagine wanting what I've found here in this land and with you with anyone else. I just… I want to be absolutely sure."

Bo chuckled, "So, you're sure, but you're going to be absolutely sure if and when you come back."

Lauren sighed, "I'm sorry, Bo. I still feel like going home before making any decisions is the right thing for me to do. There were strings left dangling from my former life and I just want to be sure I go home and tie those up. If I find that I do that and don't feel a need to stay, then I'll be back. If there is something keeping me there, well… then I did the right thing in going home."

"Is that still your home, Lauren?" Bo asked.

Lauren shrugged, "I don't know, Bo. Right now, I feel like wherever you and I are together, it's home. But before I met you, I enjoyed my time alone… more than that, I welcomed it. Maybe it was just because of the crap I went through with Nadia, but maybe it's better for me. Either way, I don't want to allow you to invest in a commitment with me only for me to want distance down the road like I did with Nadia. I need to make sure it's not me, Bo. I don't trust myself not to hurt you that way."

Bo sat up, looking down at the dash of the cockpit controls thinking about what Lauren had just said. She'd never told her that before… never told her she didn't trust herself. It did shed a light on the blonde's thinking. Regardless of the contradictory train of thought, Bo had to support her path… no matter how painful it might be for her to be here without her. Still, her words stung. Bo took a deep breath and plastered a smile on her face, wanting to keep her promise to Lauren,

"As I said up on that mountain, Lauren – whatever you need."

Lauren sat up, placing a hand on Bo's shoulder, "I'm sorry, Bo."

The brunette turned to look at the blonde, the light of the moon and runway lights illuminating her features, making her glow,

"Don't do that, Lauren. Don't apologize. It's not necessary. You're entitled to your feelings. We all have to deal with things that don't go our way sometimes. If things don't work out for us, it will be one of those things I'll have to handle, but for now, we'll just take one moment at a time… remember?"

Lauren smiled, "One moment at a time."

Bo sat staring out at the field, her mind conflicted. Finally, she began pulling her flight papers and backpack together before she looked at Lauren,

"You ready? You've got to be tired."

Lauren nodded, "Are you okay?"

Bo smiled, "Sure. Come on. You can go sit in the truck if you want. I'll only be a few minutes."

"It's okay. I'll come in with you. I can say hello to Kenzi and thank her for the fly over."

Bo nodded and exited the plane. Lauren followed, the pair walking back to the hotel. When they arrived, they found Kelly, Kurt, Shannon and Carolyn seated at Bo's table and Kenzi behind the bar while Vex downed a beer. The couple approached the table first, saying hello. Bo excused herself, stopping to greet Kenzi and give her the paperwork from the flight before heading up to her apartment to gather some clothing. Lauren stood talking to her nurses and Kurt, telling them all about the highlights of her day off. To say they were envious was an understatement as the poor young pilot was instantly being pressured by Kelly into taking her and her friends up the next day.

Kurt explained that he was not as familiar with all the details to give an appropriate tour, but he did know how to handle a plane at that altitude and did have experience flying the route. That was all the ladies needed to hear, scheduling a trip up for the weekend. Kurt just shook his head when Kelly stated that they could read the rest from a book or learn it from Lauren and Bo.

True to her word, Bo was back in the dining room and ready to go moments later. She and Lauren said their farewells and politely excused themselves to get some sleep. The drive back to the clinic was quiet, as was the trip up the stairs to Lauren's new apartment. It was a cozy space and Bo never minded staying there, but tonight was just a bit awkward after what Lauren had confessed in the plane. Honestly, the brunette wished they had just exited after the kiss, but for whatever reason, Lauren felt it necessary to emphasize that while she loved her and felt like she might want a life with her, she still wasn't sure.

"She could just let me live in my own little fantasy world. No need to bring reality into it all the time." Bo whispered to herself from the couch.

She stood, two antsy to sit still. She walked around the now larger space and for the first time, noticed that there was no wall art, none of the small gifts and knick-knacks patients had given her were out and she still only had the basic furniture Evony had provided.

"I guess she decided not to bother since she's leaving soon." Bo remarked, but then realized that Lauren had only just found out that her departure date had been moved up. It had been months since the fire. It sure looked to Bo like she'd made her decision about staying here. There was nothing but clothing, food, linens, personal hygiene or professional items. There was nothing sentimental, nothing that connected her heart to this place… not a single picture of Bo or the two of them together… not even Lauren's dogs.

She walked into the bedroom, deciding she might as well get ready for bed when she noticed that Lauren had tossed her keys and backpack on the bed. Deciding to help her out, she picked up each item to hang them by the door but froze when her eyes caught a flash of gold on the bed. Apparently, Lauren had tossed it on the bed with her keys and bag. She sighed, picking up the necklace and carefully hanging it on the jewelry stand that sat atop her dresser. She slid her fingers down the chain, holding the stone at the end in her hand. It reminded her of panning for gold with her mom. She missed her more than she could ever express. Maybe when Lauren left, she would resume her search for her. Tamsin seemed to think she might be alive, so why not?

She shrugged, thinking of how she could handle her businesses while away from Talkeetna. She could sell them and go back to living off the grid. One thing was for sure, Bo Dennis didn't need money and if she did, what she could get for her construction business, her kennel, her helicopter and plane would keep her funded for at least a decade.

As she looked around the apartment, she suddenly felt like a stranger here… no, she felt like she'd fallen in love with a stranger. This was the home of a woman who was avoiding connections – why she was doing that remained to be seen. Maybe she needed a little space to sort that out before she left.

Bo felt a sudden urge to head back to her house for the night. As much as she didn't want to let Lauren down, she was wondering if Kenzi wasn't right…

 _ **FLASHBACK…**_

" _Bo, are you sure you want to make this grand gesture?"_

 _The pilot gritted her teeth, sick of Kenzi trying to change her mind about Lauren. She signed off on the flight plan and slid the papers over to her friend,_

" _Yes, Kenzi. I'm sure. I've never been surer about anything in my life. Why is it that you can't be happy for me? You've always wanted me to be with someone - commit to someone. Now that I have, you want me to break things off."_

 _Kenzi shook her head, wagging a finger at the brunette, "I did not say that. I'm happy that you're happy. I'm just not particularly happy that you're willing to sacrifice your heart for her when she doesn't seem willing to sacrifice anything for you."_

" _She's sacrificed, Kenzi. She's here, isn't she? She took care of me for almost a month, living off grid… no running water, no electric heat, no…"_

 _Kenzi interrupted, "Bo, that's not what I'm talking about and you know it. She's not willing to sacrifice her heart for you. You're putting it all out there and she's all 'I love you, but I don't know if I want a relationship'. I just hate to see you martyr yourself for her. And before you say anything, I would feel that way about any woman who did this to you."_

 _Bo shrugged, "She's not doing this to me. I'm a big girl and I know where I stand. If anything, I'm doing it to myself."_

 **-End Flashback –**

"Doing it to myself." Bo whispered, "I'm doing this to myself. Here I am telling Kenzi that I'm trying to spend as much time with Lauren doing things that didn't involve work, so I could be truly sure that Lauren fit into my own lifestyle, but…"

Bo shook her head, realizing that maybe she was lying to herself as much as she had been lying to Kenzi. She stood, staring at the door that led downstairs to the clinic, unable to take the steps towards the door that her mind was telling her she should take. Her heart didn't want to hurt Lauren like that, so she turned back towards the couch only to see Lauren standing there, watching her,

"Something I should know?"

Bo shrugged, unsure of exactly what to say, "Nope."

Lauren moved to her small kitchen, "Want some tea?"

"Sure." Bo replied, taking a seat at the small L-shaped breakfast bar that wrapped around the kitchen while the doctor set about making two cups of tea.

"You're upset by what I said in the plane."

Bo stacked her fists on top of each other before placing her chin on top, "Upset? Not really. I guess… well, we had this great day and then this fabulous kiss. It was the perfect day."

"And then I ruined it." Lauren concluded.

"Nope. That day and that kiss will always be perfect. The conclusion was just – in my opinion – unnecessary. You said what you felt you had to say. I listened. When it was all out there, I was simply left to wonder why you felt you needed to say it, knowing that I know all of it. It's just like all of the times you felt a need to tell me you were going back to Boston. I think somehow you feel like you always have to add a disclaimer to our time together, sort of like voiding a warranty so that somehow, if you don't choose a life with me, you won't be to blame because you warned me."

"Bo…" Lauren began, but Bo waved her off with a chuckle,

"It's okay, Lauren. I get it. You want to be sure I'm hearing the uncertainty you feel. What you really want to say is, 'Bo, we had the best day ever, but be sure to read the fine print because this in no way means I'm fully committing to you, so don't go getting all caught up in the moment fantasizing about a life with me', right? See? I get it. It's all good."

Bo laughed… and laughed… she laughed until tears were falling from her eyes, she was laughing so hard. She stood, walking to the bathroom for a tissue,

"Oh, wow. I crack myself up." She looked up to see Lauren frowning and sighed,

"Sorry, but you did ask. It just… it hurts me, Lauren. I'd just like to have a good time with you and fall asleep with those memories. It's my choice to be with you knowing that you may not stay. I'd rather have one more week with you than never have had this at all. If you walk away, I may never find another love like this. I think I deserve to have this while I can without you constantly putting a damper on the best days we share. Why can't you give me that? I'm not asking for anything else. I guess no matter how little I'm willing to accept, it's always going to be more than you're willing to give, huh?"

Bo grabbed her jacket, "I had an amazing day with you, Lauren. One of the best days ever. I will never regret it. I will cherish every image, every laugh, every step we took up that mountain. I'd love to give you more of those days, but if you really want to have these last days with me, I need you to have them free of guilt, free of conditions, free of disclaimers. It's going to hurt enough when you leave and, well – you're the one who suggested I see Dr. Gray."

Bo laughed, "Now there's a woman who knows how to commit. She came to see me once a week every week while I was injured."

Bo chuckled, "She's single, too. A little old for me, but still… single."

"Bo…"

The brunette shook her head, "You got what you wanted, Lauren. I went to see Dr. Gray and got the help that I needed. Over the past month, she's taught me self-worth. She's taught me that I'm a good person who deserves to be treated with respect and appreciation. So, if we're going to spend time together and you're going to tell me you love me, then I'm not going to pretend I don't expect to be treated as such."

Bo moved to the door. As Lauren tried to speak again, she cut her off once more, "I'm going to head home for the night."

"Bo, it's late…"

She smiled at Lauren,

"And I've been traveling under the skies my entire life, Lauren. It's my world out there… my home. You keep forgetting… I don't need to be taken care of… I just need to follow the path I was born to walk every moment, every day of my life. Right now, in this moment, I can't be here, and I think you need some time to think as well. We haven't been apart for over a month. Maybe a break is a good thing for tonight. We can have plenty more moments tomorrow and the next day and the next or whenever you want. I've got to work at the kennel tomorrow. You can stop by if you'd like, maybe run your girls or… well, whatever."

She opened the door, "I love you, Lauren. I'll be thinking of you. Sleep tight."

Lauren watched as the brunette exited her apartment, the door closing quietly behind her. As the tea kettle whistled on the stove, she stood staring at the door. She shook her head, her throat tightening as her eyes filled with tears. She whispered,

"I love you, Bo. I'll be thinking of you, too. I'll miss you more than you know… more than I'm willing to admit. You see, the problem is, I'm afraid to commit to you because I'm pretty sure that I'm the problem. And you're wrong, Bo – you do need protection… protection from me. You see, my problem is that I'm fine on my own because if I let myself, I'll turn my heart off like I did with Nadia and spend the rest of my life alone. You've finally learned how to let people in. I won't be responsible for you shutting them out again. If I leave… if I stay away… well, at least your heart will be safe."

"You know, that's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard."

Lauren spun towards her bedroom door where Tamsin was standing, arms crossed in the doorway. The blonde took several steps back, her eyes moving quickly between the door where Bo had just exited and the Special Agent,

"H-how did you… w-what do you want from me… wh…"

"Oh, relax, Doc. Kenzi sent me here. I snuck up the fire escape and through the window." She pulled off her jacket, "Since Bo left, mind if I crash on your couch?"

"Wh-what?"

"Great. I've been sleeping in my truck for weeks." Tamsin walked past the doctor to the refrigerator, Lauren still standing there, stunned into silence. The agent pulled out three slices of cold pizza, grabbed a couple of paper towels and made herself comfortable at the counter.

"Gee. Can I heat that for you?"

Tamsin chomped down a large bite, "Nah. Got any beer?"

Lauren sighed, "No. Tamsin, why are you sneaking into my house at almost midnight? Why are you here at all?"

"I was about to leave before I noticed Bo put on her coat." She took another bite.

Lauren shook her head, "So you were going to talk to Bo?"

"No, I was going to talk to you, but then she was here, so I was leaving, but then she was going, so I stayed."

Lauren's head was spinning. She was upset that Bo had left, she was upset that she had again opened her big mouth to tell Bo she wasn't sure about them, she was upset that she was going to have to let go of a woman she was in love with so she could avoid hurting her and she was upset that Tamsin had broken into her apartment.

"Okay, Tamsin. Bottom line this. I'm tired and I want to go to bed."

"No, you're upset that you screwed up with Bo and if any of that shit you were saying to yourself is actually what you think is true, you're an idiot… a smart doctor, but a total idiot when it comes to love and Bo."

"Wow. So, you broke into my apartment to insult me?"

"No, I broke into your apartment because Bo loves you and I need your help with Bo."

"Okay, that makes absolutely no sense, so I'll ask you again. Why are you here?"

Tamsin smirked at Lauren, "I found Bo's mom…" She licked her fingers, "…alive."

Lauren gripped her chest, falling back onto the barstool. Tamsin put her foot on the bottom rung, steadying it so the doctor didn't fall backwards. She returned to her pizza as Lauren lowered her head to the counter with a thud.

"I know, right?" Tamsin laughed.

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	13. Chapter 13: The Return

**A/N:** I know, I know… sorry! But, since I'm so late, there's a bonus chapter! Yes, this update includes Chapters 13 and 14! Let's get right to the story!

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 **Chapter 13: The Return**

"Wanna go for a little run, Harper? Just you and me?"

Bo's best canine friend wagged her tail, "The snow is too spotty for a sled, so we'll run side by side, on our paws, okay? Besides, I don't think you're quite ready to pull me."

Bo bent down, examining the site of Harper's incision, "You can hardly tell you had surgery." She smiled, kissing her between the ears, "You sure do seem to have your energy back."

The thought of Lauren telling her Harper had cancer flashed through her mind. The blonde had handled the entire regimen of treatments, dutifully standing by the dog's bedside even though Bo had been pushing her away.

"I should have stayed. I should have let her explain. I owed her that much." Bo whispered to Harper, "It's too late now. She's probably sound asleep."

She sighed, turning to her closet. She pulled out her insulated stretch pants and boots. Bo dressed quickly, anxious to get a run in before bed to burn off some of the excess emotional energy she'd built up. She needed to refocus on her live-in-the-moment philosophy. The truth was that whether she and Lauren worked out or not, she wanted to live her life the way she always had... savoring each moment, paying attention to detail, taking the time to smell the proverbial roses just as her mom had taught her. Being in love shouldn't change anyone's life philosophy. She hoped that Lauren was the one who could live that type of life with her, but she also had to prepare herself for the fact that it just might not happen. There were millions of people on the planet who had loved and lost. Why should she be any different?

When she'd talked to Doctor Gray about her feelings for Lauren, she had realized that the deeper she'd fallen, the more connected to the blonde she'd felt. Unfortunately, that also meant she was giving up parts of herself. The idea to show Lauren Alaska this week was so that the blonde could see the parts of Bo that she'd kept in the shadows. Denali was one of the big ones, but there were many more. She hoped that she would get the chance to show her more before she left, but that would now be up to Lauren.

She wanted to have fun with the blonde, not get bogged down in the coming doom and gloom of going their separate ways. She hoped that Lauren could find a way to live in the moment and not worry about whether or not she was going to stay back east.

She pulled Harper's booties on one paw at a time, then pulled on her running T-shirt, tying it beneath her midsection. She smiled, looking down at the shirt that Lauren had given her as a gift for her final radiation treatment.

"Do you know the story behind this shirt?" Bo asked her companion, "Did Lauren tell you?"

"She didn't tell you? Well, this is a very special shirt. It's the shirt that Lauren got for running her third Boston Marathon. She decided that after your marathon cancer treatment, you deserved a marathon shirt. You two are almost the same size." Bo chuckled, "You may actually be a bit bigger."

Harper barked twice, causing Bo to laugh, "Okay, okay. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to insult your sexy, sexy figure." Bo smiled, "Come on then. Let's run the river trail."

The pair headed to the back door, Harper sitting patiently while Bo hooked her bear spray to the waistband of her pants and strapped one of her axes to her upper back. This was Alaska and going anywhere in the backcountry unarmed would be foolish at best. Finally, the brunette opened the door and smiled as Harper wasted no time breaking into a full stride run to the water. Bo jogged to the river, calling Harper over from the water. They settled into a comfortable pace, Harper running just a short distance ahead of Bo while scouting out the territory with her heightened senses.

Bo breathed in the fresh air of her native land, looking up at the clear, starry sky. The moon was no longer full, but there was still sufficient reflective light from the snow-capped mountains and the river to allow her to see where she was going.

She would have liked to say that she put her thoughts about Lauren to rest during the run, but that just didn't happen. The blonde was never far from her mind and tonight was no different. If the doctor did return to Boston for good, Bo was in for a long road to recovery. Still, it would have been worth it to know what love felt like, even if it was only for this year. Besides, maybe she could find another love in this lifetime. The problem would be whether her heart would allow room for someone else now that it was filled to the brim with Lauren.

She heard Harper bark, pulling her from her thoughts. She looked up to see her champion with a fish hanging out of her mouth. Bo shook her head,

"Nice one, Harp! Now throw her back. We've got plenty."

Harper sat, her gentle mouth gripping the fish firmly, but not enough to break the skin. Bo shook her head, running to a stop,

"I know, girl. You want to keep the ones that are actually keepers." Bo examined the fish, quickly seeing that it was, indeed, a very nice fish of about twenty-six inches, "Okay. We'll put that one on ice when we get back. We've got about a quarter mile to go. Ready?"

Harper took off towards the house, Bo laughing as she followed. She hadn't planned on having to add fish to the cache tonight. Still, maybe she would filet the fresh salmon tonight and have it for breakfast. The dogs could use a special treat since she was starting an intermittent training cycle for the next four weeks. The weather was going to get warm and now that they had the barn and its land set up, they could run all day in the massive field behind the barn, each of them taking a turn on the doggie treadmills she had invested in from Kyle's store.

She smiled, thinking of her longtime friend. They'd certainly had their conflicts over the years, but Bo was happy for her. Kurt had told her last week that Kyle would be coming home this weekend. She was still in a wheelchair, but she was now able to stand. She'd had four surgeries so far, but Kurt said it was still difficult for her to look at herself in a mirror. The side of her face and neck were severely disfigured and the hair that had grown back did nothing to cover the damaged skin. Bo had promised to visit her as soon as she was home. She hoped that she would be able to find the words to remind Kyle that she was a beautiful person and that ran much, much deeper than the beauty on the surface.

Bo looked up to see that Harper had dropped the fish into the water, holding it still with one paw. As its tail flipped in and out of the water, Bo ran a bit faster, hoping to put the poor thing out of its misery sooner rather than later. She used her axe to end the torture quickly and had twelve salmon filets in no time. She rinsed each piece of fish off before carrying the large stacks to the shed, placing them on the cutting board. She pulled out some of the burlap sacks she had hand-sewed while she was laid up and tucked the filets inside. She carried them around to the back door, getting Harper settled into her crate with the puppies before taking the salmon inside.

She opened the lower drawer of the icebox, wanting to be certain the dry ice was still holding up and keeping the box at temperature. Satisfied that was the case, she opened the top door and stowed the fish inside. Tomorrow morning, she would make a big bucket of fish stew for the dogs and add it to their kibble. She had almost a dozen eggs now, so she could stir some of them in for some extra protein for the dogs and she might have one with her fish breakfast.

She rinsed off her axe and hung it on the wall by the shotgun, then headed into the bathroom to wash up. She'd clean up more thoroughly in the river tomorrow morning. When she came out, she realized bear spray was still on her waist, so she unhooked it and hung it from the shelf near the door before stripping off the layers she'd worn for her run. She headed for the living room, to make a fire for the night. The temperature was beginning to drop, as expected.

She stepped into the living room and could feel that something was… off. Moving casually, she doubled back to the kitchen and pulled her shotgun from the wall. She took several deep breaths before moving back towards the living room again, stopping at the corner wall to shoulder her weapon, calling out to the back of the room,

"I'm not sure what you're doing inside my house, but it would be a very good idea for you to move slowly towards me right now before I start shooting."

There was a light switch for the small LED lights that were beneath the each of the windows that lined the room. With the solar panels now installed, Bo considered taking the chance to reach for the switch until she heard the voice,

"Bo, it's me."

"Lauren?" 

"Yes. Please don't shoot me, even though I might deserve it at this point."

Bo lowered her weapon, reaching for the light switch. Her eyes came to rest on the blonde, curled up in a ball on the window seat and wrapped in a blanket, her eyes swollen with tears. She looked up at the brunette,

"I'm so sorry."

Bo carefully laid her shotgun on the mantel over the fireplace before hurrying back to the blonde, wrapping her arms around her and pulling her close.

"What are you doing here? How did you get here?"

Lauren took a shaky deep breath, the tears still evident in the sound of her voice, "Tamsin gave me a ride."

"How in the world did you run into Tamsin this late at night?"

"She came to see me… just after you left." Lauren tried to inhale, but struggled amidst the tears,

"I was talking to myself and she overhead me and then she said I was an idiot and she was right but then she dropped a bombshell on me and then I wanted to come here but then she decided she had to set me straight and I never though a federal agent could be an adequate replacement for a therapist, but she really knows about people and it was scary how much she knew about me and anyway, she was right and I am an idiot, but I was just a scared idiot and a flawed idiot and a… well, Nadia said a lot of things to me that made me believe that – while I'm a strong, independent and darn near perfect doctor – I'm a terrible lover and she made me believe that – well, I let her make me believe that and when Tamsin started to talk to me about what a perfect match I was for you, it all started to make sense and if I'm completely honest and I push all of my doubt and fear aside, you are perfect for me and I have been perfectly in love with you since the day I met your very stubborn, yet shapely ass. So if you wouldn't mind, I would love another chance and I swear that I will spend as much time with you as you will let me, but you're probably going to be very busy now considering, but still, I'll take what I can get, even if it's just a bedtime story before you crash, exhausted into your bed. So, what do you say?"

"Uh… well… um…" Bo smiled, her eyes set on the blonde's, "Lauren, the truth is, I don't think I understood most of what you just said, but I think… I mean… it almost sounded like you said… you said you wanted to try to make this work? By this I mean… well, us if you didn't get that."

Lauren smiled the tears coming harder, preventing her from responding in any way other than to nod and wrap her arms around Bo once again. Finally, she spoke in a shaky voice,

"I love you, Bo."

"I love you, Lauren."

The blonde pulled back, taking Bo's hands in her own, "But that's not the only reason I came all the way out here."

Bo chuckled, "Bootie call?"

Lauren smiled, pushing Bo's hands down into her own, "Seriously, Bo. Tamsin brought news to me. She asked me to tell you because she wasn't sure how to break it to you and, well, she had some arrangements to make."

Bo's smile drooped, her eyes tearing up, "No."

"No?"

"My mom… she's dead?"

"Oh, no! Bo, no! She's not dead! Tamsin found her. She's very much alive."

Bo's eyes went wide, her mouth open as Lauren's words sunk in, "She… she found her? She's… she's… alive? She's… where is she?"

Lauren could see Bo swallow hard, her mind racing with the news which Lauren expected. She smiled, "She's on a train. She's on her way here… to you. Bo, your mom is coming home to you."

Bo's smile could have lit up the entire room, "She's… she's coming home?"

Lauren nodded, her hands moving to Bo's face, "Your mom is coming home."

"Did she tell you anything else? Where was she all of this time?"

Lauren took a deep breath, "She was in witness protection, Bo. Tamsin said to tell you the cold case she was working on panned out. The deceased detective had put your mom somewhere safe before he was killed because when she left you, it was to follow your dad. She knew what he was doing, Bo and she confronted him. She was one of the lucky ones from back then because she'd managed to escape and get to the federal agent when she'd heard he was in Talkeetna. That's how Big Jim ended up spreading his interests to this region from Anchorage and the native village. The agent put her into the witness protection program, but withheld the paper trail, hiding it beneath the floor of the bar where Big Jim's men caught up with him."

Bo nodded, "That poor guy must have been looking for the papers so they would know where she was. That's why they beat the crap out of him."

Lauren cocked her head, "What?"

Shaking her head, Bo replied, "It's just another part of the investigation. What else did Tamsin tell you?"

"She said that Big Jim and his boys thought that you had your moms' witness protection papers. It turns out, Big Jim sold your house after he went back there and found no papers. He wanted to make sure you could never get back inside just in case he's missed them, so he sold the house."

Bo shook her head, "He wanted to make sure she'd never be found."

Lauren shrugged, holding out the report that held the information she was conveying to Bo, "It says here that the agent had vowed to never return to the sight of the papers, so no one would ever find out about your moms' whereabouts. She would be safe if she stayed where she was, and he stayed away from her. Of course, your mom wanted you with her, but since Big Jim was having you followed, they couldn't risk bringing you to her. He told your mom the only sure way to keep you safe was to keep you away from her. They devised a plan to make sure you were taken care of by a native like your mom, so he went to the only village he could access from where he was in Talkeetna. There, he found…"

"Seline."

Lauren nodded, "This agent made a deal with her, but after he died, Big Jim's influence came into play and she…"

"Switched sides." Bo shrugged, "The agent was dead, so she needed a new deal for the good of her village. Seline was always about her people and in the end, truth was, I wasn't one of them."

Bo sighed, slowly shaking her head. She took a moment to settle her nerves, her mind filled with questions. The most important question was the one she asked first,

"So, my mom never wanted to come and see me? She never wanted to come and find out if it worked? I mean, it's been over ten years."

Lauren nodded, "As far as your mom knew, the agent had placed you in a village where you would be safe. He also warned her that Big Jim had agents working for him, so… he told your mom to stay put and not trust anyone… that he could have agents anywhere."

"So, she stayed put and didn't take a chance." Bo nodded, her eyes held low, staring at the floor. The doctor sighed at seeing Bo upset that her mom had never pursued finding her,

"Bo, you should know that Tamsin said your mom was extremely difficult to talk to. By law, she had to identify herself as a Federal Agent and show her credentials…"

"So, my mom feared Tamsin could be one of Big Jim's goons, even after all these years."

Lauren nodded, "Tamsin said that the mere mention of Big Jim's name sent her stumbling back several steps. She had to hold onto a nearby counter to keep herself upright. She was clearly surprised to hear his name. She refused to go with Tamsin… picked up a shot gun and pointed it at Tamsin until she held up her hands and backed out of the door."

Bo nodded, "My mom was raised in a tribe that believed in animal spirits… she learned everything by mimicking animal behaviors… including how to defend herself and her young. Backing her into a corner, even at her age, is a very bad idea. Big Jim may have told the town I was nothing but an animal, but I'm a household pet compared to my mom…" Bo scowled, "… except when Big Jim got hold of her."

Lauren gave Bo a moment with her memories before she continued,

"Still, Tamsin didn't want to give up. She went and talked to the local police chief who happened to be the husband of one of your mom's best friends. He helped her out by having his wife go and pick her up, then drive her back to the station. It was there that Tamsin was able to show her the physical reports and mug shots that proved he was behind bars. When she learned that her sons were dead and that they had tried to kill you…"

Bo took a deep breath, "She must have gone mad."

"That's what I said. Tamsin said it was an understatement." Lauren offered a weak smile, "Anyway, Tamsin explained that the judge was not taking the case to trial… that there was plenty of evidence against him, but he did want her recorded testimony about their past so that they could tie up some of these cold cases… especially what Tamsin's agent friend had done for her."

"So, she thinks she's just coming here to testify against Big Jim without any potential consequences? What if he still has friends out there?"

Lauren shook her head, "Bo, she knows you're alive. She insisted on coming. Apparently the last she'd heard of you… well, let's just say she's been as lost on what happened to you as you have been about her. She really didn't trust anything that Tamsin said, so our resourceful special agent had copies of the Iditarod race sent up to the local police office from Anchorage so she could see the actual pictures. After that, Tamsin taught her about YouTube and… well, she's been watching your races ever since. Of course, you can't filter web content unless you think to do it – which Tamsin didn't – so your mom found out about your siblings and dad trying to kill you…"

Lauren took a long pause before adding, "She became violent and had to be restrained. That was when she agreed to calm down if Tamsin brought her here to see you."

Bo was silent, her expression one Lauren had never seen before. Trying to be patient, Lauren waited several minutes before she asked,

"Bo? What are you thinking?"

The brunette slowly raised her eyes to meet the blonde's, "I just can't forget that… well, she never came to find me when I was younger. I understand she was afraid, but she left me alone. How did she know for sure that I was safe? I mean… I was a young teen living alone on the North Slope, Lauren. I didn't come here for almost a decade."

"She was in contact with an old teacher of yours… a Mrs. Anna Chulak?" Lauren pointed out the name on the report, giving Bo a minute to read about the woman. She watched as Bo searched her memories, trying to envision her old teacher and how she would have connected to her mom. Finally, it hit her,

"I remember." Bo smiled, "In the months before I left, she gave me free lunches and space in the school greenhouse to grow my mom's peppers." Bo frowned, "I left them behind. I wonder if they're still there?"

Lauren smiled, "That was a long time ago, Bo."

The brunette smiled, "Yea, but plants go on just like people do. It would be like a piece of us never left the North Slope."

Lauren nodded, "Would you like to go back there?"

Bo shrugged, "A part of me will always want to go back there. It's a hard life, but it was quiet there. Of course, these days, it's much more heavily populated by comparison."

"What else do you remember about this woman?" Lauren asked.

Bo smiled, "She told me I was better off on my own. She encouraged me to leave the North Slope, that there was life for me elsewhere. She told me that my mom had taught me all I needed to know to live a good life as a good person until she could find me again."

She leaned into Lauren, her eyes filling with tears, "I remember. I remember everything."

Looking up at the blonde, she smiled, "She told me not to surrender… to never give up… that my mom would never rest until we were together again."

Lauren smiled, "She must have known."

"So, they're still in contact with each other?" Bo asked.

Lauren lowered her eyes, shaking her head, "In all, Tamsin has connected Big Jim to twenty-seven deaths. He didn't pull the trigger on most of them, but it was by his order that people died to protect his secrets."

"Mrs. Chulak?" Bo asked.

Lauren nodded, "I'm so sorry, Bo."

"She didn't deserve that." Bo replied.

"None of them did, Bo."

She took a deep breath, "And Seline? Did she kill anyone?"

Lauren shrugged, "Not that Tamsin is aware of, but she's still working the case."

Bo shook her head, burying her face in her hands, "I just… when I try to wrap my head around the damage this man has caused, it's… it's just beyond my ability to comprehend. Every time I think Tamsin's found the last piece of this puzzle, she finds another one. When will this nightmare end?"

"Soon, Bo. Very, very soon." Came a familiar voice from the other side of the living room.

Bo looked up to see Tamsin standing by the fireplace, skillfully laying wood in a criss-cross fashion before striking a match on the stone and lighting the tinder beneath the larger logs.

It was Lauren who spoke, "Wow. You really don't have any respect for boundaries or closed doors, do you."

Tamsin smirked, "I've made arrangements for your mom to be delivered here after she arrives in the morning. She should be here sometime in the afternoon. Bo, she's a key witness. She'll have a full security detail. The big question is… can she stay here? It would mean feds all around your property and before you ask, the security detail is non-negotiable, Bo. I know you have your own way of protecting what's yours, but after learning about Seline's roll in all of this, I can't take a chance that more people from the village aren't involved. They could come for you or Lauren or any of your family. There will be undercover agents throughout Talkeetna disguised as tourists. They'll all be arriving on a cruise ship tomorrow and they'll rotate on and off the ships so that they're not seen overstaying their expected 'tourist' welcome."

The brunette looked at Lauren who leaned over and whispered in her ear, "It's a good plan to keep all of you safe, Bo. I know you don't trust Tamsin's people since what happened at the race, but you once told me you would give anything for just five more minutes with your mom. Well, you can have more than five minutes if you allow some men to stand on your land with the purpose of doing harm to anyone who tries to harm your mom. If those who intend harm get past Tamsin's colleagues, you'll hear it and you'll be able to protect her… your way. Think of it as an early alarm system – _Home Alone_ style."

Lauren giggled, but Bo pulled back, looking confused, "Home alone style?"

Laughing, the doctor kissed Bo's cheek and replied, "You and I are going to spend one day in bed with my laptop watching my all-time favorite movies."

Bo smiled, kissing Lauren softly on the lips, "I take it _Home Alone_ is one of those movies?"

Lauren nodded, "You'll love it."

Bo smiled, whispering back into Lauren's ear, "I love you. Have I mentioned that lately?"

Lauren giggled, "A time or two."

Bo whispered, "So it was Tamsin who helped you with your… feelings?"

Lauren shrugged, "She's actually pretty good at revealing people's true character… or in my case, true character flaws. I really am sorry for how our day ended, Bo. We can't get that moment back and I regret that I stole it from us. I can be stubborn and when I get scared, I retreat into professional mode so that I can isolate myself from the situation."

"Sounds familiar… which is why I took off to be alone… well, with Harper." Bo smiled, "Mind you, I didn't understand much of what you said when you came in. You were rambling and you barely took a breath, you were talking so fast." Bo softly moved a few long strands of hair that had fallen over Lauren's eye and pushed it behind her ear, "But I think you said something about Tamsin overhearing something you said." Bo smiled, knowingly, "Were you talking to yourself again?"

Lauren blushed, "I might have been." She placed both of her hands on Bo's chest, leaning in as she looked up into her eyes, "Have I mentioned that you seem to have picked up my habit?"

Bo smiled, "You haven't, but I have noticed that I seem to be talking to myself a bit more than usual. Of course, I've never had many people to talk to, so I have been known to talk to myself quite a bit… but more often than not, I was talking to my dogs."

Lauren smiled, nodding. Bo looked over to Tamsin who was pretending not to hear them, then back to Lauren, offering her a slight smile. Lauren laid her head on Bo's shoulder, her fingers tracing her collarbone as she asked, "So, is your mom going to stay here with you?"

Bo smiled, "With us. She's going to stay here with us."

Lauren frowned, lifting her head quickly, "Bo, you should take some time alone with her. You've spent most of your life away from her and…"

Bo placed a finger over Lauren's lips, "We have just over a week together, Lauren. My mom and I will have our time." Lauren watched as Bo's eyebrows knit together, "Besides… I'm a little confused about why she didn't come back. She just… stayed away for all of this time because a guy said he would call her?" She shook her head, "I just… well, let's just say I have questions and the more complex this whole story has become, the less I trust any of the so-called adults in my life."

"Seline."

Bo nodded, "I thought of her as a mother, Lauren. Her betrayal is the biggest. At least Big Jim never pretended to care about me. And Tosh didn't know he needed to step up for me – hell, he didn't even know he was my brother. He was just protecting his children as best he knew how."

"And Doctor Gray? She was a friend of Seline's. Are you worried about her?"

Bo smiled, "I confronted her on it… and since I knew Seline had betrayed me, I may have texted Tamsin to check Gray and her husband out as soon as I knew she was friendly with my old healer. It turns out, my wonderful Doctor Gray had already been interviewed by the Federal Agents along with many other citizens of Anchorage who were friendly with the village elders. She was cleared while also providing some key information on meetings between Seline and Big Jim. Apparently, she turned up unannounced to see Seline several times and found Big Jim in her residence over the years. She had always been suspicious."

"So when she met you at that first appointment and you told her you were friendly with Seline…"

Bo nodded, "She had been worried ever since. She actually called Tamsin after I left, but couldn't tell her much because of…"

"Doctor-Patient privilege." Lauren nodded, "So Seline actually spent time with Big Jim outside of council meetings? Was that normal for them?"

Bo shook her head, "Nope, they were strictly professional as far as I knew. Doctor Gray described their meetings to me as 'personal' and 'isolated'. They were always in her yurt or the back room of the council meeting house."

"Ewww."

Bo laughed, "Not that kind of personal, darlin'."

Lauren smiled, "Good. So… your mom." She ran her fingers over Bo's cheek, "She's coming home, Bo. You're going to see your mom again."

Bo pulled back, wiping the tears from her cheeks, "Yea. It's been a long time. I'm still a bit angry, but I have to be grateful she's still alive. I've dreamed of this for so long. I can't believe I'm going to see her."

Lauren nodded, "Your dream is coming true."

"What will I even say to her, Lauren?"

Lauren shrugged, "When you see her, you'll know."

Bo nodded, her forehead meeting Lauren's, "Thank you for coming and delivering the news personally. And thank you for being willing to give us a chance."

Lauren nodded, "I want you to know that if you want to bring your mom along for any time we spend together before I leave, she's more than welcome, Bo. I'd like to get to know her a bit before I leave. And I realize that with her being back home, you may not be able to come to Boston, so…"

"Lauren… nothing between you and I is going to change. Granted, my mom will be around a bit more, but… well, we don't know anything yet. We don't even know if she'll stay." It hit Bo in that moment, "I mean, in all the time we've been apart, I've built a way of life for myself. I would think that wherever she was, she did the same." Bo chuckled, "She may have a business of her own… she may have a family of her own."

Lauren gripped both sides of Bo's face, "One moment at a time." 

Bo nodded, "One moment at a time."

The sound of Tamsin's throat clearing pulled Bo from her thoughts. She looked up at the agent and said, simply,

"Deal."

She stepped towards Tamsin,

"But I have some questions I want answered before my mom gets here. I don't want any more surprises, Tamsin."

"Surprises? Sorry, Bo but I couldn't really help the surprise factor with your mom. Hell, I was surprised I found her, let alone found her alive."

Bo shook her head, "I know that, Tamsin. I'm talking about the big picture. I mean, think about how all of this unfolded. I'm a little freaked right now. I don't know how much more I can handle without a meltdown." She couldn't help the tears that fell, "I thought I was all alone in this world. I thought everyone hated me… or tolerated me, at best. I put my trust in one person… the only person I thought truly cared about me, but…" she chuckled, "… even that joke was on me. It turned out Seline had a knife at my back the whole time I knew her."

She shook her head, "I've found my father only to find out he was a total dick with a capital 'D', I've found my brothers only to lose them the next day. I found out that my dad had a whole different life that included a half-brother who came with an extended half family I never knew I had. I lost Seline and found my Mom within weeks of each other."

She wiped her cheeks, looking up at the pair, "It's all just a little overwhelming."

Tamsin nodded, stepping closer to the brunette, "For the record, me, Kyle, Kurt, LJ, Molly, Mark and many others in town… we've always counted ourselves as your friends and we've always truly cared. We saw what Big Jim was doing to you and we did our best to try to protect you while not doing anything to tip the balance of power so far in his favor that you lost everything you'd worked so hard to build."

She sighed, continuing to explain the community that had wrapped themselves around Bo for most of her time here,

"You may not want to hear this, but as much of an idiot as Dyson is, he protected you on the legal front in more ways than you'll ever know. He went toe-to-toe with Big Jim on your behalf many times, Bo… his deputy, too. Hale is working hard to earn your forgiveness because he has always cared about you. Kenzi has always had our ear and she helped us to see the side of the story that Big Jim wasn't selling."

Tamsin hung her head, "It's because of Kenzi that I continued to pursue your case in my free time since my bosses wouldn't allow me to pursue it on company time when we had so many other cases to deal with. You've always had a fan club, Bo. I never…" Tamsin looked up at Lauren, sighing, "… nothing that ever happened between us wasn't real and sincere, Bo. I'm not Seline. I never had another agenda and I wasn't secretly manipulating you or using you. We've all been looking out for you, Bo. Big Jim wanted you gone and he followed you like an obsession, trying to break everything you built as you built it."

Bo nodded, offering a slight grin, "I'm aware that he wanted Big Jon and Mark to stop trading with me. I also know that he tried to convince Evony to take her construction contracts elsewhere. He tried hard to sabotage my race sponsorships and – if it weren't for Kyle – I wouldn't have been able to afford to enter the race at all the last few years. I always knew you were all getting pressure from him and probably others, so I've always held a great deal of gratitude for all you've done for me, regardless of why you did it."

She shrugged, "As for Dyson, he saved my life. They would have beaten me to death in that jail cell if he hadn't stopped them. That night… I gave up… I surrendered because somewhere beyond the physical pain, there was an emotional hurt so deep that I was ready for it all to be over. I couldn't speak for myself anymore. I didn't have the strength… I couldn't find the words… any words. It's the moment that I stopped speaking and just started… I don't know… existing?"

Tamsin nodded, "You went into survival mode. It's the day your voice died. From that moment on, none of us could get full sentences out of you. You spoke only when we demanded a response and even then, it was known you wouldn't say more than you had to." Tamsin hung her head, "Big Jim loved that. He loved that he'd broken you… turned you into what he referred to as a dangerous wild animal."

Bo nodded, "He actually told people that I was a female, Alaskan version of Tarzan… that I was more animal than human."

Tamsin sighed, "You were to be feared." Tamsin leaned in, placing a hand on the musher's shoulder, "But that's all changed now, Bo. Everyone sees the difference in you since…" She looked up at Lauren, "… since the doc came into your life."

Bo smiled, leaning into Lauren as the blonde wrapped her arms around the brunette's torso, "She did have an effect on me."

Tamsin nodded, "Clearly. You actually have taste in food now."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Bo defended.

"Bo, you served me moose jerky for dinner in your apartment last year."

Bo shrugged, "Moose jerky that I make with potatoes, rhubarb, kale and cabbage mixed in. The nutrient content of my jerky is extremely high and nutmeg, red pepper, cinnamon, salt and pepper are all known to have medicinal value."

Tamsin looked at Lauren who couldn't help but chuckle as she spoke softly in Bo's ear, "Thank you so much for the amazing dinners you have cooked for me."

Bo smiled, "As I've said, you're special."

Tamsin smirked, "Apparently. When am I going to get to taste this amazing salmon and crab dish that you made for Lauren? You can hold the ambiance and romance."

Bo looked up at Lauren, "You told her about our dinner?"

Lauren shrugged, "She's my new love guru. Don't knock it. I wouldn't be here right now if it weren't for Tamsin's advice."

"Ugh. Say it ain't so." Bo said, shaking her head.

Tamsin laughed, "Doc was about to make a massive mistake. I saved your heart, Bo. You owe me at least a salmon and crab dinner."

Bo looked at Lauren, "You know you've created a monster, right? She'll be here for dinner every night."

Tamsin shrugged, "Only Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Those are my shift days."

Bo sat up, "No. You're not leaving my mom with those idiot agents. You have to stay, Tamsin."

"Bo, it doesn't work that way. I go where my S.A.C. tells me to go. I have other cases."

"And he has other agents."

"She."

"What?"

"She. My S.A.C. is a she."

"Whatever! Tell her that this is your case and you want to see it through! Those other agents they put on the race almost got people killed! They don't know how to handle Alaska. I don't care who they are or how much they've trained at the military bases!"

Tamsin shook her head, "Bo, please. Trust me on this. I've hand-picked these agents this time. I insisted. Almost all of them are natives. I promise."

"Is that a good idea?" Lauren asked.

"Really? You have to ask me that?" Tamsin asked, surprised at Lauren's conflicting opinion, "Have you met the native Alaskan, Bo Dennis? She doesn't trust outsiders so easily?"

Lauren nodded, "Yes, and I know that, but aren't all of the people who have been connected to Big Jim natives as well?"

Tamsin and Bo shared a long glance, Bo sitting up and leaning in towards Tamsin, "She's got a point."

Tamsin nodded giving Bo a big smile, "She does and I just figured out how we're going to finish this whole case off and make sure that you and your mom are safe."

"Really?"

Tamsin nodded, "Really. We're going to double the detail."

"What?" Bo asked.

Tamsin smiled, "Okay. Here's what we're going to do…"

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

The plan had been made and Tamsin had confirmed her thinking with her boss. Everything was set for the arrival of Bo's mom tomorrow afternoon. Bo and Lauren had gotten the guest room ready for Tamsin while the agent called her boss and got everything set up.

Tamsin came back into the room just as the couple finished with the guest bed. Bo placed her hands on her hips,

"I know my guest room sucks, but when I built this place, I didn't think anyone would be visiting me, so…"

"Bo, it's fine. It's only one night."

Bo nodded, "So, I think you have everything you need, and you know how to handle the bathroom. Lauren and I are going to sit by the fire since it's still burning high. Want to join us for some tea? Lauren makes great tea."

"Sure, thanks."

The three women walked the short distance to the living room and took a seat on the couch, Lauren and Tamsin again flanking Bo,

"Wow. Look at this spread. It's a real tea party." Tamsin smiled as Lauren poured steaming water into each of their mugs.

Lauren smiled, "These little biscuit things that Bo makes are amazing."

Tamsin pouted, "I wouldn't know. She never made me anything but…"

"Jerky." Bo and Lauren chimed, all three of them laughing.

Tamsin sat back, her eyes on the fire as she spoke, "Bo, I want you to know that Big Jim was more than happy to steal your voice all of those years ago. It worked to his advantage. But I also want you to know that where you are now is just another mark in the win column for you." 

"Oh? How so?"

Tamsin smiled, "He told me – after one of your conversations at the jail – that he was surprised to see that you seemed to have found your voice. I told him that I set it free when I locked him up."

Bo smiled, "You did, and I don't know how I'll ever be able to repay you for…"

"Hey." Tamsin said, placing a hand on Bo's shoulder, "You will never owe me for this, Bo. This is my job and you know that I love my job. It's what I do. I right wrongs… and for you, it has been the joy of my life to do this. Of course, Big Jim is a very, very bad man, so despite our friendship, that was probably my primary motivation. I love locking up assholes for life. I'm just sorry it took me so long to handle this one. I promise you, I will tie up every single loose end there is to your case."

Bo nodded, "Tamsin, I need to know… my mom… where has she been? I mean… does she have… well, what's her life like?"

Tamsin smiled, "Some of that is her story to tell, Bo. But I can give you some basics. You want to know if she has another family?"

Bo nodded, her eyes going to fire that Tamsin had made,

"Nice job with the fire."

"Well, that's quite a compliment coming from the most skilled off-gridder I've ever met."

Bo smiled, "Well, let's be honest. You did learn from the best."

Tamsin laughed, "The most important element of a good fire is the tinder and kindling."

Lauren chimed in, "Tiny then small then medium to large and the fire will light with a single match."

"Ahhh, so my fire-building lessons were not as special as I thought. You teach everyone your skills." Tamsin teased.

Bo shrugged, "What can I say? I'm trying to start a movement back to basics. Everyone should know how to make a good fire. I can't keep a secret like that to myself."

Lauren laughed, "Besides, you can learn how to make a fire on YouTube if you don't have a Bo."

Bo, leaned back against her girlfriend,

"Tell me."

Tamsin smiled, "You have a half-sister, Bo."

The brunette nodded, "So, my mom was maybe seventeen when she had her first child with my dad. We were about a year and a half apart or more. I was born when she was in her mid-twenties. She went into witness protection, so must have had some time alone before she had another kid in her mid-thirties?"

"Hey! Would you at least pretend that I'm a better agent that you are?" Tamsin laughed.

Bo shrugged, "I've said it before, I'll say it again. I'm super smart." She paused, "And I'd rather not talk about the half-sister right now. Moving on."

Lauren gave Tamsin a nod, encouraging her to do as Bo asked and the agent complied, changing topics.

"Fine, Miss Smarty Pants. Who else could be connected to this from the villages?" Tamsin asked.

Bo shrugged, "You'd know more than I would, but then again, my mom may have theories."

Tamsin nodded, "Well, hopefully you can convince her that I'm safe to share them with."

"I'll do what I can." Bo replied.

Tamsin nodded, looking around the house, "Do you have a place where we can set up an office?"

"This is all there is to my house. There's a very large barn outside. I can shift some of the equipment and machinery around to create a space out there for you, but you should keep in mind that this is off-grid living, Tamsin. There's no running water and I live off the land, so no refrigeration other than a below-ground cache. I don't have enough food to feed your army of agents, so you'll have to carry in."

"No problem, Bo. I don't expect you to take care of us at all. The barn would be a great help." Tamsin replied.

"I'm sure I could hang a few walls and make a few sleeping areas so that they have a place to stay."

Tamsin nodded, "Give me receipts and I'll get you reimbursed for whatever you do."

"Really?" Bo asked.

"Really." Tamsin smiled, "Well, I think I'm going to hit the hay."

Lauren and Bo nodded, watching as the blonde stood and headed to the guest room.

"Thanks, Tamsin. For everything." Bo smiled.

"You're welcome, Bo." Tamsin smiled, giving a nod to Lauren as well.

The pair sat, watching the door close to the guest room before Lauren placed both hands on her knees and smiled,

"Well, I should clean this up," Lauren said, standing, "Unless you want more?"

Bo shook her head, "Nope. I'll help you."

They cleaned up the evening tea before heading upstairs, both more than ready to put this day to bed. They were tired and tomorrow was going to be another big day.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

Bo lay on her side, facing Lauren who was staring up at the stars through the large bedroom window. Her fingers gently caressed the soft skin of her lovers' face, as she smiled at the sense of wonder in the blonde's eyes.

"What are you thinking about?" Bo asked, softly.

Lauren's eyes slowly found Bo's, her hand covering the brunette's while her lips softly kissed her palm,

"How incredibly small we are in this universe, yet how big we seem to make the problems between us."

Bo nodded, "My mom used to tell me not to worry over things that aren't life and death when I would cry over someone calling me a half breed. It felt like life and death to be teased and shunned by some of the other kids, but she was right. In the grand scheme of things, no matter which gene pool we come from, we're all here and we are all just trying to survive and find a way to be happy."

Lauren's eyebrows raised, "Well, I'd like to think we're trying to do more than just survive in order to be happy." She looked up again, "I hope we're trying to love and learn and help each other through this life. I'd like to think that even though I'm just one microscopic part of the grand universal scheme, I still have a purpose and that I can find and live that true purpose."

"You don't think you have? I mean, you save the lives of so many people…" Bo closed her eyes, realizing she'd raised her voice, "I just… well, let's just say that if we were on a deserted island and they had to decide who to save, I would hope they would save you before… well, I can't think of anyone they would save over you… surely not me."

Lauren chuckled, "What? Because I'm a surgeon I'm more valuable than others? I wouldn't know the first thing about surviving on a deserted island, Bo." She ran her thumb across Bo's lips, "You, on the other hand, would build us a small city, show everyone how to build fires for warmth, hunt for food, use the medicines of the forest and fight against any cannibals on the land."

"Cannibals, huh?"

"Of course. Any good 'stranded on a desert island' story has cannibals threatening the people stranded by a shipwreck."

Bo chuckled, "I guess I didn't read those stories."

"What stories have you read?" Lauren asked.

"Hmmm… well, there's this woman in Juneau that owns an apartment building with a used bookstore on the ground floor. Once a year – usually the first week of July – I go there and trade her an odd job or two… sometimes three…" she chuckled, "… for any ten books I want. I look for the books that are the most worn, figuring they must be the favorites."

"Or the classics." Lauren suggested, "What kind of odd jobs?"

Bo shrugged, "Maintenance work on the apartments, cabinetry, shelving… stuff like that."

"So what books have you read?" Lauren asked.

Bo thought for a moment, "Well, let's see… most recently, I've read Moby Dick, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Pride and Prejudice, The Count of Monte Cristo, Little Women and The Handmaid's Tale."

"Wow. That's quite a list." Lauren said, surprised.

"I also read Harry Potter." Bo smiled, rolling onto her back and propping up her head with her arm. Lauren slid next to her, wrapping an arm around her torso and laying her head on her shoulder, "This little girl was in the store when I was installing a new set of books shelves. I was up on a ladder and she spotted a book she wanted. She asked me to bring it down to her… I couldn't refuse."

Bo smiled, remembering the day, "When I was a little girl, my mom gave me a doll for my birthday. It was a little Inuit girl in a parka with long black braids like mine, but her eyes were a yellow brown like my mom's. Well, the girl in the store looked just like my doll, so I felt… connected to her somehow… and it didn't hurt that she was super adorable."

"So, you got her the book?"

"Yup and she proceeded to recommend several books to me. She said Harry Potter was her favorite. She said it was a little scary, but it all worked out in the end."

Lauren smiled, "So you've read all of those classics and then you read Harry Potter?"

Bo laughed, "Hey, don't know it till you tried it. It's a good book series." She looked up at the stars, "It made me wonder if there's a world out there where good always triumphs over evil like it did in the books. Of course, I could also relate to Harry. You'd have to read it to understand."

"Well, I have a confession to make." Lauren said, burying her face in Bo's neck.

Bo giggled, pulling back so she could see the blonde's face, "Wait… you read it, didn't you."

Lauren laughed, "Guilty as charged."

"So you have to admit it was good!" Bo said.

"Okay, it was good for a children's book series." Lauren nodded.

"Hey! People of all ages were reading that book. That little girl told me all of the teachers at her school were reading it and so was her mom, her aunt and her big brother. He wouldn't share with her which is why she came in to get a copy of her own."

"So, you do like reading, though?" Lauren asked.

Bo nodded, "I love to read. I love escaping to other worlds and going on the characters' adventures with them. I mean, some of them, like the Handmaid's, I'm perfectly happy to read about rather than actually live. I know I don't seem the intellectual type, but I got really good grades in school. My mom made sure of it. I used to love to sit and read. My mom built a bench next to the window and sewed a pillow to put on top of it so that I could lay in the window and read when it was light out."

"Your mom did a lot for you."

"She did." Bo smiled, looking up at the stars as Lauren wrapped her body around her torso once more, "I wonder how much she's changed? I suppose we've both changed. I just… I wonder if she's anything like I remember."

"I don't know, Bo. I guess you'll just have to wait and see."

Bo nodded, "I just feel… robbed, ya know? I missed out on so much with her and she never got to see everything she dreamed of for me." She chuckled, "I guess I have to win the Iditarod again next year."

Lauren smiled, "She'll be so proud when you do."

Bo pulled back, looking into Lauren's eyes, "Will you be there next year? I mean… can you take off if you're still in Boston?"

Grinning, the blonde replied, "I wouldn't miss it for the world, Bo."

The pair held each other tight, staring out at the stars until they fell fast asleep.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

Lauren opened her eyes to see Bo hanging from the ceiling over the lower floor. The brunette wore a sports bra and microfiber shorts, her muscles rippling under the effort as she held her legs straight out and climbed hand-over-hand descending below the loft railing. The blonde moved to climb out of bed but realized there were two puppies tangled in her legs beneath the sheets. Raising the cotton fabric, she smiled when the pair came tripping towards her, their big paws getting stuck in the folds of the bed linens until they made it to the pillows. She smiled as they circled and circled until plopping down drifting off to sleep once more. She could only smile at the two clumps of fur breathing softly.

The doctor stepped out of the bed, pulling on Bo's oversized hoodie and walked to the railing. She leaned over, watching as Bo climbed back up the rope, legs still extended, her skin glistening with sweat while her face held all the determination that Lauren remembered from the Iditarod. The musher touched the beam of the ceiling and began her descent once again.

Lauren watched in awe as her girlfriend made trips up and down the rope over and over again. When she thought the brunette was too tired to go on, she would see her summon the strength to do another trip from top to bottom and back again. This was what had attracted Lauren to Bo from the beginning. Sure the muscles were sexy and the show of strength an impressive display of physical prowess, but the sheer willpower it took to move past the limits of the human body with seeming ease was what allowed Bo to overcome all that had been laid before her on her journey through a very tough life. She knew she had nothing to do with who Bo was as a woman, but she was surely proud to be her partner.

"You know, it's rude to stare." Came a voice from the ceiling.

Lauren blushed, moving her eyes from Bo's shapely thighs to meet her dark brown eyes, she smiled, "Well, it's very hard not to stare at… all of that."

Bo chuckled, "So are you going to join me up here?"

"Up there?" Lauren asked.

Bo nodded, "Yup. I can pull out a harness for you."

"A harness?" Lauren asked.

Bo chuckled, "Are you going to answer all of my questions with questions?"

Lauren smiled, "How do I get up there?"

Bo pointed to the beam around the corner from the window at the end of the loft.

Lauren nodded, "Okay. Just let me put on some clothes."

Bo shrugged, "Suit yourself."

The blonde moved to the drawer she'd taken over when Bo was sick and pulled out her recently acquired Iditarod T-shirt and a pair of black shorts. She decided against sneakers since Bo wasn't wearing any and moved to the other end of the loft. She stretched out her wrists and shoulders, watching while Bo did pull-ups on a thin crossbeam.

Finished limbering up, Lauren climbed the thick pillar to the rafters and moved hand over hand over a crossbeam to the center support of the home. She kicked her feet up onto a narrow beam and hung upside down from her knees. Placing her hands on either side of her head, she began a series of inverted crunches. Bo slid across the beam and mirrored Lauren's effort, deciding to make the workout a bit more fun,

"Okay, so whoever gives out first buys breakfast at the hotel."

"Nah." Lauren said, "It's got to be the best of three exercises." She exhaled hard, "Inverted crunches." She took another deep breath, "Pull ups." She looked over at Bo, "Dips."

"Deal." Bo replied, "Even though I've already done pull ups."

"Want to concede on those?"

"No way." Bo protested, "Never surrender."

"Too bad. You're in for a world of hurt, Missy."

Bo chuckled, "Bring it."

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

"Hey, bestie… Doc. What brings you two out this early?" Kenzi asked, pulling out her order pad and pencil.

Bo picked up the menu, leaving Kenzi to raise an eyebrow. She looked at Lauren, "Okay, so… that's new. She knows my menu inside out, upside down and backwards. What gives?"

Lauren grinned, "She lost a bet. What you're observing now is the look of Bo Dennis, champion extraordinaire, after a loss."

"You lost?" Kenzi asked with a smirk, her eyes going wide as a grin slowly spread across her face, "Ohmagosh. This is… wow… I have to go write this day down on the calendar. Who did she lose to and what were you playing?"

Lauren looked at Bo whose eyes were shifting back and forth across the menu, "Best of three exercises, endurance reps."

"Wait. Against you?"

Lauren scowled, "What? You don't think I'm strong?"

Kenzi laughed, "I'm sure you are very… fit, but you're no Bo Dennis."

Lauren shrugged, "Well, apparently there's a new champ in town. Bo's buying breakfast."

Kenzi rolled her eyes, "Which means Kenzi's buying breakfast since I still owe her for the kitchen plumbing and solar panel problems she fixed."

"Sorry." Lauren smiled.

"No, you're not." Kenzi replied.

"Okay, so I'm not." Lauren said, snapping open her menu, "I'm going to have the spinach and cheese omelet with the hash browns and a side of reindeer sausage."

"Coffee?" Kenzi asked.

Lauren nodded.

Both women looked at Bo waiting for her to place her order, but she was just staring at the menu with a frown. Kenzi finally slapped her shoulder,

"Bo!"

"Owa!" She said, scowling at her friend, "What was that for?"

"Stop pouting and order, ya big baby! You lost! Get over it!"

"I'll have what Lauren's having."

"Great." Kenzi replied, storming off to the kitchen.

Lauren reached out and took Bo's hands, "Will you please stop being mad at me?"

"Mad at you? I'm not mad at you. I'm mad at myself."

Lauren laughed, "Bo, you were working out for an hour before we had our little contest. I'd be willing to bet you can beat me if you're fresh. Rematch?"

Bo shook her head, "No way. I couldn't take the humiliation if I lost again. You haven't worked out since you got here and you kicked my ass."

Lauren smirked, "That's not exactly true. The new physical therapist Evony hired last month has been putting me through daily workouts."

"You've been working out?"

Lauren shrugged, "I had to do something. I was just sitting around watching you sleep."

"You've got a point. I would've been going crazy too. But still, you could have warned me."

"Would you have taken the bet?"

"Of course." Bo replied, "You know, you're stronger than you look."

Lauren laughed, "I'm a skinny runt compared to you. I just have less muscle mass to lift."

"I think you just called me fat."

"I did not call you fat. I called you muscular. There's a difference. But I'd still love you if you were fat."

Bo smiled, "Good. I'm going to take the winter off and get fat and happy."

"No, you're not. You will get ready for the Iditarod so you can win it in front of your mom."

"Fine." Bo pouted, "Kill joy."

Lauren could only laugh, "You really are a very poor loser."

Bo smiled, "I haven't had much practice."

"And modest, too."

Bo grinned, "So what do you want to do after breakfast? Are you going to go straight to the clinic or what?"

"I thought I'd help you out at the kennel this morning for a couple hours."

"Really? That would be awesome!" Bo replied.

"You're welcome." Lauren smiled, "So are you going to leave the assistant managers alone at the kennel so you can be at your house when your mom gets there?"

Bo shrugged, "We'll see. I'm going to quiz them again. If they pass, yes. If they don't, no. I can always call Tamsin and ask her to bring her to the kennel, right?"

"I suppose, but won't it be an odd reunion if you're busy and can't talk to her?" Lauren asked.

"If I'm busy, I can turn the customer over to the assistants."

A waitress brought out the breakfast plates and laid them before the two women before heading back to the bar for their coffee. Once they had all of their food, the pair dug in, both famished from their earlier workout. After a short while, their plates were clean and they were sipping their second cups of coffee. Lauren noticed Bo was staring out the window, deep in thought. She was pretty sure it had something to do with her mom, so when she didn't offer, Lauren asked,

"Penny for your thoughts?"

Bo lowered her cup to her plate, "I was just wondering where my mom has been living. I mean, if that agent guy really wanted to keep her safe, I would think he would have put her somewhere warm. She would never have volunteered to give up her dogs and live somewhere warm."

Lauren nodded, "Well, she could give up the cold-weather lifestyle without having to give up her dogs. They do have air conditioning in the south… and lakes… and oceans."

Bo shrugged, "I just can't see it, Lauren. My mom was raised on the ice and tundra. It's all she's ever known other than the yearly trips to the south to forage, grow and make money."

"So, what's your concern?"

"Will she even want to stay here? What if she's grown accustomed to a warmer climate? What if she's lost interest in dogs? What if she doesn't want to be in the kennel? What if this half-sister is part of a much larger family that my mom is now a part of? Does she have a husband or partner of some kind?"

Lauren had no answers for Bo, she could only urge patience, "I think you'll just have to wait and see, Bo. Give her a chance to explain. I think you love her enough to give her that, right? Speaking of loving her…"

Reaching down to pull a small bag from her jacket pocket, she placed it on the table between them, "I have been given this very special necklace by the woman I love." Lauren smiled, lifting the gold necklace from her chest to remind Bo that she was, indeed, wearing it, "You had given this to me and I think that you should wear it for your mom. What do you think?"

Bo smiled, opening the bag to reveal the necklace and bracelet set she had given Lauren to wear, "To keep you safe until I return." Bo smiled, pulling out the items, "That's what she said to me before she went off to hunt. I wore it for a very long time."

Lauren nodded, "So will you wear it for her? At least for today?"

The doctor watched as her girlfriend donned the necklace and bracelet, taking a moment to spin the bracelet a few times, her fingers tracing the gem and beadwork,

"Okay, I'm getting kind of nervous. Can we go over to the kennel? I need to do something." 

"Of course, sweetie." Lauren smiled.

Bo gathered her jacket, "I'm glad we parked the truck at the kennel. I think the walk back will help."

They stood, giving a busy Kenzi a wave before heading out of the hotel and up the street to get the kennel ready for business.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

As soon as they arrived at the clinic, Bo met with her assistant managers who were already cleaning out the central play area and crates. Six dogs were on the doggie treadmills, two were in with the vets and most of the others were playing outside or in the pool. She reviewed the list of chores for the day and then headed to her office to go over the orders she needed to place.

Lauren headed up to the vets to find out what was going on with the dogs before moving over to check the timers on the treadmills. They were set to an interval incline program that simulated the first half of the Iditarod's north trail, with only a fraction of the mileage. Five of the six had toys in their mouths and all of their tails were wagging as they watched the screen ahead that simulated the snowy path they were running. They all looked happy, but Lauren had been here before when the program came to an end. They would stand there, barking at the screen trying to figure out what was happening.

This time, Lauren planned to stop the simulation video as soon as their treadmills stopped, hopefully avoiding the bark fest that was sure to follow.

"Hey, Doc?"

Lauren turned to see the twins standing behind her, "Sam. Scott. How are you, boys? How was the math test?"

Both boys grinned, before Scott replied, "We aced it!"

The doctor gave them each a high five, "Excellent! So, are you finished with poop detail?"

"Yup. It's all in the mulch bins out back. What now?"

"Well, these ladies are finished in another thirty-eight seconds. Can you open the door and send in six more and I'll send these down the chute to you?"

Sam smiled, "Sure thing, Doc! Can we go play with the dogs then?"

Lauren smiled, "Yup. Make sure they all get equal time!"

Scott nodded, "We will. We'll send your team in with Harper, Nike and Diana. Okay?"

"Sounds perfect." Lauren smiled as the two boys ran off. Their father had finally been discharged from the house and things were starting to get back to normal for them. Working at the kennel definitely had a positive effect on them. Their grades were improving, and they weren't getting into trouble at school anymore. They had a growing interest in mushing and working for the business which Bo was encouraging LJ to nurture. She only wanted people who had a true passion for the dogs to work for them and these two young boys surely fit the bill.

The treadmills slowed to a walk, signaling the cool down period, so Lauren put the simulation in slow motion. It would be another minute until she could bring them to a full stop. At that point, the new group would come in and these six would go out into the yard.

It had taken some time, but the mornings had become routine around here. The assistant managers would monitor that every dog has their feedings, six-week vet visits, daily play time and daily workouts. The harder part was making sure that each dog was having regular bowel movements, socialization, regulated sleep and remaining hydrated. It took a village, but the kennel was becoming a well-oiled machine, thanks to LJ's hard work and Bo's guidance.

Apart from one more part-time musher, Bo had all the staff she wanted for now and the sale of her sleds and feed were turning a very nice profit. When Lauren had asked why she didn't hire any of the applicants, Bo explained that she wanted to wait to see what happened with Kyle. She was hoping that Kurt would take over her store down south and that Kyle would come up here and put down some roots with them. It was a long shot, but Bo wanted to at least offer it to her. She had a plan for how to make a sled that Kyle could handle, and Kurt had already said he would take over the store if she decided to make the move. He would never shut her out completely since he would need her help with the weekly orders and her sledding expertise, but he wanted to help her… and he'd mentioned wanting to put down roots of his own. Bo suspected Kelly had something to do with it, but it was too soon to tell.

Lauren reached up and stopped the simulation before stopping all of the treadmills. She immediately air tossed a treat to each of the dogs and sent them down the chute, watching as Scott triggered the exit door and Sam sent her favorite six dogs through the entrance.

"Oh, my babies! Come here! Come see your momma!" She yelled to her team. All three girls came running, with Harper, Nike and Diana following immediately behind, tails wagging. She hugged all six of the dogs before popping a treat up to each, then starting up their treadmills. She turned on the simulator and stepped back, watching as their attention was immediately on the 'road ahead' of them.

"Hey." Tamsin said, walking up and standing next to Lauren, "Dang, girl. Bo's got you working here too?"

Lauren shook her head, "I volunteered, Tamsin."

"Why on earth would you volunteer to shovel dog poop?"

"Well, for one thing, my dogs are housed and cared for here too. For another thing, I love these dogs more than most humans I've met. And, as foreign as the concept may be for you, Bo is my girlfriend. I love her and I want to help her – especially today when she's so nervous about meeting her mom again."

"They're dogs. How much can they possibly need?"

"They're champions or champions in training, Tamsin. You don't just take a pet out and run the Iditarod. Of course, you could volunteer around here and learn a little something about your girlfriends' hobby." 

Tamsin shrugged, "Kyle loves me for who I am. She doesn't need me to do her things."

Lauren shook her head, "Funny. You didn't mention anything about loving Kyle or about what she might need from you. You sound an awful lot like me before you gave me advice that helped me to see a different way of looking at relationships. Too bad you can't do the same thing for yourself."

"Whatever." Tamsin replied.

"How is Kyle?"

Tamsin lowered her eyes, "She thinks she's ugly and she doesn't want me around. Satisfied?"

Lauren nodded, "Actually, I'm not satisfied at all. Kyle thinking she's ugly and shunning any romantic attention is not unusual. Do you know if she's been going to her psychiatric appointments?"

Tamsin shook her head, "Kurt said that she won't go because they're a waste of time and money."

"Get her to the appointments, Tamsin. If you can't, I'll stop in and see her. We've got to make her see that her body wasn't the only injury she sustained in that fire."

Tamsin nodded, looking up at Bo, "So why's she so nervous about seeing her mom?"

"You know, you should really work on your bedside manner, Special Agent."

Tamsin folded her arms over her chest, "I'm not a doctor and I haven't had my coffee yet."

"Geezus, Tamsin. For over a decade, Bo has had to listen to all sorts of rumors about what happened to her mom… she ran out on her, she was killed, she was taken and killed… now, she shows up alive and well. It doesn't matter that she was in witness protection. Bo hasn't said it, but I'm sure as hell thinking it. How in the world could any mother who loves their child leave them behind when they're as young as Bo was… especially at the mercy of that monster of a father of hers."

Lauren felt her hands had balled into fists, her jaw had clenched and her was head leaning forward as she raised her voice to the special agent. She looked around, relieved to see Bo still in the window of one of the Veterinary offices upstairs. She closed her eyes, calming herself before she opened them and looked at Tamsin,

Lauren replied, "Why are you here? Has something changed?"

"Nope." Tamsin shook her head, "I saw Bo's truck and wanted to know if she was going to make it home to meet up with her mom or if I was supposed to just let her in."

"You're going to have to ask her that one." Lauren replied.

"Well, she leaves the door open, so it really doesn't matter, right?" Tamsin asked.

"Tamsin, her mom is a stranger to her. I'm not so sure she would want her wandering around her house unsupervised right now. She really is struggling with trust for the adults in her life. She's been betrayed too many times."

Nodding, Tamsin stuffed her hands in her jacket pockets, "Fine. I'll wait and talk to Bo."

"Good idea. I've got to go meet with the vets. I'll let Bo know you're down here waiting for her. Go easy on her Tamsin."

"You got it, Doc." Tamsin replied.

She watched as Lauren made her way around the piles of straw to a ramp that led up to a staircase. Three little puppies came over to Tamsin's feet, jumping up on her legs and barking at her. She stepped back,

"Shoo. Shoo."

Two young blonde boys came running around the corner from outside, grabbing leashes off the wall before running over, picking up the puppies and running back towards that back of the building. Tamsin shouted,

"STOP RIGHT THERE! WHERE DO YOU BOYS THINK YOU'RE GOING WITH THOSE DOGS?"

Scott turned and looked up at Tamsin, "Who are you?"

"I asked you first. I don't think the owner of the kennel would be two happy about you two stealing her dogs."

"For your information, we're not stealing. It's not polite to accuse people of stuff they haven't done." Scott replied, gripping the two pups tightly in his arms.

Tamsin walked closer to the young boys, "I'm going to ask you one more time before I throw you in my car and take you down to see the sheriff."

"We work here. I'm Sam and this is my brother Scott."

Scott added, "And Bo hates the sheriff. You take us down there and she'll be pretty angry with you for making her hafta see him."

"I'm a Federal Agent and I take bad boys to Federal prison." She flipped open her badge and showed it to the boys, "Now, I think we're going to have a conversation with the owner."

"Good." Sam replied before pointing at Bo who was now walking down the chute towards them, "This lady says she's going to arrest us for trying to steal the pups Bo. She's pretty mean."

Scott nodded, "I told her she'd be in big trouble if she took us down to Sheriff Thornwood and you had to go see him to get us out."

Bo shook her head, "Tamsin, this is Scott and Sam. They're learning all about mushing, responsibility, business skills, the importance of getting good grades and…"

"A TON of other stuff." Scott interjected.

Bo smiled, "They work here with their parents' consent three days a week and weekends to learn about a career in mushing."

"Kind of young, aren't they?" 

Bo shrugged, "I had my first sled at five. Define young."

"Fine." Tamsin replied, shaking her head.

Bo waved them off, "Get back to it, boys. I'm not paying you to stand around arguing with Tamsin. Can you check the treadmills? Lauren is helping the Vet with removing Odin's stitches. He's being less than cooperative."

"Now that's a shocker." Sam said, sarcastically, "If he was more cooperative, he wouldn't have needed stitches to begin with."

Bo chuckled, "Very true, Sam. LJ is going to be selling him as a work dog next week."

"Awww. He's not so bad. He's just mis… misun… we just don't get him." Scott finished, his eyes holding some sadness for the dog.

Smiling, the boss asked, "Was the word you were looking for 'misunderstood'?"

"That's it!" Scott smiled.

Bo nodded, "Go put it on the calendar then. I'll hold the pup."

Scott ran off towards the calendar that was hanging on the wall. Tamsin turned to Bo, "What's that?"

"When they don't know a word, they write it on the calendar. Every day, they practice the words that are on the calendar and when we flip to the next month, I get to ask them any word that they didn't know during the previous month."

"Sounds boring."

"You're boring." Sam said before seeing the stern look from Bo, "Sorry, but I don't like people picking on my friends and Bo's my friend."

"Got it, kid."

Sam looked up at Bo, "The kennels are a fun place, right?"

"You know that, why?"

"Because, well I'm not trying to be mean or anything, but if she's gonna be around, she has to help and be nice, right? That's what you expect of all of your employees, right?"

Bo smiled, looking up at Tamsin, "He has a point, Tamsin. It is the rule around here."

Tamsin rolled her eyes before reaching out with a flat hand and tapping her palm on the puppy's head three times,

"There. Is that better?"

Sam looked up at Bo, "She's got to be kidding, right?"

Bo laughed, "We'll have to work on her, kiddo. She's new to puppy love."

"Okay, Bo! Can we take them for leash time now?"

Bo nodded, "Hook 'em up to the three pound today, okay?"

Scott and Sam nodded before Scott asked, "Does that mean we need the longer leads?"

"Good call, Scottie. More weight, longer lead. Go with the six foot."

"You got it, Bo." Scott replied, taking the pup from Bo before he and Sam headed off around the back of the kennel.

Bo looked up at Tamsin, "How on earth can you possibly be dating Kyle and hate dogs?"

"I don't hate dogs. I just… don't particularly love them. I mean, I have my sled team, but I don't actually take care of them. There's a guy who does all of that for us."

Bo shook her head, "That's why you struggle with them, Tamsin. You'll do much better if you learn to bond with your team."

"I'm not sleeping with my dogs."

"Suit yourself." Bo replied, "So why are you here and not at the train?"

Tamsin shook her head, "It's barely nine in the morning, Bo. Your mom isn't even on the ground yet."

"Why can't you tell me where she lives?"

"Just in case we have to put her back into witness protection."

Bo snorted, "But I just stay out here as live bait, right?"

Tamsin was silent, unsure of how to respond, "I wasn't there all of those years ago, Bo. I have no idea why he didn't put you with your mom, nor do I know why she didn't insist on having you with her. You'll have to ask her all of that."

"Fine. So why are you here?"

"I need to know if you'll build an apartment here for Kyle."

"Does she actually want an apartment here?"

"We talked this morning and she's decided she wants to work with your dogs."

"Well that's great!" Bo said, excited.

Tamsin slowly tilted her head, "I'd slow down a bit, Bo. This is not the same Kyle you used to know. She's… well, let's just say she's lost a lot of her confidence and…" Tamsin shook her head, "…being around people is not going to be easy for her, Bo. When I say she wants to work with the dogs, I mean the dogs… no people. Absolutely no people whatsoever."

Bo took a seat on the bench in front of the play area, inviting Tamsin to sit beside her, "The scars?"

Tamsin nodded, "I was telling Lauren yesterday that she finds herself unattractive and therefore thinks that I must find her unattractive as well. I've told her over and over again that I'm just happy she's alive, but she tells me that will pass and it will be replaced with me constantly seeing her big ugly scarred face."

Bo frowned, "Lauren said it's mostly on the side of her face, neck, shoulder and ribs. She said the burns on her chest and back have actually healed pretty nicely and the one on her thigh is still the worst, but they're rehabbing the muscle and she should regain a regular gait."

"All true in my eyes, but now that she's seen herself in the mirror, all she sees is the scar." Tamsin replied.

Bo shrugged, "All I see is a hero. Lauren wouldn't be here if it weren't for her."

Tamsin nodded, "You've got to remind her of that, Bo."

"I will. Look, just get her here. I'll do anything I can. Do you think she would want to stay at my house?"

"She won't want to put you out." Tamsin replied.

"Tamsin, I have acres and acres of land. I can build her a cottage. A bedroom big enough for two with a bathroom, eat-in kitchen and small living room. I'll even give it a front porch."

The Special Agent smiled, "It sounds perfect to me. She liked off-grid living just like you."

Bo nodded, "I'm aware. It's the right time of year to get a garden started and, in a few weeks, it will be warm enough to dig out a cache for her cottage at the same time they dig out mine."

Tamsin nodded, "What if she doesn't like it?"

Bo shrugged, "Then I guess I'll have a guest house on my property. It's probably a good idea anyway considering how cramped you were last night." Bo chuckled, "I believe I heard an 'ow', a 'shit' and a 'fuck' all accompanied by a limb or two hitting the wall."

"I'm not used to a twin bed."

"A little bigger than a twin." Bo replied.

"Not by much."

"Whatever. You did sort of arrive uninvited, so beggars can't be choosers."

"Fair enough." Tamsin replied, "So you'll build the cottage?"

Bo nodded, "I'll build the cottage."

She paused for a moment before she asked, "Tamsin?"

"Yea?"

"Will I need a cottage for my mom?"

Tamsin shrugged, "I don't know, Bo. You'll have to ask her."

"Because she's not sticking around. She's got a kid at home." Bo said, hanging her head.

It was in that moment that Tamsin recognized what Lauren had been trying to tell her – and she felt bad for how she had spoken about Bo. She felt replaced – cast aside for a new family. She'd spent the last few months coming to grips with the fact that she had been the ghost child to a whole other family of kids as well as the fact that her own family had tried to kill her. As she looked at Bo now, she didn't look like the survivor she'd always known. She looked… gutted… hollow… rejected. On top of that, Kenzi had told her this morning that Lauren was leaving in the coming week. She shook her head,

"Bo, that's not what I meant. I honestly have no idea if she's staying for good or just for a while. You've got to understand that the woman I met… the woman I spoke with… she's angry, Bo. She's furious. She just found out that her husband and sons tried to kill a daughter she clearly loves to the ends of the earth. She reminded me… of you."

Bo looked up, "Of me?"

Tamsin nodded, "Yea… that crazy look you always had in your eyes on those numerous occasions I had to pull you off of someone who was messing with someone weaker." The agent chuckled, "We always could count on Bo Dennis to be the champion for the little guy."

Bo nodded, "I do what I can."

Bo wasn't sure how she felt about being compared to her angry mom. She did remember the woman she grew up with could be fiercely defensive of her children and she supposed that applied doubly to her little girl. Maybe it was because she was her only daughter or maybe it was because she was the youngest. She knew it wasn't because she was a girl. Her mom had raised her to believe that whatever a man could do, a woman could do and do it smarter. While a man could lift a deer onto a sled, a woman could figure out how to get the animal onto the sled without having to lift it.

Bo stood, looking down at Tamsin, "Right. Well, I've got to get back to work now. I've got a lot to do if I want to be able to leave my assistant managers in charge when my mom gets into town."

Tamsin nodded, "I can always show her around for a while if you need me to."

"Is that safe?" Bo asked.

"Come on, Bo. You know how things work around here. She pulls into the station and fifteen minutes later the whole town knows someone who looks like you had arrived on the train and that I took them out to your house."

"She looks like me?"

Tamsin shrugged, "Well, her facial features are definitely more native Inuit than you, but you can see the resemblance, yes, she's an older version of you."

"Right." Bo replied, "You'll call or text me when her train arrives? I'll head home then."

The agent nodded, moving to stand at eye level with the musher, "Bo, I can have Kenzi put her up for the night if you'd rather. She asked to stay with you, but I can certainly tell her your house isn't finished. All I've told her is that you have a room above the Talkeetna hotel and that you've been living off grid since you left the North Slope more than ten years ago. She seemed a bit taken aback by that information, but when I explained that you had been looking for her since she went missing, she nodded her understanding. That's when she told me about the death of your old teacher."

Bo nodded, "I've really gotta get back to work. If she wants to stay with me, then she'll stay with me. As much as I'm pretty confused by her absence all of these years, she is my mom. I can't turn her away even though I'm feeling pretty much like a castaway myself."

Tamsin could see Bo's eyes fill with tears, but she also watched her take a deep breath and shake off the emotions. She'd seen that move enough times over the years to know the brunette wanted no sympathy. She wanted to get to work so she could focus on what mattered most… her dogs… and maybe a certain blonde.

"Okay then. I'll call or text when she's in."

"Thanks, T. I called my foreman when I was in my office. We decided to build a loft in the barn. When it's finished, it will have five small bedrooms, each with three shelves for personal items. There will be a single bathroom with a solar rain-catcher shower and composting toilet."

"Rain-catcher shower?"

Bo nodded, "When it rains, the water will fill a bin that will be heated by solar panels. Beneath the bin will be a shower head that will feed the water to anyone in the shower. Keep the showers short and there should be plenty of water for everyone. If it doesn't rain, there's a river out back."

Heaving a heavy sigh, Tamsin nodded, "Any electricity?"

Bo shrugged, "If you guys buy the solar panels and electrical supplies needed to build it in, sure. I'm on a budget. I've got a lot of bills and very little income until the hospital is finished. A six-floor building may not seem like much to big city folk like yourself, but for a small company like mine, it's a massive job. The subcontractors I've had to hire from Seattle don't settle for getting paid when the job is done. They want weekly stipends. This thing is draining my savings account."

Tamsin scowled, "I've never heard you complain about money. Everything okay?"

Bo nodded, "It's fine. I'm just not used to worrying about money."

"Well, maybe if you kept it in a bank or invested some of the mounds of green you have, you could make money on your millions, Bo. I wish you would let me…"

"Shut it, T. I'm not using a bank." Bo replied.

Tamsin nodded, "I know you don't want anyone to know, but are you going to tell Lauren about how much you're really worth?"

Bo cocked her head, "Why?"

"Don't you feel like you're holding out on her?"

Bo shrugged, "She doesn't pay me for anything. She knows I don't need her money."

Tamsin nodded, "I know, but don't you feel like you're holding out on her?"

"I dunno. I never really thought about it. We don't talk about money. I know she has enough. I have enough. It's not an issue. Is that something couples usually talk about?"

Tamsin laughed, "Financial problems are the number one cause of divorce, Bo."

The musher shrugged, "See that? Lauren and I don't have financial problems, so we'll be fine."

Chuckled, the blonde nodded, "Right."

Bo scowled, "Besides, Lauren's going back east soon, so it's not like we're going to be living together or merging our finances anytime soon. Hell, for all I know, she'll be in Boston until the end of time if Evony has her way."

Tamsin shook her head, "That's not going to happen, Bo. If Lauren wants to come back, she'll be back. No contract is going to keep her tied to one of Evony's contracts. Do you have any idea how famous your doctor is? She's probably the most important doctor in the country… possibly the world. Do you know she is the on-call doctor for a huge number of U.S. politicians and a number from other countries? If they have a heart problem, she'll be picked up and flown to them in a matter of hours."

Bo wasn't aware of that part of Lauren's professional life, "I didn't know that."

Tamsin smiled, "Your doctor is tops in her field, Bo. She invented the heart surgeon's handbook."

"There's a handbook."

Tamsin laughed, "Don't know, but if there is, she wrote it. Hell, she probably handed it out for free. She's all about free access for all to the best healthcare. She hates that Evony makes money off her. Word has it they've had some major arguments over money. Get this – Evony wanted to give her a pay increase because someone told Lauren that she was ripping her off. Apparently, there are six hospitals that offered her more money and better benefits. One hospital told Lauren to name her price. Anyway, Lauren agreed to the raise and requested the increase in one lump sum up front."

"She did?" Bo asked, shocked to hear the doctor took a large up-front cash payment from Evony.

"Know what she did with it?" Tamsin asked with a smirk.

Bo laughed, "I'm gonna love this, aren't I."

Tamsin grinned, "It was three point five mil and she used the money to open an emergency pediatric heart center across the street from Evony's hospital in Lauren's retired mentor's old surgical center. They only treat families who don't have insurance. An old college friend invests the money to keep the account growing so that they can afford to continue doing the surgeries. Lauren works there on weekends for free, teaching her procedures to young, up and coming doctors. Her nurses also take rotations there, building a team of highly qualified nurses for the future of cardiothoracic medicine."

Bo looked upstairs, trying to catch a glimpse of her girlfriend, "She's smart. Evony may have won a few battles, but Lauren will win the war in the end."

"Yup. The bottom line is that if your girl wants to come back here, she'll come back when she's ready. My guess is that she'll want to make sure all of her charities are taken care of before she moves here."

Bo looked at Tamsin, "You think she'll move here?"

Tamsin shrugged, "If she loves you as much as I think she does, she will. But Bo… well… this may sound creepy, but… well, you know that Kyle and I just want to make sure you're in good hands."

"Oh, Tamsin. You didn't!" Bo said, ripping her hood off her head.

"Bo, I had to! You're getting in deep and I don't want to see anyone jerking you around!"

"Tamsin, that's…"

"Sneaky, underhanded, creepy, devious, a betrayal of her trust, yadda, yadda, yadda! It's a simple background check, Bo! She was arrested when she was in college for protesting the use of fossil fuels. You would have been proud of her. She handcuffed herself to a land-docked oil rig so they couldn't take it out to see." She elbowed Bo, "Pretty bad ass, huh?"

Bo chuckled, "Okay. Yes, that's definitely very bad ass."

"She has started sixteen charities, Bo. SIXTEEN! The woman donates more than half of her income to charity every year. She's a super smart investor, so she makes more in investments than she does from Evony. She could pay off her two houses like twenty times over and they are far from cheap." Tamsin reconsidered, "Well, actually the one house is now Nadia's. Did you know that bitch tried to get alimony from her? The judge darn near laughed her out of court as he reminded her that she signed a pre-nup. Besides, Lauren saved the judge's sixteen-year-old daughter whose heart stopped during a field hockey practice. The athletic trainers got her back with an AED. When she got to the hospital, Lauren was on call. She ordered the right tests and determined that the kid had a rare heart defect. She was in surgery a day later and the judge is now Lauren's biggest fan."

"Sounds to me like you did more than a simple background check, T."

She nodded, "Well, Kyle asked me to find any skeletons in her closet. She thought it was weird that a massively famous doctor would come to Alaska. It turns out, that was all Evony and her greed, just like Lauren said it was. It made sense that Lauren went to work for Evony after her residency. It was the top hospital in the country after Evony forced the doc's mentor into retirement and built a bigger and better hospital."

Bo frowned, "Lauren hasn't talked about him all that much, but I do know that he's very important to her. He was her teacher through her residency, then became her mentor through her first few years before they became very close friends. She said she owes him her entire career."

Tamsin smiled, "That's what I've heard. She saved his life too… also did the surgery for free."

"He couldn't afford the surgery?" Bo asked.

"He couldn't afford Evony's bill." Tamsin clarified, "But really, he couldn't have afforded any hospital's bill. His wife's cancer ate up his entire savings account. He lost her to cancer about five months before Lauren came here."

Bo took a deep breath, "She needs to go back to spend some time with him."

"I'm sure that would be something she would want to do."

Bo looked up, seeing Lauren was now leaning against the counter in the vet's office, "There's so much I don't know about her."

"Well, going to visit her in Boston will give you a chance to see her in her element like she's seen you."

Bo turned to Tamsin, "T, you know that I want to do that, but…"

"Bo, I'll get you a valium or something to get you through the flight. I can arrange for agents to move you so you don't have to deal with the crowds."

"Tamsin, I can't let you do that. Your boss…"

"Witness protection, Bo. I'll just say I want you followed to be sure no one is following you. It's not a problem."

"We'll see." Bo said, shaking out her thoughts, "Look, I really need to get my work done."

Tamsin nodded, "Okay. Watch out for those twins, Bo. They've been down at the station with Dyson and Hale more than a few times."

Bo scowled, "Give them a chance. They really like it here, T. I think they've found their passion and I want to nurture that. LJ is like the big brother they don't have. Their parents are never around because they have to work to make ends meet, but with us around, they're getting better all the time. Their grades are up, they're not getting into trouble and they're working hard here. I really think we're on to something."

Tamsin nodded, "So you're saying you're going to save all of our delinquents?"

Bo laughed, "I'm not sure about that, but it's definitely something that could work for kids that have an interest."

"I'll let you go then." Tamsin smiled, waving to Bo who headed off towards where Scott was waiting on a customer who was looking at sled runners.

As the pair parted ways, Bo looked up one last time to see Lauren smiling down at her. The blonde waved and blew her a kiss which Bo caught and put in her pocket. The doctor laughed and Bo just shook her head, more because she couldn't believe she'd just done that. She was really whipped… hopelessly whipped. She was in love with a woman that she barely knew. In a way, she didn't want to go to Boston. She wanted Alaska Lauren. What if she didn't love Boston Lauren?

"Hey, Bo! Perfect timing. This is Paul and he's from the North Slope."

Bo smiled, "Hey, Paul. If you don't mind, I just need one more second. I'll be right back."

The brunette turned and ran off towards the parking lot, calling out to Tamsin who stopped and turned around,

"Aren't you supposed to be working?"

"If I told you there's a guy in my store from the North Slope looking at my sled skids in late June, would you be interested?"

Bo saw the instant transformation of her friend from townie to Federal Agent. She felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up and knew her hunch was right.

Tamsin smirked, "So, I think I'm going to take that puppy you offered after all. You are giving me everything I need for free, right?"

Bo smiled, "if you're paying for the solar panel and electric on my barn, yes."

"Deal." Tamsin said as they shook on it.

"So, when are you picking up the puppy?" Bo asked.

"I'm thinking…"

"Now." They said in unison.

She bent down, leaning into her truck to pull open the drawer beneath the seat. She pulled out her backup weapon and handed it to Bo before pulling out a black bifold,

"I hereby deputize you, yadda, yadda, yadda. You know the drill."

Bo took the weapon, clipping the holster onto the back of her pants before pulling her jacket down to conceal it. Tamsin opened her jacket, flipping the safety off of her service weapon before pulling her jacket back in place and zipping it up a third of the way.

"Let's go get our detective skills on." Tamsin said, giving Bo a fist bump.

The pair walked back into the retail area, Bo smiling at Scott, "Okay, kiddo. The pup with the black nose has officially got a home."

"Finally!" He said, "You guys sure did negotiate a long time."

Tamsin chuckled, "You warmed me up for her, kid."

She placed a hand on his shoulder, "Bo tells me you'll be able to help me gather everything I'm going to need to raise a puppy. Is that true?"

"Yup!" He smiled, proudly before his smiled fell, "But… well… Bo?"

"Scott?" Bo smiled.

"I don't think I have all of that vet stuff memorized yet. Can you help her with that?"

Bo nodded, "Head into my office and get the third clipboard from the door off the wall. There's an informational page there that has the checkup schedule on it." Bo looked at Tamsin, "That is, if you're going to use our vets for your new pup. I don't want to assume."

Tamsin smiled, "I can't imagine going anywhere else. If you trust your team to these vets, I'll definitely be trusting my new put to them as well."

"Thank you, Ma'am." Bo smiled before turning to Scott, "Can you introduce her to the vets and show her around? Explain all of the services we provide just in case she wants to take a vacation where pets are not permitted."

Scott hoisted a finger into the air, "Right!"

Bo smiled, "Go on then. I'm sure she has other things to do today than hang around here the whole time."

Turning to her customer, Bo smiled, "Apologies for the delay. I saw the look of confusion on the boys' face while he was trying to help you and knew that I was going to have to find a graceful way out of finishing the sale of that pup. How can I help you?"

"Well, I came to buy sled rails from the Iditarod champion. I figure if you could win on them, so can I, right?"

Bo smiled, "Well, I'd like to think there's more to winning than just the equipment, but I am quite proud of the runners we've built for our sleds."

"Where did you come up with the design? These look unlike anything I've ever seen."

Shaking her head, Bo shrugged, "Lots and lots of failures. I mean, it took a lot of trial and error with my sled mechanics and a team of scientists who work with metals."

"I heard you're from up North originally."

Bo nodded, "I was born there. Why?"

"I think I might have known you when you lived there."

"Oh?"

The man replied, "You're from Utqiaġvik, right?"

Bo nodded, "How would you know that?"

The man shrugged, "Your Iditarod bio."

Bo laughed, "Read the program book, did you, Paul?"

He nodded, "I was there. Of course, I missed you."

"Missed me?" Bo asked. There were a lot of ways she could take that phrase. He missed meeting me at the pre-event ceremony, he missed seeing me at the ceremonial leg, he missed me at the start, he wasn't at the checkpoints where I stopped or he missed taking a shot at her as a member of her dad's gang. She reached behind her, lifting her jacket to grip the butt of her weapon,

"Yea. I wanted to get down here for the race, but I got stuck in weather and had to put down halfway here. Missed the whole race."

Bo smiled, "Yea, the weather up there is definitely not known for being cooperative."

"Yea, I'm not usually one to set down. Sort of took me by surprise that I actually got a little scared up there. My visibility was practically zero and my instruments were freezing up, so I hunkered down in my plane for about six days."

"Fuel lines froze?" Bo asked.

He nodded, "Thankfully, the radio didn't. Turns out I was only about six miles from the nearest town. I was just glad I didn't land on them."

"I'll be they were glad too." Bo smiled.

"I stayed there for about a month. Good people and a nice warm hotel bed in exchange for running a plow for the town. Their plow driver died of some weird flu they had going on."

Bo nodded, "That's too bad."

Now she was curious as to where this man had stayed, "We had a run in with a weird flu too."

He shrugged, "Luckily, some super smart doctor from down this way figured out what it was. The cure came through about a month ago. A lot of people died, but then again, a lot of people lived."

Bo eased her grip, slowly sliding down the bottom of her jacket, "Same here."

She redirected the conversation, "So, you want sled runners for ice… was it Paul?"

He nodded, "It was. Ice and snow, although it's been a bit wet up north lately."

"Yea, we were in whiteout conditions down here and you guys were at what, forty?"

"I'm tellin' you, Bo, it's getting weird up there. Fishing is hit or miss, Polar Bears are walking right into town, my friend's house dropped right through the permafrost. Wood runners just aren't cutting it. I'm sure everyone will think I'm betraying our native way of life, but I've got to be able to move my goods or I'll have nothing to trade for supplies or cash."

Bo nodded. She may have been gone from the north for a while, but she was well aware of what was going on with the climate there. It was happening all over the state,

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, we've come into record highs as well. Last year they had to use plows to bring in snow for the race. This year they had a similar situation in some spots, while others were dealing with record lows for race month. You just never know around here anymore."

Paul agreed, "I suppose that's true. Our land is melting."

"So, you're a native?"

Smiling, the man replied, "Born and bred."

Bo nodded, "Well, let's have a look at these. Once you decide on a model, we measure your sled and then make your skids. We can ship them or you can pick them up. Obviously, it would be best if we could install them and run them so that we can adjust them if need be, but since you live so far away, we can try to do it by mail if you'd like."

Paul shrugged, "I'll be around for a while. I'm staying down in Anchorage."

Bo stiffened, "Anchorage, huh? Well… that's not such a big hop. Do you have your sled with you?"

He nodded, "I brought two of my sleds. I figure I can use one in ice and one in snow. See how they work out."

"So, you're a short tripper?" Bo asked.

"Mostly. Why?"

"Well, if you were a long tripper, you'd be switching your runners out depending on the conditions. These aren't permanent." Bo pointed to the skids, "See? These slide in and out of the groove on the rails. You do have grooved rails, right?"

Paul shrugged, "Honestly, I've never looked."

Bo nodded, "I see."

She was growing suspicious again. Why would a man who claimed to live in the north have so little sledding experience if he was a native? Not that everyone used a sled these days, but if he was living on the tundra and not in town as he insinuated, he would have to know something about sledding equipment. Broken runners or even rails were a common event on ice. She looked at his hands and noticed he didn't show any signs of frostbite. No scars, perfect nails and good skin color. Bo wasn't sure what else the man was lying about, but he was definitely lying about being a musher.

"Well, you said you brought your sleds, right?"

Paul nodded, "I did."

"I don't suppose you have a picture of them, do you?"

He pulled out his phone, "Actually, I do."

Leaning over, Bo looked at the sled, "I don't suppose you know the sled dimensions, do you?"

Paul handed her his phone before reaching into his pocket to fish out a piece of paper. Bo took advantage of the distraction and flipped back a few pictures before flipping back to the picture of the sled. She enlarged it, moving it left to right until she saw what she wanted to see.

"Here you go." He said, handing Bo the paper.

She tapped the picture to justify it and handed the phone back to Paul, "The sled has grooved rails, so we're in good shape there."

She looked at the paper, no longer worried about which runners she chose. She wouldn't be making them for him anyway,

"I think we have exactly what you need." She smirked, "If you can give me your contact information and, well obviously a credit card for a down payment since we make these from scratch, I'll give you a call as soon as they're ready."

She picked up the third and fourth runners from the display rack and walked him back to the checkout counter. She laid the runners on the counter and pushed a pad of paper and pencil towards him,

"You can write your contact information there."

Paul nodded, handing Bo a credit card from his wallet, "Here's my card." 

"Thanks." Bo said, running the card. She waited a few seconds before she added, "I'll need to see some identification." She kept her eyes on the screen so he would think the card company was asking her to check I.D., only looking to him when he handed her his driver's license. She hit the note button, entering the license number so that Tamsin could run it, then handed the card back to him with a smile.

"Do you need me to copy these measurements or can I keep this paper?" Bo asked.

"You can keep it." He smiled.

"Great. So, are you going back to Anchorage now or are you staying in town? I just ask because if my craftsman comes into town today, I might be able to get him started on the runners sooner. It would be great if we could get these onto your sleds before you go back."

"I'll be here for a while, so that shouldn't be a problem. You said about three weeks, right?"

Bo nodded, "Tops."

"Great." Paul smiled, signing the receipt for the down payment, "Do you know how much the balance of the bill will be?"

"I'm not sure. I have some questions to ask and then I can probably give you an estimate." Bo looked up to see Tamsin rounding the corner.

"Hey there. How's puppy shopping coming?" Bo asked.

Tamsin smiled, "Your workers sure are a knowledgeable group. I might have to hire them to come and train my pup."

Bo shook her head, "Trying to steal my help, huh?"

The blonde laughed, "Sure am. The little guy said I can pay my bill here?"

Bo nodded, "Did he give you a list of items?"

Tamsin shook her head, "He didn't."

Bo looked up at Paul, "Okay. Can you fill in this form? I need all of this information in order to recommend the material we want the runners to be out of." Bo started to step away, but stopped, tearing off a second form, "Actually, you should fill out two since one of your sleds is serving a different purpose than the other, right?"

Paul nodded, "Right."

He took the form and began filling it out. Bo scowled, unable to get a full read on this guy. One thing was for sure, he wasn't her average client.

"I'll be right back. I'm going to go get a supply list for this lady."

"No problem. I don't want to monopolize all of your time."

"Thank you." Bo replied, stepping away from the counter and walking towards Scott. When she got to the young man, she found Sam with him. LJ walked around the truck with Molly,

"What are you guys doing here?"

"Tamsin called us. Said it was an emergency." Bo watched as Molly holstered her twin friends.

"I see you brought your two favorite ladies."

Molly grinned, "Always around when I need them."

Bo turned to the younger boys, "You two need to take off. I don't want you in the line of fire if things get ugly."

Sam shook his head, "Tamsin didn't send us here to load her truck. She sent us here to get down on the floor in her truck. She said it's lined with… what was it, Scott?"

"Kevlar." Scott replied, "Whatever that is."

Bo smiled, rushing them into the truck, "You'll be safe in here. That's all that matters right now. Get in the truck." She handed Scott her phone and then a small piece of paper, "Take a picture of this and send it to Tamsin right now. Tell her I'm on my way back into the store."

"Got it."

"Where do you want us?" Molly asked as LJ shouldered his rifle.

Bo sighed, "Protect Lauren and the doctors after you open the doggie doors to get all of our pups outside of the kennel."

LJ nodded, "I'm on it."

"What are you going to do with that rifle?" Bo asked, "Looks sort of obvious, right?"

LJ smiled, pulling a string of rabbits from the floor of the truck, "I was out hunting. I stopped by to see if everything was okay and to check in on the vets about an emergency patient I brought in this morning."

Bo smiled, "Wow. If I didn't know there was no emergency patient up there, I would have believed you."

LJ nodded, "Nerves of steel, boss. You've taught me well."

"Okay, well it's sad that you have to have those nerves at all." Bo said, shaking her head as she watched as mother and son walked away, Molly heading immediately upstairs while LJ squatted down behind the truck, giving Bo a nod and a head start into the store area of the kennel. Bo walked back to Paul who was now working on the second page of the documents while Tamsin leaned up against the shelf behind the customer while typing on her phone.

"How are you making out, Paul?"

"Almost finished."

Bo picked up the first form and gave it a look, but was interrupted by the tall, lanky man. There was something in his eyes she just didn't trust. She took a deep breath and pulled her eyes from the form back to her customer who was no shaking his head,

"Why all the math?" He asked.

"What?" Bo asked.

"Math. There's a lot of math here. Mushing is mushing… not math."

"I'm not sure I know what you mean." Bo replied.

"Well, you want to know how wide my current runners are… that's math. You want to know how much my average load weighs. More math. You want to know how much I weigh. Math. And you want to know how long my current runners are…"

Bo waved him off, "Okay, I get what you mean. Well, the reason is that I need to be able to calculate the psi of the runners to determine which ones will work the best for your purposes. So, if your sled runner is nine feet, it's in contact with the snow for that length. If each runner is, say three inches wide and your load is one hundred fifty pounds and you weight one hundred eighty…"

He shook his head, waving his hands at Bo, "You know what? I'm sorry I asked. I really don't need to know. I just need to know that I'm on the fastest possible skids."

Bo laughed. This guy was definitely not a musher and was even less likely to be delivering any sort of load via a sled. If he was experienced with sledding at all, he would know about the importance of runner setups as well as how to change them out in varying conditions. More importantly, he would know why different runners were used for different purposes. Still, Bo continued to play along, injecting a little humor into the situation. After all, Tamsin loved to laugh during her busts and it sure as hell looked like that was where this was heading,

"Why? You planning on robbing a bank and having to make a quick getaway?" Bo chuckled, looking up at Tamsin, then to the man before her.

"Excuse me?"

Bo shrugged, "I've never known a musher using a sled for deliveries to worry about speed. Balance, yes but speed, not so much."

Tamsin gave Bo a nod and the brunette pressed for information, "I'm thinking you must be planning a bank heist. You know – you'll need a clean getaway… a fast escape. Of course, it's spring, so I'm not sure why you're not just using a truck."

The man chuckled, "I assure you, my purposes are just."

"Just? Looking for justice, are you? That's an odd thing for a delivery boy to say. So… not the boss then."

Paul dropped the pen and pushed the forms towards Bo, "I think that's everything. You know, you're kinda rude."

Bo smiled, placing a finger on the counter and pivoting around the end, her head cocked to the side as she lifted her hand and ran it down his arm,

"And you're not a musher, are you?"

She smiled knowingly before adding, "And, I doubt your name is Paul. I'm going to go with… Fred… maybe Barney… no, I think you're more of the mutt who's doing his master's bidding. Yup. Definitely Dino. So, who's your Master, Dino? You work for Big Jim? Maybe you work for Seline?"

The man smirked, "You're good… but… not good enough."

Now, Tamsin had thought she'd seen fast in her life, but she had to admit, this guy had amazing speed. He had a massive buck knife headed to Bo's throat in a split second, but unfortunately for Dino, Bo was the fastest she'd ever seen in her life and she was only getting faster with age… and anger. It was pretty clear that Bo was sick and tired of people messing with her life.

She held her weapon up as she watched Bo step inside his first blow, gripping his wrist and twisting his arm behind his back with her left hand as she landed a massive head but to his face, breaking his nose. She slid her right arm under his rotated limb, turning as she threw his body into the counter before gripping his hair and slamming his face into the wood just for good measure.

She opened her hands, allowing his body to slide limp off the counter and into a heap on the floor. She stepped to the side and pumped the hand sanitizer on the counter into her right hand a few times before rubbing hard to get enough friction going to rid her skin of germs, then turned to Tamsin,

"Clean up, aisle one, please?"

Tamsin holstered her weapon, reaching under her jacket to retrieve her handcuffs. Pulling the man's hands behind his back, she slapped the metal onto one wrist, then the other before standing up and brushing her hands together,

"First things first, we should probably provide immediate medical treatment to show that we give half a fuck."

Bo shrugged, "Half? Well, I guess between us there might be a half a fuck of giving."

Tamsin nodded, "I'll go get the Doc."

Bo nodded, "I'll go check on the twins."

It was sudden and quick, but Bo found herself being pushed to the floor, Tamsin falling on top of her as gunfire rang out. Bo couldn't move under Tamsin's weight as Harper came running, her front paws hitting the counter as she soared through the air above them, landing on a man dressed in black, her powerful jaws gripping his neck as another shot rang out, the bullet ricocheting off the wood of the shelf next to her,

"HARPER!" Bo screamed, pushing Tamsin off her and crawling quickly to her companion. There was blood… so much blood, "Harper, no! Please, God, no!"

She pulled her dog to her, checking her fur as the dog barked and growled, "No blood. No blood." She quickly turned, looking at Tamsin, "Tamsin…" She crawled back to her, rolling her over and seeing red oozing from her side,

"Bo… shit. Fucking cheap shot. He got me on the rebound. That's just dumb luck."

Bo ripped off her sweatshirt, balling it up and pressing it into the wound on her side. She looked up to see the man going for his gun and called out to Harper,

"Harper! Protect!"

Harper's jaws were around the man's neck once more before he could get a grip on his rifle. Bo turned to see a man on the ground adjacent the counter. Following back to the corner of the yard, she saw LJ lowering his weapon, his eyes wide and locked on the body,

"LJ, you did what you had to do." She watched as his eyes remained fixed, "LJ!"

He turned to Bo, his eyes welling with tears, "You saved me, Tamsin, Harper and yourself. You did what you had to do. Where's your Mom?"

He nodded to Bo's left where Molly was holstering her twin sidearms before picking up a sawed off shot gun from beside one body and a rifle from beneath the hand of another man's body. She walked to Bo, looking down at Tamsin, shaking her head, as she said to LJ,

"You okay?"

He stood, holding his weapon across his hips, "I never shot a person before."

Molly nodded, "May that be the first and only time you ever have to do that, my lovely little boy. You did what you had to do. You protected your family. Their blood is not on your hands, LJ."

"Really, Mom? Because I'm pretty sure I'm the one that shot them."

Molly placed a hand on his rifle, pulling it from his hands and placing it on the counter, "Your Great Grandfather sent them here, LJ. Their blood is on his hands. They're here to kill Bo and her Mom. Do they deserve to die?"

LJ lowered his eyes, "No, Ma'am."

"Damn right." She nodded over her shoulder towards the two men she took down, "I have no remorse over killing those two men. They had Tamsin and Bo in their sights and would have killed them and then you, probably Harper for good measure. We did what we had to do. It's gonna take a long time until you can see it for what it is. Until then, you just keep talking to me about it, you hear?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

Mark and Tosh came running into the Kennel just as Dyson and Hale pulled in with lights and sirens flashing. All four men drew their guns, causing Molly to raise her arms,

"Easy there, fellas. All the shootin' is done. How about you make sure there's no more of these hooligans running around out there. Dyson, we're gonna need some of Tamsin's federal friends here."

Dyson nodded, heading back to his truck to make the call. Hale headed off behind the building before Lauren came running down the ramp,

"Bo!"

"Lauren! I need your help! She's bleeding!" Bo went to life the sweatshirt, but Lauren shook her head, "Keep the pressure on."

She lifted her phone, calling the clinic, as she surveyed the scene, "E.R. kit, stat! At the kennel. I need two of you and the coroner."

In just a few minutes, Kelly rounded the corner, almost skidding to a stop at Lauren's feet before handing her one of the kits. Shannon was close behind, nodding to Lauren when she pointed at the bodies closest to Mark. The three women set to work, verifying the dead before turning all of their attention to getting Tamsin stabilized and into the clinic.

After several hours, Dyson and Hale had taken everyone's statements, the Federal Agents had come and gone, gathering evidence and taking photos and the Kennel was restored to its normal state. LJ returned home with Molly and Mark, Bo giving him orders to return to his day off. Scott and Sam were picked up by their parents at Bo's request. She explained all that had happened, assuring them they were never in any danger, but still insisting they take them home for the remainder of the day so that she could shut down the store early. Besides, the shift managers were in now and they would handle the rest of the day. LJ had trained them well.

With the bodies of the dead men gone, an older woman named Acacia identified herself to Bo as Tamsin's superior, explaining that she would be sticking around to cover her shifts and run the operation now that she was sure that Bo and her Mom were still targets. Bo had insisted she could better protect them in the wild than the feds, but Acacia assured her there was a reason she was Tamsin's boss. As long as the agent was unable to perform her duties, the older woman would remain in command and by Bo's side.

Lauren returned from the clinic to find Bo lying on the outside seating area in front of the play area. She lifted the brunette's head and slid onto the bench before allowing her to relax into lap.

"So, how are you?" Lauren asked.

Bo shrugged, "Still ready for this shit to be over."

Lauren nodded, "I'm sure. What do you want to do?"

"Apparently, I'm to wait here until my Mom comes in on the train, then me and my sexy special agent shadow over there are going to take my truck back to my house. She's not letting us out of her sight until this is over. Of course, I'm starting to wonder if it will ever be over. I might as well just move in with Tamsin and make it easier for the feds to keep an eye on me."

Lauren chuckled, "Well, you'll be happy to know the bullet was a through and through wound. It didn't hit anything vital, so while she'll be sore for a few days, she'll be out of the clinic tomorrow."

Bo smiled, "I'm sure she wants out right now."

Lauren nodded, "For sure."

The blonde sat, running her fingers through Bo's hair for a short while before she asked, "So do you want me with you or would you rather be on your own with your Mom?"

"I want you safe. I'm worried about having you with me tonight." Bo replied.

"I understand. Do you want me in my apartment or at the hotel with my friends?"

Bo sighed, "I want you to be comfortable, but I would definitely feel better if you weren't alone."

Lauren nodded, "It's fine, Bo. The girls already asked me to stay at the hotel with them. They assumed you wouldn't want me in the line of fire and they don't want me to be alone either."

Placing her palm against Lauren's Bo smiled, "Okay. That's settled. Will you call me?"

Lauren smiled, threading her fingers into Bo's, "Of course."

"Any news from Evony?"

Lauren shrugged, "She's on her way into town. She's decided it's too dangerous for me here. I told her she could stick her emergency plane tickets up her ass."

"You didn't."

"I did."

"And how did she take that?"

"She's hired a private security team. Apparently, her medical team will have round the clock shadows as well."

Bo laughed, "I wonder what Iceland is like this time of year. I've always wanted to go there."

Lauren smiled, "Well, as soon as we have a chance to get away, we'll head to Iceland."

Bo nodded, the pair rolling their eyes when they heard the raspy voice of Tamsin's boss,

"The train will be here in twenty minutes! We should get going."

Lauren looked at the blonde, watching her pull her sunglasses down over her eyes and close her cell phone. She looked down at Bo,

"What a peach."

Bo chuckled, "Tamsin said she's more like a lemon."

Lauren smiled, her eyes showing all the disappointment they both felt in that moment,

"I guess this is good night."

Bo nodded, "I guess."

Lauren leaned over and stroked Harper's head, "So, she really saved you, huh?"

Bo nodded, "Twice."

"She's an amazing dog, Bo. Really."

Bo smiled, "She is. There will never be another dog quite like her. They may have her blood, but I can't imagine they'll ever have her instincts."

Lauren nodded, "Well, let's hope we don't have to worry about that for a while."

"Agreed."

Lauren leaned down softly kissing Bo's lips, savoring every taste, every moment before they parted ways. She hated that her life was in danger once again, but she felt secure in the knowledge that if anyone could protect herself, it was Bo. Now that she knew they were coming, she would take every precaution.

She pulled away, staring into her eyes as she ran her fingers back and forth over her cheek, "I'll miss you. Please stay ready… stay alert. I need you alive, Bo Dennis."

Bo smiled, "Yes, Ma'am."

They walked to the truck together, hand in hand. Lauren promised to make sure the managers closed the kennel properly after she left the clinic for the day. As Acacia got into the passenger's side of Bo's truck, the brunette kept her eyes locked on Lauren's, a soft smile on her lips as she mouthed the words 'I love you' to the doctor. Lauren grinned, bashfully, shoving her hands in her pockets after waving Bo out of the parking space. When the truck was out of sight, she sighed and headed back to the clinic. It was disappointing that she wouldn't see Bo tonight when they had so little time remaining, but it was harder knowing that she might be under fire tonight. Lauren needed a distraction. She headed back to the clinic, ready to ask Tamsin for a little late-night reading.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 **Talkeetna Train Station**

"So… you're the Bo I've heard so much about." Acacia said, staring out at the station landing from the porch of the General Store.

Bo continued working on the small wood carving of Harper she'd been working on in spare moments since yesterday. She flicked off a wood shaving and then admired her work. Taking a breath, she replied,

"And you're Tamsin's boss. The woman who never believes her, always judges her and wouldn't allow her to use federal resources to figure out my mother's case."

"She told you that?"

Bo shrugged, "Nope."

"So… you're making assumptions."

Bo looked up at Acacia, "Nope."

"Then how did you draw those conclusions about my decisions, pray tell."

Bo shrugged, "I'm not one for praying or telling… just observing. You send Tamsin out to these lands because you don't have anyone else willing to come here. You don't want Tamsin to be successful out here on any cases because you'll afraid you'll have to come here to close up the cases."

"I'm here now." She defended.

Bo shook her head, "You've been pacing and looking around since you arrived on site at the kennel. You were checking bodies and running your people, but the entire time you were looking out into the woods, watching every person riding buy with a gun rack in their truck and I swear you almost screamed when the puppies jumped on your legs. You're afraid."

Acacia chuckled, standing up and looking down at the brunette, her voice raised, "Who do you think you're talking to, little girl?"

Bo felt a tickle in her gut that slowly boiled into a slow laugh until she was crying with hysterics, "Ohmagawd. You're a riot! So funny!"

"Funny? I will have you thrown…"

"In prison? In a dark hole?" Bo laughed, "I've been in both. My father did it. You think you can scare me? Intimidate me? You know what I think? I think I scare the shit out of you. I know how to survive out here and you don't. You had planned to ride a cushy desk in Dyson's jailhouse, barking orders at everyone. Now, you have to do what Tamsin does. You have to take the bullet for your client and it's been so long since you've been in a gun fight, you're not so sure what's going to happen."

"That's not true." Acacia replied, but there was hesitation in her voice and fear in her eyes.

Bo stood, moving so she was toe-to-toe with the woman, "You know, you're a real piece of work, lady. You keep Tamsin from taking my mother's case, you order Tamsin to pull my mom out of witness protection so that you can use her as bait to catch the rest of the crooks in my father's inner circle, you send Tamsin galivanting across the country to follow breadcrumbs that you forced her to find and all the while, you're barking your orders from behind a desk… safe and warm.

Hearing the train whistle, the brunette took two steps towards the street, but turned and marched straight back to Acacia,

"I just want you to know that if my mom isn't on this train, has been taken from this train, is dead on this train or is harmed, taken or killed once she's off this train, I'm holding you personally responsible. If you have any fear whatsoever, you'd better find a way to lose it and replace it with more courage than you possess because I will stop at nothing to protect my mother and the rest of my family. And just to be clear, if I have to use you as a literal shield to serve that purpose, I will do so without hesitation or regret."

Bo pocketed her knife and the small wooden carving before adding, "Game on, bitch. Hope you brought your big girl pants, because I've been living in the wild, on my own since you took my mother from me. Do your fucking job, but I'm warning you, stay out of my way."

She took a step away before stopping once more and looking over her shoulder, "Oh, and just so you know, me and my mom are going to have some alone time now. You can ride to my house in one of the seven SUV's you have following us… and not to well, I might add." Bo shook her head, "You know, black doesn't serve you well in Alaska if you're trying to blend."

Bo laughed as she walked across the street to where the train was pulling into the station, "I crack myself up. I hope Tamsin is back on her feet sooner than later."

She looked down at her phone to see a text from Lauren. She swiped up, looking down at the message,

' _Tamsin asked me to text you and tell you not to kill her boss no matter how tempting it might be.'_

Bo chuckled as she typed her reply and hit send,

' _It's only been twenty minutes and I've had the urge more times than I have fingers. I'm so impressed that she hasn't done the deed already that I'll have to buy her a beer.'_

She looked up, watching nervously as passengers began to pile off the train. Most were tourists from Anchorage, but some were locals she recognized. A few gave her a polite nod. She had noticed lately that people didn't seem to be crossing the street to avoid her much anymore. She supposed the kennel was helping with that. She was actually having conversations with people. While it felt a bit awkward at times, she was starting to feel like there was more than just the land in her life.

She felt her phone vibrate and looked down to see another message from Lauren,

' _Lol. She said it's the least you can do. Is your mom in yet?'_

' _Standing by the train waiting for her to get off right now.'_

' _How do you feel?'_

' _Nervous.'_

' _It'll be fine.'_

Bo nodded, forgetting that Lauren couldn't see her, but smiled when she saw the next text…

' _I love you. See you soon.'_

She grinned as she texted her reply,

' _Love you too. Miss you already. See you soon.'_

Bo looked up from her phone to see a woman standing between four men in suits with sunglasses on. Each man had as of spiral wire hanging along his neck, one whispering into his wrist.

She chuckled before whispering sarcastically, "Real subtle."

Crossing the street, she approached the point man who held up a hand, "I'm sorry, Miss. You'll have to stand back."

"What do you say you stand down, Mister." Bo said, her eyes set on the center of the dark lenses until his hand found her shoulder. She slowly turned her head to look at the fingers that were gripping her flesh, her voice stern as she spoke,

"If you don't want to lose that hand, I suggest you remove it." Her eyes again drifted up to the man's, shaking her head at the sight of the corners of his mouth turning up.

"Johnson, stand down."

"Ma'am?" The agent asked his boss.

"You heard me. Stand down. If half of what I've heard about this woman is true, you don't want what she's selling. Besides, she's the one who is being added to your detail."

He removed his hand, "This is Bo Dennis?"

Bo scowled, "What were you expecting?"

He shrugged, "Isn't Bo sort of a dude's name?"

Bo looked over her shoulder at Acacia who shook her head before Bo smirked crossing her arms over her chest as she looked up at the man and said, "Johnson… isn't that a slang term for a big dick?"

The laughter that came from behind Bo was noticed by everyone. The brunette turned and looked at Acacia who was covering her mouth and struggling to compose herself. Bo grinned,

"I suddenly believe there is hope for you."

Acacia raised her eyebrows, "Well, it's nice to know you haven't totally given up on me." The agent in charge stepped forward, nodding to her lead agent who stepped to the side, "Bo Dennis, may I reintroduce you to your mother, Mary Dennis."

Bo watched, her heart racing as a woman with dark black hair, braided down her back stepped out of the barrier created by the group of men. The younger woman immediately noticed the tears in the woman's eyes that were cascading down her cheeks,

"Ysabeau? Is it really you?" The woman reached up, her thumb tracing the small freckle near the corner of Bo's mouth, "You bear the mark of beauty given to you at birth by the animal spirits."

Bo brought her hand to her mother's, "Mom?"

The older woman brushed away the tears from her daughter's cheeks, "I'm so sorry, Ysabeau. I'm so very, very sorry. You deserved so much more from me." She swallowed hard, "But you've grown into such a beautiful woman with such a powerful voice. I could not be prouder to be standing in your presence."

Bo smiled, "I looked for you, Mom."

She nodded, "I knew you would. You were such a stubborn child. I knew you would."

"Where have you been, Mom? Why didn't you come back for me?" Bo hiccupped, but swallowed hard, not wanting to totally lose her shit in front of Acacia. She watched as her mother lowered her eyes,

"I tried, Ysabeau. I truly did, but the agent warned me and… well, then… they found me and… he moved me… and… they found me again and… he moved me again, but not before… well…"

Acacia interrupted, her eyes set sternly on Bo's, "That's all conversation for another time. I don't want to be out in the open for long, Bo. Besides, I believe there is someone your mother would like for you to meet."

Bo looked at Acacia for a long moment, confused until the woman nodded in her mother's direction. Bo turned to see a young girl, gripping her mom's hand, staring up at her with big blue eyes. If she didn't know better, she would bet the child was Kenzi's younger sister.

She looked up at her Mom who smiled, hopefully and said, "Ysabeau, this is your little sister. Her name is…"

Bo's mom didn't get to finish, instead looking down at her younger daughter who held out her hand expectantly to Bo and said,

"Hi! I'm Rudy! It's so nice to finally meet you! Mommy has talked about you practically since I was born! She told me one day we would get to meet and that you would be my sister and you would teach me everything! Is it true? Will you teach me all about animals and how to ride a sled? I've never seen one… well, I saw pictures and videos on the computer but never a real one. Will you be my big sister? Huh? I really waited a long time to have a big sister."

Bo was caught off guard. Not only did she not expect to meet the sister Tamsin had said she had, but she had also not thought she would be this young… or this energetic. She considered the young girl for a moment, her eyes reminding her of the figurines Lauren had showed her in the gift store in Anchorage. She looked up at her mom whose face was now covered in worry. Bo understood. This was the look of a mother who was worried for her child. Smiling at her mom, she knelt before the young girl and took the offered hand,

"It's very nice to meet my little sister, Rudy. Is your name short for something?"

Rudy grinned, "Mommy said she once had a dog team that you loved. They were all named for Santa's reindeer. She said you named them."

Bo smiled, looking up at her mom, "There were two dogs left to name and I wanted to name one Rudolph, but I was afraid the other one would feel left out since there were no names left."

Rudy smiled, "So you named the last two Cinder and Snow because Cinderella and Snow White were your favorite Disney Princesses. You read all the books in your school library. I watched all of the movies!"

Bo smiled, "So you were named Rudy after Rudolph?"

The young girl beamed as she spoke, "I'm your Rudolph! Only Mommy thought it would be weird to give me that name, so she named me Rudy for short! I'm the Rudy you never had!"

Bo's eyes brimmed with tears, for in that moment she realized that her mom had never forgotten her. She looked up at her mother who was smiling down at the two of them, tears in her eyes. Rudy walked over to Special Agent Johnson, tugging on his pant leg,

"Why are they crying so much? Aren't they happy to see each other, Adam?"

Bo watched as the man knelt and smiled, "Those are called happy tears, Rudy."

"Tears can be happy?"

He smiled, "Yes they can."

"Wow. I've only ever had sad tears or I'm hurt tears."

Adam smiled, "You'll have them some day."

"Ewww. I hope not. It's weird."

Bo and her Mom laughed, but the moment was quickly gone as Acacia reminded them of their situation,

"Can we move this reunion to a more secure location?"

Bo watched as Rudy stepped behind Adam, the man standing and placing a protective hand on her shoulder. The brunette smiled at his body language. This agent would lay down his life to protect her little sister. She couldn't ask for anything more in a personal bodyguard. Maybe she had been a bit hard on him.

She stood, turning towards the head agent, "What's your plan?"

Acacia shrugged, "Against my better judgement, Tamsin recommended that I defer to you from here on out. I'll let you know if you're asking my guys to do anything they can't handle. Otherwise, you'll need to tell me what you think is best and we'll work it through."

Bo pondered Acacia's words for a long moment before she explained, "You should know that I've been alone for a very, very… very long time. It's only in the last seven months that I've begun to… some out of my cave." She scowled, suddenly angry again about all of the years she'd wandered alone searching for her mother. She glanced at the older woman before turning back to the agent, "I guess what I'm trying to say is I'm prone to spontaneous acts of aggression when defending me and what's mine." She shrugged, "I just thought that you should know that. I'll try to play nice with the rest of the kids, but I'm not making any promises."

Acacia nodded, "Thanks for the warning and… well, Tamsin already warned me which is why she figured you might as well take the lead."

Bo nodded, "Tamsin will be there soon enough, knowing her. She won't let Lauren hold her long. With her there, even from the couch she'll be able to anticipate a lot of my choices if I go lone wolf."

Bo turned, staring back at the mountains over her home. Even this far away, they were still visible. She sighed, blowing out a heavy breath, not particularly happy that Tamsin had put her in charge. This was unexpected. Still, Bo was grateful for her friend's support in this moment. She looked at her Mom, "I think you and I should travel with Acacia and one of the other agents. I want Adam to take Rudy."

Mary smiled, "I've never doubted your instincts. Whatever you think is best."

Bo nodded, "Are you still a mom who would do anything to defend her child?"

"They may have taken me out of Alaska, but they can never take Alaska out of me." She smiled.

Bo smiled, "Good to hear, Mom."

The older woman took Bo's hand, the brunette smiling as she said simply, "Welcome home."

Mary nodded, "It's good to be home, Bo."

The brunette turned to Acacia, "Does anyone know where we're going?"

Acacia nodded, "Tamsin sent us the GPS coordinates for your home since there's no address."

Bo took a deep breath, "You loaded the location of my home into multiple electronic devices?"

Acacia put a hand up, "These devices continually scramble the signal."

Bo shook her head, "I don't care. Delete the location. Now."

"Bo, you can't drive lead."

"You said this was my choice."

"Yes, but…"

"Delete the location. The men that attacked us at the kennel earlier were city folk. That means they are trained in all of that fancy tech the outsiders use. Delete the location. I'll lead."

Bo knelt down in front of Rudy who was still clinging to Adam's leg, "You're going to go with Adam, okay? You'll be safe. I promise."

She nodded, "Will I stay with you tonight?"

Bo smiled, "Yup."

"Goody!" She smiled, launching herself into Bo's arms so suddenly that the brunette had to put a hand back to stop herself from falling.

She gave the child a moment before standing up and giving Adam a nod. He walked Rudy off to his SUV while Bo turned to her Mom, "Are you ready?"

Mary smiled, "I've been waiting for this moment for over a decade."

Bo smiled, "Me too. Come on."

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 **Bo's Home**

The ride back to Bo's place was uneventful, though the brunette could have done without Acacia's constant head turning and surveillance of the woods. If Bo had a dime for every time the agent had told her there were too many places for Big Jim's men to hide in the wilderness, she would be able to pay for her dogs' needs until next year's race.

"Bo, I still think we're too exposed out here." Acacia said, her hands outstretched as she stared around the vast lands surrounding the property.

The brunette chuckled, "Exposed? Acacia, you just spent the last hour telling me that there were too many places for people to hide in the wilderness. So are we too exposed or is there too much cover?"

Acacia looked around nervously, but Bo had seen this look before. She sighed,

"Listen. I know that this is not the type of setting you're used to which is why you have Tamsin working this territory. I also think that the reason you didn't let her work the case the way she wanted to is because you see Alaska as the haystack that the proverbial needle is hidden in."

"Your point?" Acacia said, planting her hands on her hips.

"My point is that you are trying to apply your more city-inspired training and experience to this place. Since you're having trouble making things fit, it's making you nervous and that's understandable…"

"…I'm not nervous…" Acacia interrupted with a growl, but Bo held up her hand,

"You are and I'd be worried if you weren't because you will have no idea of how to protect my mom and her daughter here."

"She's your half-sister and I suppose you do?"

Bo looked at her mom and Rudy, then smiled, "I learned from the best and what I didn't learn from her, I learned from the experiences of the last ten-plus years."

Mary broke her silence, "Acacia, you and your agents will likely be in our way here."

"In the way? After all we've done for you, how dare you…"

Shaking her hands, Mary interrupted, "I meant no offense, but you must understand that out here, there is much to know about your surroundings. We know those things as do the people hunting us. You and your men do not which means you're at risk."

"I think I can handle some woods and a river." Acacia protested.

Mary smiled at Bo and took Rudy by the hand, leading her towards the yard where the dogs were playing. The large grin on her mom's face when she saw her little girl run to the puppies was precious. She stood for a while, watching until the river called to her. Bo knew her mom's love of the water and she knew she couldn't stay away from it for too long. She walked slowly across the grass and past the new front gate, making sure to lock it behind her. Her long, silky, hair flowed in the breeze as she approached the water. Bo smiled as memories of her mom standing at the bank of the Arctic Ocean came rushing back. Her hair had no silver strands in it back then, but she looked the same in all other respects.

Turning back to Acacia, Bo shook her head, "Your pride will get you killed if you don't listen to us. My mom was raised in harsher conditions than this and survived. She left those harsh conditions to survive in a world completely unfamiliar to her thanks to your deceased special agent, though I'm still trying to figure out why they call you special when you take people from all they know and drop them into a world they are ill-prepared for at best."

Bo took a deep breath, realizing she was ranting about things Acacia had little to know control over despite her being in a position of authority with the bureau. She sighed again,

"Listen, Acacia, my mom and I have no idea how FBI agents are taught to react in various situations. We didn't go through your training and we don't know your rule book. We only know how we will react. The problem with those two things is that if we don't know where you'll be or what you'll do, we could end up shooting one of the good guys instead of the intruders or they could end up shooting us."

Acacia started to speak, but then stopped, instead pacing around the small patch of land where she had been standing, a finger over her lip, the other hand still on her hip. She was deep in thought for several minutes before she finally stopped and looked up at Bo,

"Okay. You tell me the most likely entry points into these woods and onto your property. I'll send my guys about a mile out and set them up there. If anyone gets closer than those hot spots, you'll know before they get to you."

Bo looked around the property, contemplating the plan. Deciding she could work with the advanced warning system Acacia was planning, she gave her a nod,

"You'll need a team upriver, downriver and across the river at the lower pass of the mountain range. I can map it for you. You'll need a team in town listening for gossip about outsiders. That team should also be loitering about the entrance to the road in – not that anyone worth their salt would take the road, but you never know since that one group was dumb enough to march right into town and into my store." Bo sighed, rubbing the back of her neck, "I'll map the rest of the locations as well as the traps I've rigged around them. Your guys will have to take pictures of the maps because no one will be carrying a paper map. I also don't want the pictures shared…"

"Electronically. I got it. You don't like technology."

"No, I don't like that technology can help people find you when you don't want to be found."

Acacia chuckled, "You do know that technology is the reason Tamsin was able to reunite you and your Mom, right?"

Bo shrugged, looking out at her mom who was still standing at the riverbank while Rudy continued to run around the yard with the puppies. In that moment, she felt a sense of… peace. More than that, she felt complete. She had her mom back, she had a home, she had Lauren… for now and she had a little sister. She had a little sister. Wow. If she never had kids of her own, she had someone she could leave all of this to. Would she even want it? Would her mom stay? Did she have another family wherever it was she was living?

"Bo?"

Shaking out her thoughts, Bo blinked twice, her eyes coming to rest on Acacia, "Sorry."

"Lost you there for a minute. Anything I need to know?" Acacia asked, her brow furrowed, "I know you've been through some trauma. You sure you can handle this?"

Bo nodded her face spreading into a grin, "Trauma? I haven't been through trauma, Acacia. I've been through loss. A whole helluva lot of loss and I have no intention of losing any more if it's within my control to keep it." She nodded towards her mom and Rudy, "That goes double for those two."

Acacia clapped her hands together, "Okay then. Let's get busy with those maps then."

"I'm going to go talk to my mom for a few minutes. Remind her that it's probably not such a good idea to stand out in the open by the river."

Acacia turned, "I thought you said she'd be safe here."

"I said she'd be safe at my house, not standing in the yard. I want a team across the river ASAP." Bo said, nodding towards the mountains, "On the other side of that pass is a trail the has access from multiple towns, not to mention air access."

Acacia nodded, "You want me to have plane surveillance?"

"Something should be monitoring from the air. Chopper may be better."

"Maneuverability?"

"Yup." Bo replied, heading towards her mom while Acacia headed back towards her men.

The brunette looked up at the sky, smiling at the sun and fresh air. The only downside of all of this was that she was about to sacrifice her solitude. She did like being alone most of the time – until Lauren – but still, Lauren always respected her need for space when she was feeling introverted and… unsociable. She was about to be thrown into a lifestyle of little to no privacy.

"Oh boy." She whispered, "As Kenzi would say, it's time to put on your big girl pants, BoBo."

She looked back at Rudy to be sure she was still busy with the puppies before pushing open the gate, stepping through and closing it tightly behind her. She walked to the shed and picked up her binoculars, taking a moment to scan the horizon for any unwanted visitors. After a few minutes, she was satisfied that only wildlife was on the prowl, so walked to her mom.

"Beautiful, huh?" Bo smiled, staring up at the mountain.

Mary nodded, "You picked a beautiful spot for your home, Ysabeau… and a beautiful home it is. Tamsin tells me you've built this entire homestead on your own. Is that true?"

Bo shrugged, "I own a construction company. My foreman… well, I suppose he's more a manager since he monitors the overall work of several projects that I have going on right now. Anyway, he came over with a crew to do some of the heavy lifting. The solar panels, house and barn roofs, digging my cache and building the new fence around my yard because… well, everyone thought I needed it to keep the dogs secure since they're of champion blood. It's funny, because I really didn't need all of this before and they had the same blood."

Her mom smiled, "Ah, but no one knew who Big Jim was back then. Now they do and they know just how ruthless he is."

"Was. He's behind bars. He can't hurt us anymore." Bo corrected, but her mom was shaking her head.

"You're mistaken Ysabeau. His puppets are still out there, stronger and more motivated than ever. They've lost their sole source of income and they're angry with me… and you… for the roles we've played in that outcome."

Bo looked at her mom, watching as her eyes seemed focused on a particular part of the mountain. She looked out, trying to zero in on the same spot,

"So you're saying he's talking to them?"

Mary shook her head, "His right hand is a man named Gemini Woods."

Bo scowled, "I know that name."

Mary nodded, "As you should. He's my brother."

"Uncle Gem. He wore an amethyst earring."

"Good memory."

Bo chuckled, "Not really, but I have been remembering things from my childhood a little at a time over the last several months."

"Tamsin said you suffered from post-traumatic stress." The woman hung her head, "I'm so sorry I wasn't there for you, Ysabeau. I cannot imagine what you went through. The agent… he promised me you would be cared for. I had no idea that your teacher would…"

"I can't believe he killed her." Bo sighed.

Mary nodded, "He is pure evil, Ysabeau. The men who work for him are much the same."

"You talk about him like you've always known he was a murderer." Bo replied, looking at her mom.

Mary's eyes remained set on the mountain, "A murderer." She chuckled, "A murder of crows. The leader is your father and the others follow the formation, doing damage in their travels."

Bo frowned, "Mom, you're not making any sense."

She turned to her daughter, "Have you lost all of the teachings of your Athabascan mother, Ysabeau? While a murder of crows or flock of any bird species is a sign of a path that will provide profit and pleasant news, it can also bring the unexpected… good or bad. Have you forgotten?"

The younger woman lowered her head, "No, mother. I know of your beliefs and respect your right to maintain your faith in the animal spirits. It's just that… well, I've had encounters that have led me to doubt that those ghosts would protect someone like me."

Mary turned to Bo, gripping her shoulders, "Someone like you? And who has my beautiful, spirited, compassionate and kind daughter become?"

Bo looked up, her eyes flooded with tears that ran freely down her cheeks, "My father labeled me a half-breed and cheechako – at first, just on the North Slope, but then in every town I tried to make a life. They rejected me, mom. Some said you were dead. Some said you were Native American and so I had tainted blood. I was ostracized, demonized and targeted by the villagers and their law enforcement officials. To survive, I had to become… someone else. I'm not the daughter you raised. She died long ago."

"You are full blooded, hard-working, knowledgeable Alaskan native! You are well-educated! You are so smart! You were always so smart! You worked so hard in school!" She said, her voice raised, hands gripping Bo's shoulders as she shook her, "You are a proud Athabaskan just as we raised you!"

"We? Big Jim never raised me. He ignored me, cast me aside or threatened me. He didn't raise me. He took my brothers from me. He took you from me. I was left alone and our village elders turned their backs on me. I went to find you and when I came home, they'd sold our home and all of its contents. I was left to wander alone and learn to make my own way. I was just a kid, mom. Do you know what the state does with minor children who have no parents or guardians? They tried to ship me off to foster care, Mom, so I ran! I ran trying to find you! But you had run too! You had run away, leaving your child behind! I never finished school, Mom! I'm not smart! I'm not full-blooded! I'm nothing! Don't you see?"

She broke from her mother's grip, turning upriver so that she could wipe her tears in the wind and gather her emotions before she continued,

"You want to know who I am? I'll tell you who I am! I'm a bastard child who is half Athabaskan and half whatever Big Jim made me. I'm seeing a shrink, mom. I'm seeing a shrink to try to find out who I am, because I don't know how to treat the woman I love properly! You see, I didn't have the best role models when it came to loving relationships. So, you see, I don't know who I am. But if you ask _what_ I am, well that's a question that I can answer. A small part of me is learning to be human, but most of me is part animal, part monster. I lived in the wild for so long, I became more grizzly than woman."

Bo turned to her mother, "I'm a human outcast who was persistent enough to find people who would trade her furs for food and supplies despite the dark and angry spirit that I projected. I am a native who lives off-grid using the skills her mother taught her because until now, I wasn't fit to live among humans. I'm a resourceful bitch who defended herself against both man and beast who wished her harm, so in that way you could also say I'm a killer. I was – until recent months – the most feared resident of the Anchorage region. I'm a skilled musher who has been crowned a champion of the Iditarod multiple times, so am now also a commodity. Of course, only one person was willing to sponsor me – the rest too afraid of me to get anywhere near me."

She scowled, looking down at the dark sand at her feet, "I am a reluctant teacher of my father's great grandson and apparently half-sister to his father and uncle who have recently welcomed me into their families. I'm the product of one fucked up love story and am the result of all of the pain as well as the actions of my parents."

She turned to walk away, but thought better of it, turning back to her mom, "And I don't know if I will ever forgive you for the role you played in the path that was forced on me after you left. I will forever question how you could leave your child behind. I will forever question your love for me. I will forever question any type of rationale you could possibly have for disappearing from my life. Right now, the only answer I have is that you were a coward, Mom, so I fear for Rudy's safety with only you as her protector. I don't trust you, Mom. Not one bit. I can only hope that when the time comes, you will use your knowledge of life in Alaska – if you remember it - to do the right thing when it comes to at least your youngest daughter. I can take care of myself, thank you very much, your forced me to do that long ago. I will do whatever I have to do to be sure Rudy's life is better than mine and if I have even the smallest doubt that you are not making her the number one priority while you are here, I will sue you for full custody and I will win because I have many friends now, no thanks to you."

Bo turned to the mountain and shouted at the top of her lungs, exhaling all her air and anger in one long breath, "AAAHHHHRRRGGHHHH!"

She dropped to her knees, picking up the binoculars she had dropped before standing and looking at her mom with fiery, angry eyes,

"I know that somewhere in my heart is love for you. I know it because I searched for you until very recently. All this time, you were out there, hiding." She shook her head, "I don't know if I will ever forgive you. Part of me is angry at you, part of me hates you and wants to send you into those mountains to fend for yourself as you did to me so long ago. But instead, why don't you take a good, long look at your daughter back there and figure out whether or not you have the courage to stick around this time… or did you just bring her here to dump her on me?"

"Ysabeau…"

"No, Mom. There's a reason you came back here and I don't know what it is yet, but I'm pretty sure it has nothing to do with me. You either came here to protect Rudy or you came here to save your own ass. Time will tell." She shook her head, laughing, "You know, all of these years, my young mind had crafted this image of you, allowing it to grow bigger and bolder with each year. You were a superhero… _my_ superhero. Now that I know the whole story from Tamsin, it's like someone stuck a pin in my balloon. I see the real you and you are not the woman I dreamed up. You got into bed with the Feds so that they would protect your ass. You sacrificed me to save yourself…"

"That's not true! I did what they told me to do! I did what I had to do to keep you safe! If he found me, he would have found you! I didn't do anything wrong!" Mary yelled.

"Really? You left a kid alone to be followed from town to town by her brothers and her dad's psycho killer men. He never found you, Mom, but he sure as hell found me and he made my life a living hell! Everything about that is wrong! And do you know what his first act was after we met? It was to ban me from seeing the one kid in this town who had taken a liking to me. I saved the kids life and his second act was to accuse me of trying to kill the kid which led to him killing every single one of my dogs! The ones that you and I raised together! They were all I had left of you. Of course, he left Harper alive."

"Harper?" Mary asked, "What of Hercules and Ares?"

Bo shrugged, "Still alive, but I don't run them…"

"In races. They're too old and too frisky." Mary nodded.

There was a long awkward moment of silence which Mary eventually broke, "Ysabeau, I'm sorry…"

Bo waved her off, wrapping the strap of the binoculars around the lens, "I'm going to go feed Rudy. She must be starving. Then, I'm going to start training her for life off-grid. I'm guessing that needs to happen, right?"

Mary nodded, "We were living in Hawaii. She was raised on a beach. She has very few skills other than fishing and foraging."

Bo laughed, "Wow. You left me to freeze my ass off while you lived life on a beach, had another kid and raised her in an island dream vacation. I'm beginning to see how you could forget I existed." She shook her head, raising her hand when Mary tried to speak. She knew that the Feds had chosen the location because that's how witness protection works, but it still stung.

"You could have sent for me when you were settled in witness protection, Mom. Nothing will ever make me believe otherwise. I'll take care of my little half-sister. Nothing will happen to her. She will be my number one priority. She doesn't deserve any of this."

Bo turned to walk away, but stopped, her eyes set on Rudy, "It's strange. You could have left her with family or friends like you did me, but you chose to bring her here - into the danger. Funny you wouldn't do that for me."

Mary shook her head, "Just so you know, her Father doesn't know about her. She's never met him. He was an alcoholic. I cut ties with him when I found out I was pregnant. She has no other family."

Bo chuckled, shaking her head, at the thought of her mom making the same mistake twice, "You sure do know how to pick 'em."

Mary watched as her eldest daughter walked away. Her eyes filled with tears as she turned back to the mountain. She knew that Ysabeau was right. She's made a lot of mistakes and even more bad choices. She would make this right, no matter what it took. She scanned the property. Spying several sheds, she headed off to check the contents of the first one. She knew what she needed to do to prove to Bo that she was here for the right reasons.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **This update includes a bonus update – Chapter 14 is uploaded and ready to go! Feel free to read on!**_


	14. Chapter 14: War Zone

_**A/N:**_ _FYI – This is the second chapter of a 2-chapter update! If you haven't read Chapter 13, go back… or, in the words of Lauren Lewis… "retreat, retreat, retreat!"_

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **Chapter 14: War Zone**_

 _ **Two Hours Later, Bo's House**_

"I'm sorry I don't have a bigger room for you, Rudy."

"This room is perfect, Sissy! It's Rudy sized! Can I hang my pictures?" The youngster asked.

Bo smiled, "Of course. What do you have?"

Rudy jumped off the small bed and slid under the blanket to pull her suitcase from beneath the bed. Bo watched as her little sister heaved the case onto the bed, unzipping the top compartment and pulling out a large envelope.

"Here!" She smiled, holding the envelope up to Bo before jumping onto the bed and patting the spot next to her.

Bo smiled, sitting down beside her. She carefully opened the envelope and pulled out a stack of brightly colored drawings, obviously done by Rudy's own hand. She looked at the one on top as Rudy explained,

"I drew that one of the ocean outside of my bedroom window. It's pretty, isn't it?" Rudy asked.

Bo smiled at the crayon drawing of the beach, ocean and sun, noting the large figures in the drawing, "Who are these people?"

Rudy smiled, "That's Johnny, Camie and Sanjo. They're my surfer friends. They watch me when Mom's at work."

Bo nodded, "They look older than you."

"Of course they are, silly. Kids my age aren't allowed to babysit!" She giggled, "They taught me how to surf. They said I could be a champion some day!"

Bo chuckled, "I'm sure you could be. Champions run in our family."

Rudy smiled, "I know. We got the news about your… well, you know. Mommy said I repeat myself too much."

"It's okay. Everyone repeats themselves sometimes. I'm glad you knew about me… well, about my sledding career."

"Me too. I wanted to come here and see snow sooooo bad! I wish we came in winter!"

Bo shrugged, "Well, you've got a lot to learn before you can be out here in winter."

"Mom says it's a hard life compared to our life on the island. Is that true?"

"I don't know, Rudy. I've never lived on an island."

Rudy nodded, looking down at Bo's hands. She took one in her own and placed her palm on Bo's, "Your hands are a lot bigger than mine, but they're the same, right? Because we're sisters?"

Bo smiled, wrapping her fingers around the tiny hand before allowing her eyes to travel up to the hopeful eyes of her little sister. It still felt weird to say that… little sister.

"I suppose that's the reason." The older Dennis replied, realizing she was going to enjoy the younger girls' company. She had such positive energy about her. She had to wonder if there was a time when she was the same way.

Rudy smiled, "I always wanted a sister. Now my dream came true. I hope you can come visit my island one day."

"Are you looking forward to going home?" Bo asked.

Rudy shrugged, "I just got here. I'd rather spend time with you for a while if that's okay. I promise I won't be annoying. My friend at school is a big sister and she said that her little sister is annoying. I don't want to be like her little sister, so I'll try not to be annoying, but sometimes I guess I can be because I like to know stuff, so I have a lot of questions and I talk a lot and sometimes I talk real fast, so… well…" She looked up at Bo who was quietly chucking, "Sorry."

Bo grinned, "You remind me of a friend of mine. You apologize a lot."

"Sorry." She looked up at Bo and the pair started to giggle together, "I guess I do apologize a lot."

Bo tweaked her nose, "We'll work on that. You don't need to apologize to me."

Rudy smiled, "I'm pretty sure I'll do something to hafta say sorry for. I kinda sorta get into trouble a lot. Mommy said I'm curious as a cat, so it's a good thing cats have nine lives." She picked up her pictures, "Is that true?"

Bo shrugged, "I don't know much about cats, but if you want to know about dogs, we can talk."

"I can't wait to meet all of the other dogs. They're so fuzzy!"

Bo smiled as Rudy stood on the bed looking down at her big sister, "Maybe I'll stay here and we can just go visit my island once in a while. Mom said I can stay here with you if I want to. Would you want me?"

Bo's eyes went wide for a moment, but she quickly realized her reaction when she saw Rudy's face droop. She quickly forced a smile to her face, stalling for time,

' _Thanks, Mom. Just great.'_

She had no idea how to respond to Rudy's question and she surely didn't have any clue what was going to happen down the road. Right now, she was pretty sure that she and her mom would be having another little chat. Why would her Mom have told her that? Was she looking to dump another child somewhere? All Bo knew right now was that Mary Dennis was nothing like the woman she had remembered as her mother.

Bo smiled down at her little half-sister,

"Rudy, I want you to be happy no matter where that is. To be honest, I'm just learning how to be around other people, so I'm not sure how much you'll like my company, but I would do my best if it's what you wanted."

"I love you, Bo." She smiled, wrapping her arms around Bo's neck.

The brunette awkwardly patted the youngster's back, allowing the gesture with some discomfort. It was funny how easily a child could give their love away to someone they barely knew. For Bo, it had been hard to give her love to anyone most of her life and It was that inability that had stunted the growth of her relationship with Lauren. For a moment, she wondered if she was like Rudy when she was her age. Did she love and trust this freely? If so, where did it all go sideways for her? How had she become so closed off from the world?

Bo was pulled from her thoughts when she felt the child pull away and drop onto the bed beside her. Bo looked down, watching as the small hand pulled a picture from the stack of drawings,

"Got any tape?" Rudy asked.

Bo nodded, "I'll be right back."

Rudy watched Bo leave before standing to spread the entire stack of pictures out across the bed, keeping the pictures of her house grouped together. When Bo came back in, she stood beside the little girl and looked down at the bed,

"My my, you certainly have a lot of pictures."

Rudy smiled, "I like art class."

Bo nodded, looking down at the drawings, "I used to like art class too."

"Did you like school?"

Bo smiled, "I did. I was very smart and loved doing homework."

"Yuck. I'd much rather surf than do homework."

Bo chuckled, "Well, you have to remember that where I grew up, there wasn't much to do during the school year once you left school. If it wasn't dark all day, you only had a few hours of sunlight and even then, it was still dangerously cold. Once I got home, it was time for my lessons with your mom to learn how to survive, then I would do my homework while she cooked dinner. After we cleaned up, she would tell me stories or we would play a board game."

"Mommy tells me stories too. She has the best stories."

Bo nodded, "She did… does."

Rudy jumped up on the bed, careful not to step on any of her pictures and turned to face Bo, "I heard you yelling at Mommy."

"I'm sorry."

Rudy shrugged, "It's okay. I know she left you alone. She told me. I told her she was bad for doing that. I told her we had to come and find you. I told her since I was six."

Bo smiled, "I guess she didn't listen."

Rudy shook her head, "The man told her she had to stay hidden to keep you safe."

Bo nodded, "It's okay, Rudy. It's not your fault."

"Mommy was wrong for leaving you. I heard you and you're right. She was afraid."

"She was afraid for you, so I understand why she didn't come sooner. I'm fully grown and can take care of myself. You can't do the things I can do to protect yourself."

Rudy shrugged, "Johnny, Camie and Sanjo would have watched me while she was gone. I told her to get you and bring you back to me, but she wouldn't. Sanjo's wife wanted me to live with them and so did Johnny's. Camie's girlfriend isn't very nice, so she didn't offer. She owns a hotel on the island and she thinks she's… what does my mommy call it?" She thought for a moment, "Self-important… whatever that means."

Bo chuckled, "It's okay, Rudy."

"But it's not. I missed my whole life with you." She said, her hands punching the air as she spoke.

Bo smiled, "Well, then it's good that we have the whole rest of your life to get to know each other. Now, tell me about these other pictures."

"Oh, right!" She bent down and picked up another picture, "This is Freddy the shark. He comes near our beach sometimes. When he comes around, I talk to him from the big rock in front of our house. He's got big teeth, so I don't go near him because he'll bite me."

Bo smiled, "Good idea. And this one is you and your mom walking on the beach?"

Rudy shook her head, "Nope! See the tattoo on her leg? That's you and me when you come to visit!"

Bo laughed, "I have a tattoo?"

Rudy shrugged, "Well, all of the people that are super cool on our island have tattoos, so I thought you would have one too. It's the shape of Alaska, see?"

Bo grinned, holding back her laughter, "I see. Well, I don't have a tattoo on my calf, but it's very nice that you drew a picture of us together."

"Mom had a picture of you from when you were my age. It was black and white and really hard to see, but I imagined you looked a lot like her. You do, but your eyes are… different."

Bo smiled, "I have my dad's eyes."

Rudy nodded, "Does that bother you?"

"Honestly? It didn't use to, but now that I know who he is, I don't look in the mirror too much." Bo shared, but stopped abruptly, deciding it wasn't the sort of feelings she needed to share with a child, so she flipped to the next picture – a photograph.

"What's this?"

Rudy smiled, "That's our house."

She pulled out five pictures and laid them on the bed, "Mommy let me take them before we left. We printed them at the print shop in town so that I would have them forever just in case we stayed here. This is the front, this is the back, these two are the sides and this is the view of the ocean from my bedroom – it's just like the picture I drew."

She carefully took the pictures, aligning them in a sort of house of cards, "See? This is my house! Well, except for the roof because… well, I can't fly or anything." She looked up at Bo, a big grin spreading across her face, "But Mommy said she can fly a plane. Did you know that?"

Bo smiled, nodding, "It's a great house."

It was strange to imagine her Mom living in a house that glistened in the sun, surrounded by white sand, but there it was. She could see that the home was somewhat weather-beaten, but nothing like their home on the North Slope had been. Bo had seen pictures of beach homes before and this one looked much like those. It had a bright blue door with dark wood panels and a large picture frame front window. The home was a single floor, but long like a some of the ranch-style homes Bo had seen in the architectural magazines she had read at the library. The landscaping was unfamiliar, but she could imagine her mom planting the flower beds and large leafy trees that hung lazily over the roof to eh home. Mary Dennis was a rock star when it came to plants and soil.

Bo's mind drifted to the days they'd spent together in the chef's garden, but her attention was quickly pulled back to Rudy when she heard,

"Whoooaaaa!"

Reacting quickly, she caught the youngster before she fell off the bed, "Careful there, cutie."

Rudy brushed her hair from her face, "Thanks, Sissy. That was a close one, huh!" She giggled.

Bo smiled, grateful she had caught the girl before she'd fallen off the bed when she'd lost her balance hanging a picture on the wall. She nodded,

"Okay, let's get these hung." BO smiled, "I'll spot you while you hang them."

Rudy grinned, "Like in our Gym class when we do gymnastics! I can do a cartwheel! Wanna see?"

Bo laughed, "One thing at a time, champ. Let's get these pictures hung, then you can cartwheel all over the yard tomorrow."

"Right! Pictures! If you want to know what any of them are, just let me know. I can tell stories while we hang them together." Rudy placed another picture on the wall, her tongue hanging from the corner of her mouth while she tapped the corners, "This is fun, huh?"

Bo smiled, "This is fun."

Bo felt a tug at her heart as she melted at the sight of the young girls' brilliant smile and sparkling eyes. This is what a happy child looked like… felt like. In that moment, Bo knew that she would do anything to protect this child from whatever was coming – no matter what her mom chose to do – she would always be there for her little sister. Still – if she could feel this way in just a few hours with this little girl, it left her questioning how she had been orphaned by the same mother.

Bo kept a hand on Rudy's back as the girl chattered on about a picture of the lava-covered land. While Bo was definitely curious about what it would like to live near an active volcano, her eyes traveled to the woman now standing by the hearth in her living room. She sighed, realizing she didn't really know her at all. The mother she had dreamed of finding most of her life was here, but this Mary Dennis was little more than a stranger.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

Bo's head snapped up at the sound of a twig snapping in the distance. It took only a second for her to unsheathe the knife from her hip and stand from the chair on the back porch, tossing the blanket to the ground.

Her eyes scanned her surroundings, noting the perked ears of Harper who was now standing dutifully in front of her at the top stair,

"What do you see, girl?"

Harper sniffed at the air as Bo looked up towards the mountain, the purple horizon and position of the moon telling her it was closing in on the midnight hour. It was July in Alaska, so there was plenty of light straight on until morning. If someone was coming for them, they were clearly not experienced if they would come at her from this direction.

"Harper, come."

Bo took the steps one at a time, before crouching down and traveling around the house to the side garage door. She could hear voices in the distance before she saw movement on the other side of her truck.

"Harper…"

Before she could say anything, the dog sprinted off towards the group, barking loudly.

"Great. So much for stealth." She shook her head, taking a few more steps before she recognized a voice,

' _Good girl! Are you protecting Bo? Yes, I missed you too! Come on. Let's go find your Mommy.'_

Bo stood, heaving a heavy sigh as Lauren came into view. She sheathed her knife, stepping into view. As she moved towards Lauren, she saw a group of people move out from behind the truck,

"What the…" Was all Bo could say before accepting a hug from Lauren.

"What are you all doing here?" Bo asked, keeping one arm around the blonde's waist as her eyes moved across the faces of her family, finally landing on Tosh, "Big brother?"

He shrugged, "Family sticks together. We're not leaving you out here on your own, Bo. That's final. You best find room on this property for us. We brought the ATV's so we can get around better… move Elise and that little sister of yours if we have to go across river and into the mountains."

Bo sighed, disappointed that her brother wouldn't realize that the mountains would be the perfect for Big Jim's men to launch their assault. Fleeing to the mountains would never be an option. They were going to be pinned down here which is why she had wanted them all safe and sound in town,

"Well, I know better than to try to talk you out of this."

She turned to Lauren, "You, however, have never fired a shot at another human being. I know you won't…"

"Leave? No, you're right. I won't, so don't even bother wasting your breath. I'm here in case you get yourself shot… in case anyone gets shot." She broke from Bo's hold, "Damn guns and violence. I don't understand when people will ever learn."

She frowned, watching Lauren stomp off around the back yard, Harper following her as she disappeared into the side door of the garage. Bo turned back to her family,

"So, I have those built-in benches along the windows. The cushions that Molly made are under the lids. They may not be the most comfortable beds, but they're wide enough to sleep all of you head to toe. The Feds are sleeping in shifts in the barn where my guys built out small bedroom stalls and a common area."

LJ smiled, "I'll sleep with the dogs. If you don't mind, I'm heading there now. If I don't get a few hours of sleep, I'll be more likely to shoot myself in the foot than hit a target fifty yards out."

Bo chuckled, "I know you're beat, LJ. Sorry you had to come back early today."

He shrugged, "My plans were a bust anyway. At least I got some time off to get out on the trails. I still had some fun today."

Bo patted his shoulder as he walked towards the garage, "Glad to hear it."

He nodded, giving a wave over his head, "Goodnight, crazy family of mine."

Mark and Molly shook their heads as they walked to Bo, "Now we're crazy? Yesterday he was grateful to have us. Go figure."

Bo laughed at Molly whose eyes were fixed on the sleeping Elise in her husband's arms, "She wouldn't stay with her friend. She wanted to be here with you. She thought she should help your little sister because she doesn't know how to survive in Alaska."

Bo's eyes brimmed with tears as she smiled at the little girl in Mark's arms, "She's so precious."

Mark kissed the top of her head, "She's a blessing. Thank you, Bo for bringing her into our lives."

Bo shrugged, "I'd love to take the credit for this little blessing of yours, but that was all Lauren."

Molly nodded, "Maybe so, but your support and the way you've been with her all of these weeks has helped her to open up to us. I know you think of your life as tragic, Bo but I just think you should consider that if you hadn't been left behind, you wouldn't have the experiences that have made you who you are today. If you weren't you, we wouldn't have Lauren, we wouldn't have Elise and we might never have been rid of Big Jim."

Bo offered a tight grin as she replied, "Well, apparently we're rid of his presence, but his goons are still coming for us."

Molly patted either side of her waist beneath her jacket, "Well, I say let 'em come. Dorothy and Auntie Em have been itching for this fight for a long time."

Giving Bo a slap on the shoulder, Molly took Elise from Mark and headed towards the house. Mark chuckled, removing his hat and shaking his head as he raked his hair back out of his face before donning the cap again,

"My wife is hot!"

Bo burst out laughing as he walked towards the house. She shook her head replaying LJ's words over again in her head. Her family certainly was crazy, but they were a good kind of crazy and she was grateful they'd all come into her life – especially now.

Her eyes scanned her property, making note of the location of the Special Agents, particularly Acacia who was propped up in the tree stand Bo had pointed out to her, explaining how they used them in the blind for hunting. Bo had to give her credit, to the untrained eye, she would blend in and no one would ever know she was there.

She gave her a nod, noting the signals she sent her way telling her that there were agents in all five of the tree stands that surrounded the home. Bo glanced around, giving a return nod to each of them, still surprised that Acacia had taken her advice.

She turned to walk into the house, but stopped when she heard footsteps coming up behind her. The sound of her blade being unsheathed rung through the trees as she took a deep breath and spun around, her blade meeting the steel of her opponent,

"Just wanted to see if you were on your toes."

Bo visibly relaxed at the sight of her old friend, "Shit, Tamsin! I could have killed you!"

"Seriously? You can barely win in a fist fight."

"Key word there is barely. I do eventually get the upper hand. You look like shit."

Tamsin tugged at the collar of her jacket, scowling, "Back atcha."

Bo frowned, "I just need sleep."

Tamsin nodded, "Me too. Let's head inside."

"You should be in the clinic."

Tamsin shook her head, "Clinic is closed for business until tomorrow."

"What?"

Tamsin thumbed behind her where the three Nurses and Kurt were unloading the trunk of Tamsin's SUV, "They insisted. They're here to help Lauren with the wounded and… and I quote… take down some bad guys, Alaska style."

Bo shook her head at the small group of women as they approached, "Kurt, I know you're not about to leave my family out here. They're like kin to you, but ladies, are you sure you know what you're signing up for here? This is life and death. These people are not playing around. It's not some kind of game."

"We know, Bo. We know. You know, there's crime in Boston… real crime. Lauren doesn't talk about it, but she doesn't just repair diseased hearts – she repairs damaged ones as well… hearts damaged by guns and knives in gang violence, drive bys and just pure stupidity. We've seen the results of what those weapons you carry can do and there is no one more qualified out here to do the job than we are, so yes, we know and we're staying."

Bo was surprised to see that Kelly had found her voice. She nodded at the youngest of the three before stepping aside and motioning towards the house,

"Well, head inside and pull up a floor."

Kurt smiled, "They brought air mattresses and a couple of foot pumps to inflate them."

Bo nodded, "Okay then. Let's get inside and get some sleep. The agents will need relief in a few hours."

They all headed inside, Bo taking one last look at Acacia. She turned to find Tamsin looking at her, "See something?"

Bo grinned, "Nope. Nothing there at all."

Tamsin turned and headed inside while Bo gave a wink and a smile to Acacia before following. She looked out across the river, her eyes roaming the mountain. A flash of light caught her eye, causing her to pause for just a moment. For now, she would give Acacia and her people a chance, but her backup plan was brewing in her mind. Whoever was left of Big Jim's loyal followers, they were coming, and she would be ready to protect her own.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **Late evening, Bo's Living Room**_

Molly and Mark had provided a feast fit for royalty. When the Anchorage crew arrived, they came with everything they knew Bo would want. Traps, snares, shovels, knives and plenty of rope. Of course, they also brought fire power and lots of it. The brunette wasn't much for guns, but her family was like most others in Alaska – if they weren't packing heat, they were packing bear spray.

This time of year, Bo didn't have the cover of darkness to rely on at night, but she did have a lot of Federal Agents on her property. She took advantage of the distraction they would be to any uninvited guests and made her way through the brush into the woods, low and slow. Her Mom had caught her leaving and practically begged to help her, but Bo had rejected the assistance. She told her to stay with Rudy and watch over her. Of course, she had also told Tamsin and Adam the same thing.

Truthfully, she just wasn't ready to be alone with her Mom. She just needed a little more time. So she had set out to lay her pit traps, hoist traps, line traps and snares along a perimeter about a mile out from the homestead and then handed off a map to Acacia so that her agents would know not to venture out to that perimeter for fear of getting caught in one of Bo's deadly setups.

The Trapper had also taken the opportunity to have a closer look at the mountains through the scope of her rifle. As suspected, there were two snipers perched atop the peaks and two others lying in the brush halfway down the mountain. She noted they were all young – none older than mid-twenties – all wearing camouflage. She used bear fur to move around the river to the base of the mountain undetected and lay additional traps at the base. If they tried to come across the river, she would have ample warning from their screams. Satisfied with her plan, she moved back towards home, knowing that she would wait until midnight to check in on the visitors again before turning in for the night… with one eye open.

Back at the house, everyone had gathered for various evening activities in the living room of Bo's house. Lauren had seemed taken by Mary. Bo wasn't sure how she felt about the two of them talking and laughing together and was deeply curious about the topics of their chat. They'd been deep in conversation ever since Bo had returned from setting up her plan B.

Adam, LJ, Michael, Elise and Molly were sitting at the table playing "Go Fish" while the Nurses' corrupted her brother Tosh by teaching him a drinking game. Of course, he didn't look too unhappy about it, so Bo just chuckled and headed out to the garage take care of the dogs. She hadn't had much time with them today and felt bad for neglecting them – not that they hadn't had plenty of attention from Elise and Rudy. The two girls had become fast friends and were happy to have each other. Now, Bo was sitting amongst her canine companions, accepting the calming therapy the being among them always provided. She needed her dogs – now more than ever. Of course, they needed food and she would have to remedy that shortly.

"You good, Bo?"

She turned to see Kurt standing in the doorway. Smiling, she replied,

"Sure thing." She stood, planting her hands on her hips, "So, how did you get dragged into this?"

He shrugged, "You're family, Bo."

"Kyle made you come?"

He laughed, "She told me she'd kick my ass if I let you go up against Big Jim's assholes by yourself after all you'd been through."

Bo nodded towards the kitchen door that led to the crowded living room, "By myself? Have you not seen my house – inside and out?"

Kurt rubbed the back of his neck, nodding with a smile "How are you doing with all of this?"

Bo stirred the bucket of food a little longer than usual as she contemplated his question, "I feel… ah, hell – I don't know how I feel, Kurt."

He laughed, "Want me to clear them all out?"

Bo looked up with a smile, "Would you?"

"Sure thing, Bo."

The two shared a laugh before Kurt pulled his cap from his head, turning it in a circular motion as if examining the even wear of the brim before he spoke,

"Seriously, Bo. Your Mom pops in, you have a kid sister, all of these Feds around here, your family, new friends and old. I mean, I'm well aware that just a few short months ago, you were Alaska's most famous hermit. Now, here you are, playing hostess with the mostess. How are you handling all of this Bo? I mean – I'm uncomfortable for you. It's your damn house and everyone has just sort of converged here and made themselves at home."

Bo shrugged, "I was going to have a house-warming party next month anyway. I guess it's just a little earlier than I'd expected."

Kurt recognized the weak smile on her face. They'd never been close friends, but they had been coworkers for a very long time. Since the race, they'd grown closer and he'd come to think of her as a big sister in the absence of his own flesh and blood. She had helped him through a rough time and he surely intended to help Bo in return. His sister didn't have to tell him to come – he was coming even if he had to sit out in the brush by himself every night.

"Yeah, well in a house-warming party, the guests bring you gifts, not mooch off of all you've built."

He shook his head, realizing he was speaking ill of Bo's family, girlfriend and friends, "Sorry, Bo. It's no business of mine. I'm just…"

"Looking out for me. It's fine, Kurt. I appreciate the sentiment. It's nice to know someone recognizes that I might be uncomfortable." She smiled, "But, as long as they keep eating my food, I can at least get alone time out on the river doing a lot of fishing, right?"

He laughed, watching as she stared up at the door that led to the kitchen. She was practically staring right through him, so he decided he had to ask,

"Bo, what else is bugging you?"

She dropped the ladle into the mixture, pulling off the gloves as she spoke, "Lauren and my Mom are in there laughing like long-lost best friends."

Kurt nodded, "You're mad at Lauren for liking your Mom?"

"She doesn't know her like I do."

"So your mom is the enemy now? All of these years, you've been searching for her and now she's unwelcome? Come on, Bo. You're better than that."

Bo scowled, "Maybe not." She looked up at Kurt, "I'm having a hard time forgiving her absence from my life and… well, I'm having trouble trusting her. I've got all of these theories about why she's here and none of them are good."

Kurt nodded, "That's understandable, Bo. But have you heard her out yet?"

Bo shrugged, "Not really… I guess."

Kurt nodded, "Well, maybe you should hear what she has to say about where she's been."

She twisted her mouth into a frown, knowing full well that he was right, "Fine."

Kurt smiled, "You'll be happy you heard the whole story."

She nodded, "Right." Deciding a change of subject was in order, she continued, "So… how is Kyle?"

Kurt smiled, "She's amazing, Bo. I mean, I always knew my sister was special – she's a fighter, for sure, but I never knew just how tough. She's up and walking for about thirty minutes every day. She's still not too happy about her face, but she'll get through it. I know she will."

Bo smiled, "If anyone can, Kyle can."

He grinned, "She's a stubborn old bitch, eh?"

Bo laughed, "Hey! I wouldn't call us old just yet, but she's definitely stubborn. She'll beat the odds."

"Hope so." He nodded, "Well, I'm guessing you came out here to have a little solitude, so I'll leave you to it."

"Thanks, Kurt. We may not have always been too close, but you always seemed to know me better than most. I just hope you know it's not personal… me wanting to be alone."

"Absolutely, Bo. All of those years you spent wandering alone in the wilderness – well, I suppose I just think of you as a creature of habit… the nicest creature possible, of course."

Bo laughed, "Yea, well I've always wondered if I'm entirely human. Living the way I did for most of my life, I sometimes think I'm more animal than human. We're cool."

"Thanks, Bo."

"No, thank you, Kurt. Appreciate you understanding my need to step away from the chaos that is my house for a little while."

"Absolutely." He stepped towards the door. Placing his hand on the knob, he paused, turning back, "Bo – you won't go taking off after these guys on your own, will you? I mean – if you want to go after them, I'll totally go with you. You know I can keep up."

Bo's head remained set on the task of filling the bowls of her dogs. She dare not speak because her time with Lauren had taught her she was a terrible liar. Truth was, Kyle was right on the money. Bo had been thinking of nothing other than a way to end this thing - far away from her family. She knew where the remaining members of her dad's gang were and she knew those mountains better than anyone – definitely better than any of them. She could move into the bush with her rifle and pick them off one by one before they knew what had hit them. Of course, that wasn't Bo's style. That little voice in her head would never allow it. Human kills, just like animals, should always be self-defense. If they weren't attacking her, she had no right to attack them. Unfortunately, that moral high ground meant that they had to shoot first – they had to draw first blood… just as she'd always lived in the wild unless it was life or death by starvation.

"Bo? Please promise me you won't go after them alone."

Finally, she leaned back against a railing, dropping the ladle into the bucket, "Kurt, you know me so I know I don't have to explain my thinking. I'm a musher, a trapper and a hunter."

"You're also a builder, a pilot, a wilderness medic, a sister, a daughter, an aunt, our friend and a partner to Lauren. You have people who care about you now, Bo. It's not like it used to be."

"That works both ways, Kurt. Hell – everyone I care about is in this house. I'm not going to sit here and wait for someone to come and set it on fire or pump it full of bullet holes. This all started because of a rift between me and Big Jim. It's my fault this is happening, so I'm going to be the one to end it."

A voice from the side garage door interrupted Bo, "That's not true."

Bo turned back to her bucket, still struggling to make eye contact with her Mom despite the fact that Lauren was standing right behind her. She felt badly about how she had avoided her girl friend since she'd arrived, but she was still a bit upset with her for orchestrating the whole coup of her homestead. The doctor had decided she was coming to stand by her side no matter what the consequences and no one would let Lauren come alone, so… well, here they were.

"It's my fault this is happening. Not yours." Mary spoke her truth plainly for all to hear, but her words were met with a long silence.

"I'm going to just… head inside." Kurt said awkwardly before heading through the back door into the kitchen.

Bo didn't have to look up to know that the pair of women were advancing towards her, but she walked further away from them over among the crates, cleaning up the straw and adding more to the spots where it was thin.

"You've built quite a home here, Ysabeau."

"Yea, well you do what you have to do when you're left no choice."

The woman nodded, "Well, you have definitely grown into a strong, independent woman."

"Like I said. No choice."

"It's true that you had no choice, but it's in your blood. It's in the way you were raised. You are a strong Athabascan warrior."

"Stop it! Stop it! Just stop it!" Bo said, her voice rising with each word until she stood, turning on her Mom, her eyes on fire, "Just stop it, Mom. Stop pretending you give two shits about me. Why are you here, huh? Why did you really come here? My guess is because you knew that Rudy needed someone who could protect her. My guess is you've been keeping up with news of your long-abandoned daughter through your sources here in Alaska."

Bo's mom looked surprised at her comment which caused Bo to smirk, "That's right, Mom. I've figured it all out. You've learned that I'm the right woman for the job – the one to get rid of the bad guys because you figure I'm not afraid to get my hands dirty. You've been keeping tabs on me, so you know I'm the most feared 'warrior' in the region… a monster to all and friend to none!"

The words were spat like venom from her tongue, "You never stood up to him. You were always afraid of him. You were always afraid of my brothers. You were afraid, so you ran. All of those years you told me stories of great warriors in our family, told me all about how to survive in the harshest conditions on the planet, but it was my dad who was one of them. He was a survivor and he took you in to be his… whatever sort of sick role you played in his life."

"Ysabeau, you must understand that times were different… village culture was different. I did…"

"What you had to do… right. I've heard it all before, Mom, so just… stop." Bo stood, walking the short distance to her mother and stared her in the eyes,

"You know, as a child when they told me you were dead, I grieved you. When I learned that you might be alive, I spent the better part of my life after you left searching for you. When I learned who my father was and began to remember my real life… our life as a family, I fought for you. I held you up on a pedestal of righteousness. I built this image in my mind of a woman who couldn't be stopped… who was too strong to allow anyone to get the better of her." She chuckled, her eyes finding the floor, "I built myself in your image so that one day I would be worthy of standing in your presence and until I learned the truth, I felt as though I had failed at that which is why you went out and got yourself a new family."

Bo straightened her posture, cocking her head as extended her finger towards her mother, her jaw set,

"But now, I find that you have come here for protection. All of the Athabascan warrior stories and traditions were nothing but a smoke screen to hide your fear. I can smell it on you and now I know the real reason you came here with Tamsin. They were on your trail and you were afraid. You came here not because you loved or missed me, but because you knew I was the only one who could protect you."

Bo stepped back, turning away and shaking her head before she spun around and looked at her Mom, "Well, you were right to bring Rudy here. She played no role in this and it's unfair that she has had to live in the shadow of Big Jim. I'll protect Rudy and the rest of my family. But you? You allowed this to happen, Mom. You could have ended this years ago, but instead, you ran. Warrior my ass."

"Bo!" Lauren yelled, her face filled with surprise at her girlfriend's comment, but Mary stepped forward, nodding,

"You're right. I ran, but I did run to keep you safe, Ysabeau. Go to the prison. Ask your Father. We had a deal. I stay away, you stay alive."

Bo's eyes went wide as her Mom continued to speak.

"That's right, Ysabeau. Your Father said that if I let you go he would allow you to live. But a few years ago, when he found out about the federal agent I spoke to, he tried to kill him. He found me – sent one of his men to me – they told me that he had sent one of his men to kill you because I had broken the deal. I called the Sheriff in town – a Dyson Thornwood – and he intervened. That was when they sent a young Special Agent to Talkeetna to keep an eye on things."

Bo sat back on a nearby railing, "Tamsin."

Mary nodded, "Once your Father realized that the Feds were onto him, he called me and told me to stay away or he would kill everyone who cared for you. I know you thought you didn't have any friends, but he told me about your co-workers Kyle and Kurt. He knew all of your workers' names as well as where they and their families lived – he knew their children's names, Ysabeau. Then he said he would kill your closest ally – a young man named Little Jon."

"LJ!" Bo spat, her mind still trying to believe anything her mother was saying.

"LJ." She said, calmly, "From what I was told, the Morton men were very good at handling Jim at council meetings and controlling what he said about you in town."

Bo laughed, "Really? That's hysterical, Mom because I've been treated like a pariah… like… like… some contagion to be eradicated!"

The tears fell freely now, "I was unwanted, cast aside, forced into the wilderness." She shook her head, "I knew only the friendship of the forest and tundra." She laughed, "At my youngest, I considered myself akin to Doctor Dolittle from the stories you read to me as a child. As an adult, I knew I could never be accepted by humans… could never live among humans. I still don't feel right among humans. I'm still trying to find my place."

Lauren swallowed hard, hearing the brutally honest admission from her girlfriend. She's never heard Bo speak her truth in such a raw, uncensored way. In that moment, she understood so much more about her and it broke her heart. Even more, she felt horrible about the news she'd received from Evony today. She's tried to talk to her boss – to explain what had transpired in recent days, but that must made the iron-fisted ruler even more steadfast in her insistence that her orders be obeyed.

"Ysabeau, I'm sorry for all that you fell victim to because of the family you were born into. I'm sorry for all you've suffered because of the choices I've made in the name of keeping you safe."

"I had a right to know, Mom. At some point, I had a right to know. You should have sent word to me. You should have told me why everything was happening the way it did."

Mary nodded, "I didn't make the right choices for you. You're right. I made deals with a madman. It was foolish of me to think he would ever make good on them. But I swear to you, I came here to set things right. I came here to fight the fight I should have fought long ago. This is my fault and it's my feud to settle. I will stand with the federal agents and use my knowledge of this land to end this once and for all so that you and your family can have the life you should have had all along."

She stepped towards Bo, her eyes filled with sincerity and unshed tears, "I did not bring Rudy here for you to fight this battle for me."

Bo's lips quivered, "You expect to die here. You brought her here to be raised by me."

Mary nodded, "This is my fight. You have to live on to give Rudy the life I should have given you. You deserve to see her grow up…" She chuckled, "…so you can live your youth vicariously through her."

Bo smiled, remembering her word-a-day calendar from a long, long time ago, "Vicariously… meaning in a way that is experienced in the imagination through the actions of another person."

Mary pulled her head back, cocking it to the side, "Uh…"

Lauren stepped to Bo's side, sitting beside her on the rail, her hand rubbing her back as she replied to Mary, "Your daughter has a bit of an obsession with vocabulary words. It's her version of a college education… a very good one."

The doctor could see the blank stare on Bo's face as the realization hit her – the wheels were turning in her head. She was plotting… planning how she would save them all.

Mary smiled, pulling a small dark blue rectangular leather book from her back pocket, "Speaking of college educations…"

She handed Bo the booklet. The brunette took it, "What's this?"

Mary nodded, pointing to the now open page, "It's your college fund… well… yours and Rudy's."

Bo showed it to Lauren, then looked back at Mary, "Mom, there's more than two college tuitions in here."

As Lauren took the book, paging backwards to view the entries, Mary smiled, "Banks used to pay much higher dividends on savings accounts than they do today. I never closed the account and it was a fixed rate, so they had to continue to pay up." She shrugged, "It's funny that the bank manager thought he was getting quite the deal at six percent on my money back then. Now I'd be lucky to be getting one percent if I opened such a fund."

Lauren shook her head, "You made monthly deposits since Bo was…"

She handed the book to Bo, pointing to the earliest entry,

"Six years old." Bo said, her mouth agape, "Mom, I can't take this money."

"You can and you will. The account bares your name, I only ask that you share it with Rudy." She pointed to the book, "When I'm gone, the two of you will have plenty."

"Stop! Stop, Mom. You're not going anywhere. I'm not going to let that happen."

Lauren looked at Bo, seeing the muscles of her jaw clench, she knew… she knew right away. She'd seen that look before at the Iditarod. Her girlfriend was about to make some self-sacrificing gesture for them all. She knew she would which is why she had told Tamsin to keep an eye on her tonight.

"You are not going to fight this battle for me, Ysabeau. Contrary to your earlier statement, I am not a coward. I am an Athabascan warrior just as I raised you to believe. I fought the elements, the animals and – despite you having no memories of it – I did fight your Father, in my own way… in a way that would keep you safe."

Bo sighed, "Well, I suppose I'll have to take your word for it."

She handed the book back to Lauren, knowing that she would know where to put it. While she was injured, Lauren had organized a home office of sorts for her in the loft and she had helped LJ open a business account at the local bank. Bo still hadn't looked at any statements or made any of the payments unless they were in cash, but everything was there just in case she ever decided to get on board with the 'real business world' as Lauren had called it.

For now, LJ was managing the business accounts with assistance from his Aunt and Uncle. This account didn't appear to need anything. The money could just sit there, and the little blue book could just sit in the drawer. Out of sight, out of mind.

Bo stood, "Well, I'd better finish up with the dogs."

Mary nodded, looking at the kennel, "They're beautiful, Bo."

The brunette nodded, her heart full as she gazed upon the curious face of Harper. She decided to extend an olive branch – a sort of apology for all that she had said earlier. She patted her leg and made a few quick kissing noises. Harper came running,

"Mom, this is Harper."

Bo watched the face of her mom light up before a tear ran slowly down her cheek, "You mean…"

Bo nodded, "The same bloodline you began I continued. There are various lines of breeding from her line that led to the team I have today, but this one… she's the principal player. The puppies that Rudy was playing with earlier are her grandchildren. The dog that Elise had in the house is from the same litter. LJ also has one as does Tosh. There's six in all and they're quite a handful, but they're Harper through and through."

Mary smiled, kneeling down and putting her forehead against Harper's, "Do you know who I am? Has your Mother's spirit told you of our connection?"

Bo smiled, "I'm sure she has, Mom."

Mary looked up at Bo, "You don't have to pretend to believe in the ancient animal spirits, Ysabeau. I'm sure the realities of the world have long wiped away the lessons of your youth."

Bo shrugged, "I've lived in the wild, Mom. I've communed with the wolves and the many creatures of the land. I've learned their ways, I've lived among them. I believe more than you think and I'm likely more animal than human."

"Bo…"

The brunette looked at Lauren who was reminding her that she was definitely more human than animal. Bo sighed, giving the blonde a slight nod before Elsa, Anna and Belle came to stand with Harper, leading Bo to smile, "This is Lauren's team – Elsa, Anna and Belle."

"Well, they're mine for a few more days, anyway." Lauren replied causing Bo to scowl.

"They can survive in Boston." Bo smiled, ruffling Elsa's fur, "Right, girls?"

Lauren laughed, "I'm not going to force them into city living, Bo. That wouldn't be fair to them. They need open space to run. They'll be staying here. LJ has already agreed to take them on when I leave."

Bo's heart sunk, "I didn't know that."

It was an awkward moment to have in front of Mary, but the woman had caught on quickly to the choices of her daughter's spirit,

"I'm sure the two of you will work out whatever needs sorting. For now, what's best for these beautiful dogs must be put before your issues as a couple."

Bo's head popped up, "Our… did you say… as a couple?"

Mary laughed, "Ysabeau, I wasn't born yesterday, you know. I was raised to believe that the spirit seeks love in its own way, separate from the body. Your spirits have found one another – it's not something either of you can hide from me. And – for the record – I approve."

She smiled, placing a hand on each woman's shoulder, "But Lauren is right. These little ladies need room to run and be free. They were bred from the wolf and as a wolf their spirits choose to live free. You will have to care for them in Lauren's absence, no matter how long that may be. I'm sure in time, the spirits will sort out what is or is not to be."

"Time." Bo nodded, "Is not always on my side."

Lauren stood, heaving a heavy sigh, "I'm going to go see to Elise. I told her I'd be right back to finish coloring with her. I'll see you two ladies inside."

Bo watched as Lauren left quickly, her eyes following her until she disappeared inside. Mary sat down beside her on the rail,

"Ysabeau, you have to trust that life has a plan for you and a plan for Lauren. You must also trust that where life is pulling your roads in different directions, that through the journey, your paths will cross again."

Bo looked up at her Mom, "But when? And for how long?"

Mary had only a tight smile and warm embrace to offer her daughter. Bo was stiff at first, but as the tears fell, she felt her relax and accept the gesture,

"It appears I've arrived just in time. Focus on the things life brings to you and be grateful, Ysabeau. You have this time right now. Make the most of it and cherish the memories when your love departs. In time, you will be reunited. You must trust that she will work through what she must and that her spirit will find its way back to you."

"What if it doesn't? What if she takes her spirit away and doesn't come back?"

Mary smiled, "Then your life will continue separate from hers and you will be grateful for what life offers as a replacement. You'll have Rudy and all of your newfound family. You will continue to have friends and that circle will grow, Ysabeau. Trust that life will not always offer you heartbreak. You are long over due for happiness. It will find you."

Bo sighed, "I wish I could trust the spirits the way you do, Mom. Unfortunately, the lessons life has taught me having left me feeling a little less optimistic."

Mary nodded, "You will see, child. You will see."

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **Midnight, Southeast River Bend**_

Bo was perched in a tree over the river bend. The noise of the water rushing through the fish wheel as it spun round and round echoed on the cool breeze that ran with the rapidly moving current. She'd been sitting on the large branch for just over an hour, watching the light of the moon glance off four pieces of steel still settled on the mountain. Looking through her scope, she had noticed the weapons were all mounted on stands, the assassins likely off getting some sleep or a meal.

Satisfied that all was now still, she climbed down from the tree and lowered herself into the shallows of the water. Her camouflaged skin made her almost invisible to any spotters as she glided slowly through the water, careful not to make visible crossing currents. When she reached the other side, she immediately headed for cover in the low ground cover, staying alert for any wildlife that decided to use the area as a hotel for the night.

She had already planned her route, so headed towards the start of the east trail that would take her to the summit. She headed around the burm just ahead and through a small section of fireweed before reaching the base of the mountain. Donning her climbing harness, she loaded up the pockets, tossed her rope over her shoulder and began the top-roping ascent to the peak. It would take her just over two hours if she made efficient use of the oxygen she'd brought on the last leg of the climb.

She focused on the task at hand, using the trail she had laid when she'd first climbed the mountain. She checked each clip to be sure it was still secured tightly in the rock before allowing it to hold her weight. If these guys did their homework, they'd know Bo was a skilled climber and guide. Sabotaging the rock trail would be a perfect way to kill her and still allow it to appear as an accident. Bo knew it was more likely the damage would be done further up the trail, but she was taking no chances on this night. She was alone and with spring upon them, if she was left alive, but injured and bloodied, she would stand no chance against the wildlife that would want to use her rotting corpse for an easy meal.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **Bo's Bedroom, one hour later…**_

Lauren woke to find the bed empty next to her. She wasn't surprised, really. Bo hadn't spoken much before falling asleep on her side of the bed. She'd stared out the window while Lauren encouraged her to give her mother a chance. When Bo hadn't responded, she tried to discuss her coming departure, but nothing seemed to be of interest.

She must have nodded off at some point, but now she couldn't shake the feeling that Bo was in trouble. She rose from the bed, pulling on Bo's hoodie – a telltale sign that the brunette was not inside. She moved to the rail at the end of the loft and looked out the window to the lands below. She released a heavy sigh when she realized Bo was not sitting by the river or in the yard with the dogs.

She headed down the stairs, careful to remain quiet as she approached Tamsin who was sleeping in a chair by the window, her shotgun resting across her body. Lauren leaned down, nudging her to consciousness, laying a finger over her lips before she could speak.

She nodded towards the room and Tamsin immediately understood, instead following Lauren into the garage before the two spoke,

"I think Bo took off on her own."

"Shit. I knew she was going to do this."

Lauren nodded, "Me too."

She pulled out her phone, "Which is why I had Kenzi put a locator chip in the handle of the knife I switched out of her gear last night before we went to bed."

Lauren held up the screen to Tamsin who shook her head, "She's headed up the mountain. Why would she be headed up the mountain?"

"Because she spotted the four weapons aimed at this house just like I did."

The pair turned to see Mary Dennis standing from a bed of straw.

"Comfortable?"

Mary shrugged, "More comfortable than I've been in years."

Tamsin smiled, "Good to be home, huh?"

"I was never an island girl." Mary smiled, pulling her rifle over her head, allowing it to drape across her back before pulling two pistols from her back, checking the chamber on each before resetting the weapons with a loud click. She opened her jacket, revealing two short knives hanging from a belt beneath her jacket,

"I'm armed up and ready to go. Who's with me?"

Tamsin pulled the shotgun from above the door and handed it to Lauren, "Wake the men, everyone take a window. Stay low and shoot anything that moves. I'll put Acacia on notice. Mary and I will go after Bo."

"Can you climb?" Mary asked.

Tamsin nodded, "I learned from Bo about five years ago. I'm sure you were a great climber at one time, but…"

"Please don't tell me you're going to insinuate that because of my age I am incapable of a climb up that small mountain out there. I've summited Denali at least fifty times. That's like the volcanoes I climbed in Hawaii."

Tamsin smiled, "Of course it is. Well then… lead the way." She waved her hand towards the door, allowing Mary to walk ahead of her, but the older woman turned back to Lauren,

"You'll protect Rudy?"

Lauren smiled, "With my life."

The woman nodded and left the garage, but Tamsin turned to Lauren, "Don't you dare die. Bo would never forgive me for leaving you here if you did, but I know you're not going to let me stay."

"I will never forgive you if you don't save Bo from herself." Lauren replied.

"Right." Tamsin replied, "Acacia will have your back. She's good, Lauren. You can trust her, even though Bo doesn't."

Lauren smiled, "I'm sure."

The agent headed out the door and into the night, leaving Lauren to stare down at the weapon in her hands, "I'm supposed to fix the damage these things do, not cause the damage. Dammit, Bo!"

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **Summit of Mount Joy, North of Bo's Home**_

Bo moved up behind the first shooter, perched at the highest spot on the mountain. She noticed the silencer on the weapon and was grateful they'd decided to go stealth. If anyone got off a shot on her attack, it wouldn't signal the others to her presence.

Slowly unsheathing her axe, she pulled it back over her shoulder and gave a quiet, but quick whistle. The man turned to see Bo, his eyes wide as he pulled the weapon off its stand and rolled onto his back, aiming at Bo. Her release was quick and her axe landed hard in the man's chest. For a moment, she saw her brother's face as his hands found the handle of her weapon, his eyes landing on hers before he fell back, hitting the ground with a thud.

She kicked the weapon away from his side approaching cautiously. Checking his pulse, she felt nothing. She stared down at the man, wondering who he was and if he had a family. He imagined his Mom and Dad would wonder how he'd ended up here and his siblings would only know that he was killed by a monster in Alaska… a monster born of this young man's boss. Damn Big Jim for setting all of this in motion.

She looked up to see her home across the river. There was smoke coming from the chimney now which meant that Lauren had awoken to find her gone. Her brothers and nephews were all awake, probably staring at her through the scopes of their weapons at this very moment. She hoped that they would keep their hands free of the blood of her father's men and let her be the one to live with the nightmares that would follow. If there was a heaven, she could at least allow them the chance to find the pearly gates for any God that lived there surely had already closed them to her.

She sighed, pulling the axe from the man's chest and digging it into the ground to clean the blade before securing it to the leather holder on her belt. She lifted the sniper's rifle, burying it in the brush before heading across the ridge towards the next sniper. This one might see her coming if she wasn't careful, so she lowered her head and forged on towards her destination.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

Reaching the summit of the mountain, Tamsin and Mary took a break for a sip of water,

"Should have brought oxygen." Mary said, her breathing heavy.

"You okay?" Tamsin asked, also gasping for air.

Mary nodded, "I will be. Let's just keep moving."

Tamsin watched as she looked around the area, quickly finding a heel mark in a small patch of snow, "Tracks."

Mary pulled her goggles back down and pulled up her hood. She looked at Tamsin who was checking her fingers,

"Frostbite?"

Tamsin shrugged, "I don't think so – not yet, anyway."

Mary dropped her pack, pulling out a jar of ointment and walking to Tamsin, "Take off your gloves."

"What's that?"

"Just do it, please. Remember, I taught Ysabeau all she knows about native medicine."

"Minus what Seline taught her."

"Seline. That bitch of a traitor." Mary spat.

"You knew?"

Mary nodded, rubbing the salve on Tamsin's fingers then over her hands and wrists.

"That was a hard pill for Bo to swallow. She thought she was a friend… a mother figure."

"So did I. Alas, sometimes things are not as they appear. I remember when you were a young, bumbling agent who would have fired your weapon at a suspect if they looked at you wrong."

Tamsin smiled, pulling her gloves back on, "Yea, well I've grown up a bit since then."

"I'm grateful for all of your help, Tamsin. Truly."

"Just doing my job, Mary."

"No, it's more than that. You truly care for Bo and I appreciate that she has friends like you in her life."

Tamsin nodded, "She's a good person. Just misunderstood."

"Thanks to her father." Mary said, shouldering her backpack once again, "But that ends today. Let's go."

"Yes, Ma'am."

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

The air was cold – very cold for this time of year, but at this altitude it wasn't unexpected. Up here, the mountains were still covered in snow and would be through summer. Knowing that allowed Bo to come prepared. She opened her pack and pulled out her homemade salve. As she folded it into her hands, she thought back to when she was a child and her mom first taught her the lessons of the plants and herbs that had to be blended to keep her skin safe from the Arctic cold by adding an extra layer of protection. She rubbed her hands over every bit of skin, making sure to apply it to her face, neck and ears before the lid back on and returning it to her pack.

She lifted the sniper's rifle to her shoulder and found her next target. What she didn't expect was to see him staring right back at her. He got off a shot just as she dove for cover, narrowly missing her head.

"Shit that was close."

She crawled into the brush, realizing her mistake too late as another shot narrowly missed. She laid still, hugging the rifle to her chest, looking left, then right in search of cover as she scolded herself quietly,

"Any movement will make the tops of the branches wave an invitation to that sniper, Bo. What do you say you move like you were taught and stop giving away your location like an idiot."

She thought through her situation and released a deep breath. She whispered to herself, her breaths rapid and short, "Okay. Decoy shot it is."

She carefully rotated the weapon, careful not to disturb the roots of any shrubs this time, then fired off a shot to her right. Sure enough, the sniper fired several rounds in the direction of the disturbance, allowing Bo to shift backwards along the ridge until she found cover behind the rock face.

"Well, I prefer axes and knives but now, all bets are off buddy. Guns it is." She said, pulling the stock of her rifle tight against her shoulder. She lowered her cheek to the firing mechanism, eye peering through the scope, catching the assassin as he moved to a new location. She aimed for his hip, wanting to bring him down quickly, but alive. Holding her breath, she aimed and fired.

He dropped, screaming in agony. The sound would surely draw the others to him, so Bo moved quickly, heading across the ridge before descending to where the man lay with both hands trying to tie a piece of fabric around his upper thigh as blood spurted a brilliant shade of bright red across the fresh white layer of snow. She grabbed his gun and tossed it away,

"What's your business here?" She asked, gun aimed squarely between his eyes.

"We come to avenge our leader."

"Avenge your leader? Seriously? You sound like a friggin' alien from another planet."

"Mock me all you want, but you took him from us, now we take all of your loved ones and then we take you."

"Hmmm… I think you're doing things a bit out of order there, kiddo."

He laughed, "So you were meant to think. We knew you'd play the hero. We knew you would come, leaving all of your loved ones alone. It only took one threatening phone call to that doctor to get them all to come. While we're up here taking care of you, others are killing your kin across the river. Wait for it…"

Bo turned to the homestead and watched as weapons fire ignited in the trees. She pulled her knife from its' sheath, cutting the fabric free from the man's thigh,

"You will bleed to death… slowly… for the pain you've caused my family."

"And I'll die knowing my duty to my leader was fulfilled."

"Yea, well you'd be surprised to see how resilient my kin can be. Don't count them out just yet."

He laughed, "Doesn't sound good for them. They sound outnumbered."

Bo smiled, "The sound you hear is your men against fifty federal agents…" A loud scream rang out followed by an explosion, "… and decades worth of trapping knowledge that your people don't have." Bo chuckled, "Outsiders. Think they know it all."

The man struggled to roll over and look across the river, "You… NO! NO!"

Bo smiled, "So, care to surrender? Care to ask your other men to surrender? I mean, you could all go hang out with your fearless leader in prison. You'll lose, we'll live, but at least you'll all be together, right?"

He rolled over, pulling a knife and taking a swing at Bo. She cursed herself for getting cocky the minute the tip grazed her shin, but her blade was out of its sheath just a moment later. With one quick swing, she buried her blade in his abdomen, just below the sternum.

She looked into his eyes, swallowing hard to finish what this man had begun. She wasn't a killer, but this man was giving her no choice. The least she could do is remind him of his most heinous crime,

"My blade is in your aorta. When I pull it out, you will bleed to death in seconds. I'd like you to consider – assuming you were involved in the poisoning of the water supply with that virulent strain of Legionella – that you tried to kill thousands of innocent people – men, women and children. I would like you to brace yourself to be afraid – be very afraid - for you are about to spend all eternity in whatever version of hell your belief system can summon up. Should have made better choices. Good luck."

"Please. Don't. Help me."

Bo's hand remained firm on the end of the blade, "You just swore that you would kill everyone I loved and then kill me. Why on this green earth would I spare you now?"

He was struggling to stay conscious as he replied, "There is no reason. You're right. I'm a killer. I don't deserve life. But what you said… I don't want to spend eternity in hell. I… I'm… I'm afraid."

"Every person you've killed was afraid before you killed them. Why should your fear be a reason I spare you now?"

He looked up at Bo, his eyes bloodshot, his breaths short and quick as his blood now struggled to provide oxygen to keep him alive,

"Because you're not like me. You're not a killer."

Bo lowered her eyes, unable to stomach the sight of the bright red blood that saturated the snow beneath them as she replied,

"I've killed."

He gave a slight shake of his head, "Big Jim told us your mantra… only in self-defense."

Bo shrugged, "There's a first time for everything."

"You won't. You can't."

"I can." Bo replied, her grip twisting on the knife as she prepared to remove it.

"Please. Don't." 

The fear was visible in his eyes and Bo paused for a moment as time seemed to stand still. This young man had been lured into her Father's world, likely because of one of the other men. He was too young to have gotten involved in all of this and in that moment, she wished she could wave her hand over his wounds and save his life. She knew that even if she didn't pull the knife, he had lost too much blood now and with his aorta being blocked, it was only a matter of time. There wasn't enough time to get him to a hospital and even if Lauren were standing right here, it was unlikely she could do much but prolong his suffering.

On the other hand, Bo also recognized that while he may be young, he was also old enough to know better. He should have walked away. As another volley of shots rang out across the river, Bo looked towards her house. Three explosions could be seen as they fired off in succession along the perimeter. They were going to breach the line of agents. It was only a matter of time.

Her voice carried on the wind as she thought of her Father and all of the damage he had done, "How many people did you have working for you? Will we ever find peace on this earth?"

She shook out her thoughts, turning back to the younger man,

"You chose your path and you sealed your own fate when you chose to come here. Whether or not I remove that knife, your life is forfeit. I'm sorry, but there's nothing I can do for you. May whatever God you may worship have mercy on your soul."

"Please! The blonde is a doctor."

Bo shrugged, "And for all we know, she's dead by now if your men have their way."

"Please."

Shaking her head, she chuckled, "I wonder how many of the people you killed said please just before you killed them in cold blood? I wonder how much they pleaded with you not to kill them or their loved ones? Huh?"

She released the knife, deciding to let the man be, but he spoke one last time, "I know I don't deserve it, but I don't want to die. I'll try to stay alive until you come back with the doctor if you can."

"Anything you can do about the gunman below us?"

He shook his head, "He won't listen to me."

Bo shrugged, "So you want me to drag the doc back here after your men have been shooting at her and her family, yet you won't do anything in return for me?"

He gripped his leg, squeezing to keep the blood from pouring out, "He won't listen to me." His face lit up, "But I can tell you… I can tell you how many there are! I can tell you the weapons and our whole plan for attack. I can tell you where the others will come from! Please!"

Bo scowled, "Others? There's more than the ones that are here?"

He nodded, "North Slope and West Coast. There's two more groups. There's only ten in each, but they're the last of those loyal to Big Jim. I swear it."

Bo nodded, "What the name of the leader on the North Slope?"

"Hawthorne. He's some big deal Athabascan elder who's been buying up land for oil rights in the east."

"No Athabascan elder would be in the oil game. They hate the big oil guys."

The younger man shrugged, "Can't speak to that. I'm obviously a white dude, but I'm telling you, he's into oil and he's in it up to his eyeballs."

This was news to Bo, "So he's the money guy?"

"He's more than just the money guy. He's Big Jim's right hand. He does all of the deals and all of the books and with Big Jim in prison, it's all his now."

Bo sighed, "And the west coast group?" She looked over the edge of the mountain crest, noting the position of the man below while the young man explained,

"They're down in Sitka." He chuckled, "They were so pissed that you won the Iditarod after all they did to try to stop your dogs!"

The brunette's head snapped around, her eyes dark as she peered down at the man, the heel of her boot buried in the snow between the man's legs as her foot applied the slightest of pressure to his groin,

"You? You poisoned my dogs?"

"No! No! Not me! I've never done anything like that! I swear! Ahhhh! Stop! Please!"

Bo pulled back, "Who's the head in Sitka?"

"Paul Montgomery. He's from New York, some big Wall Street guy. He launders the money that Big Jim brings in and ships it up to Hawthorne."

He shook his head, "Please. I need the Doc. Look at this! I'm bleeding!"

Bo nodded, "So you are."

She turned her back on the young man. She did not reply, but instead headed down the mountain. It was a dangerous descent, but she had a trail laid. She clipped her harness into the first carabiner hanging from the rock face, giving three hard tugs to be sure it held. She would repel down and land directly over the next gunman, hopefully able to make a silent approach. If not, it wouldn't matter anymore… nothing would… but she had to take the chance. If she could take over that position, she could easily take out the other sniper and then start picking off Big Jim's men from their locations on the mountain before crossing the river to home. Hopefully she could get there in time.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

"Cover me." Lauren shouted to Molly as bullets rushed through the windows from multiple directions.

"Lauren!" Molly called out as the doctor rushed from the cover of the stone pillar, heading for the small bedroom where Elise and Rudy were huddled together on the floor, "Shit!" Molly said, firing a wide spray from the semi-automatic weapon Acacia had given to her from the window seat. Right now everyone in the room was happy that the agent had stashed plenty of heavy arms beneath the lids of the benches, anticipating the possibility of getting pinned down like this. Of course, Acacia hadn't anticipated losing ten agents in the first volley.

Molly held fire, watching as the blonde slid feet first into the room, catching the carpet as she went. She gripped the girls mid-slide pulling them with her. When they stopped, she looked up to see them looking back at her, fear in their eyes as tears streamed down their faces.

"Lauren? Are we gonna die?" Elise asked.

While her heart broke for them, she steeled her will and clenched her jaw, "We are not going to die. We're going to use our big brains and outsmart those bad people out there. You're strong and brave. Both of you."

They nodded in unison as Lauren planted a kiss on each of their foreheads. She looked around the room, knowing that she needed to get to the garage. They would be safe there – for at least a little while. Bo had all sorts of secret spots in this house that she had only just begun to share with Lauren. She'd told her that living off grid as the daughter of a vicious killer made her a target, even though Big Jim was in prison. She wanted strategic ways to maneuver around the house should she ever be threatened – plus, the fire had taught her that she would need a way out – just in case.

Thinking of how she'd installed a drop door for the dogs at the kennel, she began to feel around the floorboards along the wall.

"What are you looking for?" Rudy asked.

"I think your sister may have installed a way out in here." Lauren replied, continuing her search.

Elise searched the room, "Like the ones at the kennel and the General Store?"

Lauren nodded, unwilling to stop, but Elise smiled and pointed, "There."

"What?" Lauren asked, looking at the youngster before following her finger towards where she was directing her attention.

"I don't see anything." Rudy replied.

Lauren agreed, "Me either."

Elise crawled towards the middle of the room across from the bed, "See the change in the color of the wood and the direction of the grain? Bo showed me how to find them when I was working at the kennel."

Lauren smiled, watching as Elise pushed on the middle of a piece of wood and the board opened, revealing an escape hatch. The older blonde moved to the opening and slid her upper body out through the opening. She grinned as she scanned the area,

"Geez, Bo. Ready for world war three much?" Her eyes surveyed the space that, from outside of the home, appeared to be a simple basement covered by lattice trim with aluminum backing to prevent animals from getting inside. In actuality, the space was an armored room with crates of weapons, traps, a sled ramp, dog food, people food and anything else one would need in an emergency shelter. She shook her head, thinking of how there were times when Bo's logic really did pan out. She slid back up to the girls,

"Head on out. There's a compartment down there that's fully protected. I'm going to get the others. Stay down, okay?

The two nodded before doing as told, heading down through the hatch to safety. Lauren turned to Molly who was huddled down against the stone, reloading her weapon,

"Molly! Remember those recently installed escape routes at the clinic? They're here too!" Lauren pointed at the opening in the room, causing Molly to smile,

"Yes! Bo Dennis, I love you and your paranoia!"

"Come on!" Lauren shouted, waving her towards the room, but Molly shook her head,

"If we stop firing, they'll come in and start looking for us. We have to be smart."

Molly looked around, trying to figure out her situation. Finally, she spotted Bo's fishing gear leaning in the corner near the front door. She peaked around the corner, calling out to the group,

"Okay, everyone! We've got a plan!"

Mark rolled onto his back, reloading his shotgun while gunfire rained in over his head, "I certainly hope that plan has something to do with us not dying here."

"That's the idea." Molly said, firing out the window over Mark's head to give him a moment's peace, "I need you to grab Bo's fishing reel."

"Her what?"

"Husband! For once in your life would you just do what I ask? Trust me!" He slid over and grabbed the rod by the handle, removing the reel and tossing it to his wife, "I love when you get bossy. It's hot! Now what?"

Molly rolled her eyes, "Everyone find a way to mount your weapon beneath the window over your head. Make sure It can't be pulled or pushed from its place and make sure you mount the automatic weapon and not just the shotgun! Your personal weapon is going with you."

Molly watched as everyone did as she asked. She turned back to Lauren, "I don't suppose your paranoid girlfriend has weapons down there, does she?"

Lauren grinned and nodded causing Molly to sigh with relief, before she replied, "Remind me to tell Bo I'm grateful she's so damn paranoid!"

Molly used the firing pin to break the fishing line she had unspooled. She unfolded the mounts on the weapon and laid it on the floor, pushing the stock down so the weapon was aimed to fire high out of the window. She gripped the metal container that held the firewood and placed it behind the butt of the gun and then pulled on the fishing line.

"Yes!" She said when the weapon fired, staying put in the spot where she'd mounted it.

Mark looked at his wife who was showing him how her set up worked. He nodded, catching the fishing line and setting up his weapon the same way. It took some time, but eventually, they were all firing with the pull of a string. The shot guns would need reloading, but Acacia came up with the idea of putting the three shot guns in the small bedroom as a last line of defense instead of leaving them beneath the windows.

Acacia, Mark and Tosh used their large hunting knives to break through the floor before threading the strings through so the weapons could be fired from the shelter by pulling the various lines. They all escaped to the safety of Bo's armored war room.

"Wow. My sister really is paranoid. I had no idea…" Tosh said, scratching his head as his eyes scanned the large space that ran the length of the house.

"Okay, let's not judge. Right now, this room is a gift. We have to figure out next steps. We can't stay here forever." Lauren said, trying to be the voice of reason.

Mark nodded, "Well, Bo got us here. What would have been her next plan?"

"Sled path." LJ said, pointing to the launch ramp, "It goes down, but it might not be a finished idea."

He moved to the top of the ramp, his hand on the handle of the sled, "She must have had a way to get the dogs in here."

"From the garage into the kitchen, around the corner into the room and down here. I don't see any other way around." Kurt replied.

"I'm going for the dogs." LJ said, picking up a scrap piece of the metal that surrounded them.

Big Jon nodded, "I'm coming with you."

"No, Dad. This is the only piece of armored scrap metal and it's only big enough for one person."

"Then I'm going."

"Dad. I'll be fine."

"No, LJ. I'm not letting my son…"

"You don't know the dogs, Dad. They're my responsibility. Stay here. Keep firing those weapons to give me cover fire. I'll be fine. I promise."

Big Jon nodded, cursing his grandfather's name as he watched his son crawl back upstairs. They all waited, watching the opening over their heads while Tosh, Acacia, Big Jon, Kurt and Michael paced the pulls on the fishing lines, trying to conserve ammo. Finally, a litter of puppies appeared over the opening, their heads peering down as they yapped aloud to make their presence known. Mark and Molly reached up, gripping each one by the front paws and handing them off to Elise and Rudy,

"Keep them quiet, girls. Keep them happy." Mark cautioned, "We don't need them giving away our position."

One by one, the dogs came into view, making the leap to the ground beneath, each of them wearing a muzzle. Finally, fourteen dogs were pacing around beneath the house,

"That's all of them." Molly said.

Lauren sighed, scratching Harper's head as she peered up into the hole, "Your nephew should be back by now."

Molly gave her shoulder a squeeze, looking past her to the worried face of her brother-in-law. Finally, Acacia stepped up,

"I'm going up. Cover fire, please." She said, looking at the group for a moment before turning her attention to the task at hand.

Everyone watched as the agent slid her weapon through the opening before stepping onto Kurt's hands for a boost up. It felt like an eternity until LJ slid down the hole, bleeding from his left shoulder,

"I think it went through," He said to Lauren, "They got me coming into the garage - stray bullet came… uhhh ahhh… through the garage door window."

"Stray?" Acacia asked.

"You didn't notice? No other windows are broken in there." LJ replied, groaning as Lauren rolled him over to check for an exit wound.

"Through and through." Lauren said, "Anyone see a first aid kit?"

Big Jon shouted, "Here!"

He ran to his son's side, "So stubborn."

"Apple doesn't fall far from the tree, Dad." LJ chuckled.

"You could have been killed."

"You don't know by now? I've got nine lives, Big Man."

"Yea, well last count I think it was down to about five. You're running out, Little Man."

"No worries. I'm here. So, what next?" LJ asked, looking around the room at the concerned faces before his eyes landed on the doctors who seemed to be deep in thought, "What's wrong, Doc? Am I dyin'?"

"What?" She shook her head as she turned her attention back to her patient, "No, I was just thinking… I mean, I was just curious. Why did you muzzle the dogs?" Lauren asked.

"They were barking like crazy. I thought it better no one knew we were down here." He cringed as the doctor applied a pressure bandage to his shoulder, "I dIdn't have muzzles small enough for the pups, but I figured their squeaky barks won't carry far."

He looked over to see the girls cuddling the litter, "Of course, they may just fall asleep exhausted from the stress of it all."

Mark nodded, "As long as that gun fire doesn't get closer."

"Okay, so we're all down here. Now what's the plan?" LJ asked, his eyes surveying the faces of the adults in the room, "I don't like those little girls being in the middle of this. It's not right."

Lauren nodded, then shrugged, "I agree, but we're safe for now – they're safe for now. They're distracted by the puppies which may also help to calm them." She pointed towards the far end of the room, "For now, one of us needs to figure out where that sled run goes. If it can get us out of here, we might be able to get to the trucks and ATV's we brought. Moving targets would be much harder to hit, yes?"

Everyone nodded their agreement as Lauren finished up with LJ's shoulder. Thankfully, the bullet hadn't hit anything vital. He was lucky to be alive and use of his left arm was going to be limited.

Lauren looked at the other adults, all taking turns pulling at the strings that attached to the triggers of the mounted weapons upstairs. It was strange to hear the rhythm of the shots ringing out over head. She looked at the girls sitting in the corner huddled together with the pups pulled close to their chins. She needed to get them out of here. LJ was going to be a problem, but somehow, she needed to get everyone to safety.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

"Bo!" Tamsin ran to her friend who lay bleeding along the bank of the river.

Mary kicked the body of the man beside her, finding him motionless. She rolled him over and jumped back when she saw the familiar handle of Bo's knife in his gut.

"Bo! Talk to me!" Tamsin rolled the brunette over, "No, no, no!"

"Tamsin?"

"Yes, yes it's me, Bo. Where did he get you?"

Bo gripped her head, "Get me? He didn't get me. I landed on that fucking boulder and knocked myself unconscious when he came at me. I buried my knife in his gut and he fell on top of me. Damn that hurts."

She moved to sit up, but screamed gripping her shoulder, "Shit. I forgot. I got hit by a ricochet from a sniper before I landed on him when I was repelling down the mountain."

Tamsin pulled back her layers, revealing the large slash-like wound on the outer side of Bo's shoulder, "It's deep, but it is a graze wound."

"Well, get me bandaged up and get me over to the homestead."

"Bo, your head has a huge gash in it. You're in no condition to fight."

Bo slapped Tamsin's hands away as she stood, but moving too quickly combined with the concussion she surely had made her sway in the breeze. She steadied herself on the very bolder that had done its worst and glared up at her friend,

"Do you hear that?" She asked, pointing across the river, "That's my entire family being hunted like animals! I am not going to lose them! These men are going down. Then I'm heading to Sitka and the North Slope to take down the left and right hands of my father to kill this sick war once and for all."

Tamsin scowled, "Sitka and the North Slope?" She shook her head, "Bo, you're not making any sense."

The brunette pulled the knife from the man's chest before turning to head down river, looking for some cover that would allow her to cross. As she walked, she told her Mother and Tamsin what the young man had told her up on the mountain.

When she finally found the spot she was looking for, they crossed the river, staying low until they reached the high brush and wildflowers just beyond the bank,

"Bo, look." Tamsin said, pulling Bo back to her as she nodded towards the side of the house, "That's a body being pushed out from beneath your house."

Shaking her head, Bo explained, "There's a panic room under my house. I guess they found the sled launch."

"Yea, well there's no snow for that sled, so how are they going to…" Tamsin stopped as she saw LJ lift his head, "It's LJ on the sled."

Bo nodded, "Yea, well he must be hurt."

They watched as Mark's head came up next followed by Molly and the two girls. They stayed low, and when they headed for the barn, Bo knew the plan,

"They're going to take the ATV's, but the minute they start them up…"

"The goons in the woods are going to open fire." Tamsin finished leading Bo to nod.

"We need to create a distraction." Bo said before the blonde nodded towards the backyard,

"Looks like Mary's already on that."

"What is she doing?" Bo asked, starting towards her Mom, but Tamsin pulled her back,

"Let her do her thing, Bo. She's much stronger than you've given her credit for since she arrived here."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Bo watched as her Mom stood and drew her bow. Taking aim at a tree, she let a the arrow fly before crouching back down. About five seconds later, a man hit the ground with a thud leading the nearby group of men to give up their cover and run towards their fallen colleague on the other side of the house.

"I didn't know she could still do that." Bo said, but Tamsin was already heading towards the opening in the house,

"Bo! Come on!" She yelled, drawing the brunette's attention.

Bo nodded, running towards the house, but she was starting to struggle. Her head was pounding and she was getting nauseous and dizzy. Not good. She kept her head down and ran for the house, following in Tamsin's footsteps to avoid running into the small trees the agent used for cover.

She was almost to the entrance of the sled launch when she saw Lauren's head emerge. The doctor turned towards her, their eyes meeting as Tamsin shouted,

"Bo!"

Black and white spots clouded her vision, her breathing grew shallow, her eyes shifted to the sky as the trees seemed to spin in the dim light of the late day before there was darkness.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

Mary Dennis crawled forward through the trunk of the massive downed tree to the opening. She reached down to her waist and pulled the large hunting knife from its sheath on her waist. She listened intently to the footsteps of the men outside, mumbling under her breath,

"White men. So stupid. Their heavy footprints and big guns trampling through the forest as if they are the kings of the hunt. Shoot my daughter, will you? Let's show you how a real warrior hunts… a proud Athabascan warrior woman."

She held the handle of her axe in her right hand, the handle of the knife in her left, the blade of the axe over the long, heavy blade of the knife… waiting and listening. Her mind drifted back to a time long ago…

 _ **Flashback… Yukon Territory… 1970**_

"Mary? Mary! Come, child! It's time to go hunting with your Father!"

Little Mary sat up, pushing her puppy off her legs before running towards the family home. The pup followed happily, barking as they ran up the ramp into the door to the cold room. Once inside, her Mother pulled back the young girls' hood and pulled off her coat,

"You have about fifteen minutes to eat some soup before he's ready to go."

"Can Honor come?"

Mary shook her head, offering a sympathetic frown, "Sorry, child but Honor is too young a pup to be out in the cold for that long."

Mary turned to her dog, "Sorry girl, but you can't come. I promise I'll play with you when I get back."

"After your nap."

She huffed, "After my nap." She knelt down and hugged her puppy, "Will you nap with me?"

The little dog wagged its tail and barked twice.

Mary giggled and followed her Mom into the kitchen. She stepped up on the stool by the stovetop and smile,

"Caribou soup! My favorite!"

Her Mother smiled, nodding as she ladled out a bowl, "I know and this is the last of the Caribou, so I hope you two get a big…"

"Bear!"

Mary's Mom laughed, "Yes, we could make use of some more furs, but you don't like the taste of bear meat!"

The child shrugged, "But that's what Father wants to get. He told me so. He said we need the money."

Nodding, the elder woman agreed, "We could definitely use the money, but we have all we need to survive. I'm more worried about filling our cache with food for the worst of winter."

Mary smiled, "I'll get you a caribou, Mommy. Dad can get the bear."

"Don't forget the fish!"

"We don't fish until the last day."

"I know, sweetheart." She said, giving Mary a piece of bread.

The little girl tore the grain in half and tossed it to Honor who laid down and slowly made her way through the tough, thick bread. Mary watched her Mother work, admiring the long, straight black hair that flowed down her back until her Father entered the home,

"Mary! How's my favorite daughter?"

Mary giggled as her Daddy kissed her cheek, "Are we going to get a big bear?"

"You're going to get a bear. I'm going to get a caribou because Mommy wants us to have food for the worst of winter, Daddy!"

He looked up at his wife, "Mommy wants a caribou, huh? Well, we'll have to see what we can do about that."

Mary watched as her Father dipped her Mother and kissed her neck, then lips. Her Mother laughed, shouting at her husband to stop. Mary smiled brightly. She loved the way her parents were together and now her Mom was expecting a baby. She was very excited that she was going to have a sibling and get to be a big sister. Her plan was to be the best big sister on the planet.

She smiled at her Father as he came to sit beside her, "In a few months, you're going to have a new hunting buddy, Mary! What do you think about that?"

"She's going to have a sibling that will do nothing but sleep, eat and poop, Merit. There will be not hunting for many, many years."

He shrugged, "Mary drew her first bow at age two, hit her first target with an axe at age four and sold her first sable fur at age six." He smiled at his daughter, "She's going to be the best trapper in the country, this one. Right, Mary?"

A proud smile spread across Mary's face as she nodded her agreement, "I'm gonna win the North Slope Junior Axe-Throwing Championship next week, Mommy!"

"Come, Elise. Sit down with us to eat. You always eat over the stove." He waved his wife to the table.

"It's warmer by the stove." She smiled, but relented when she saw Mary's face drop.

She moved across the room taking the seat across from her husband and next to Mary, "You have to beat that nasty little boy, Bear Hawthorne."

"It's not his fault he's bad, Mommy."

"Oh?" Elise replied, her face begging an explanation from her daughter.

Mary nodded, "He's got to live up to his name, right? Names mean something in families."

Merit smiled, "You were named after a very strong woman, Mary."

The child shrugged, "She was a poet, Daddy. What's so strong about that?"

Elise protested, "She was so much more than that, child. We've told you about how Mary Tallmountain's Mother had Tuberculosis, so…"

"The government gave her to white people who took her from her home to Oregon. She had to learn how to survive after being taken from everything she knew. I know, Mommy, but I wish I was named after…"

"Chief Charlie. We know, Mary but Charlie is a boy's name." Merit sighed.

"That's not true! Me and Honor looked it up the other day! Girls can be called Charlotte and then they can be called Charlie! The New York girls do it!"

Elise scowled, "You are a strong, Athabascan warrior in your own right, Mary. Chief Charlie even said so himself. He told you Mary is a strong name. That Mary Tallmountain was a strong, resilient woman who was taken from her native home, yet found her way back to her roots even though she was in the Lower Forty-Eight! Embrace your name, Elise. And instead of researching outsiders, read about Mary Tallmountain."

Her Father stood, "As a matter of fact, Chief Charlie sent this along for you at our meeting last night."

Mary followed her Father, putting her bowl in the washing sink, "You had a meeting last night and you didn't take me?"

He sighed, "You had homework to do before our hunt."

She stood, watching her Father pull a book from her bag. He offered it to her with a smile, "This is a history of our tribes. Neal… Chief Charlie… is still working on creating a working history of our language and he used this very book to start his work."

Mary's tiny hand traced the hand-crafted and hand-etched leather cover, "You mean our whole history is in here?"

Merit nodded, kneeling before his daughter. He pointed to the bookmark, "It is and this bookmark is all about Mary Tallmountain."

Mary's eyes grew wide as she looked up at her Father, "She's in this book?"

Merit smiled, "You don't think your Mother and I would have given you a name from some obscure, nobody, do you?"

Mary looked up at her Mother, "What's obscure mean?"

Elise smiled, "You'll have to look it up when you get back." She turned to her husband, "It's time for you to get going or you'll miss daylight."

He nodded, taking the book from Mary, "You'll have some reading to do when you get back."

"Awww! I can't take it with me?"

Elise moved to her daughter, "It's a very fragile book, Mary. It's been in our tribe since the beginning. It will be here when you get home. Now, go pull on your layers and get ready for your big hunt."

"Right! Daddy, did you pack my hunting knife, my long pole and my shotgun?" Mary asked.

Merit laughed, "Of course I did, Mary."

"And Mommy made us bear spray. Did you pack that?"

"I did, Chief."

She crossed her arms over her chest, "My three best traps?"

"They're all on the sled."

"And our favorite jerky?"

He nodded, "And before you ask, all of your favorite foods, the fuel for fires, the dog booties and three bags of hay for the dogs are also packed. The sled is full and so is the trailer. Now are you going to get ready or am I leaving you behind?"

Mary's eyes went wide before she ran off to her room with Honor in tow. Merit turned to his wife, wrapping his arms around her waist,

"Pray for me while I'm away with our precocious little daughter."

Elise laughed, kissing her husband on the cheek, "I'll pray that you have the answers for all of her questions and I'll pray that she lets you handle the bear."

He shrugged, "Still, I sharpened her knife and axes just to be sure she has a way to defend herself."

"No matter her name, that child is a warrior through and through. I worry about her, Merit."

He nodded, "She knows no fear. It worries me as well. I swear I'll protect her with my life, Elise."

"I know you will, Merit. That's what worries me."

 _ **End Flashback…**_

Mary was pulled from her thoughts by the sound of a twig snapping. She wiped her eyes dry with her sleeve and peered out across the now moonlit lands of the forest. She slid forward, lifting her upper body out of its hiding place and rolled onto her side. She drew back her axe, aimed and threw, her wrist snapping down hard as the axe plunged into the chest of the man closest to her.

He barely made a sound as his eyes looked down at the axe buried in his upper torso before he fell to the ground, landing on the axe.

Mary sighed, as she dragged herself out of the trunk and quickly moved across the forest floor with grace and stealth, her steps intentional and silent as if she'd been born a feline. She rolled the man over with some effort and retrieved her axe, having to pull several times before it came free. She wiped the blade clean on his clothing, picked up his weapon, pulling the strap up and over her head and scaled a nearby tree.

She stilled her breathing as another man approached. She had to take him quickly before he found the body or he would surely call out to his posse. She wrapped her legs around a branch and extended her body out towards the tip. Draping her left arm over the branch, she hung low, freeing her right arm for the toss. Taking aim, she let her axe fly once again, this time burying it in the side of the trespasser's neck. It took only a moment for him to drop to the ground. Mary smiled seeing that this man had the courtesy to land in ground cover. She wouldn't have to move him.

She scanned the area for the closest man and carefully slid down the tree, moving quickly through the ground cover until she reached the first man. She dragged him into the higher brush before using a large branch to cover the drag marks. She then moved quickly towards the group of men approaching her position in a V-formation, guns drawn. She stopped suddenly when she noticed a strange branch sticking up from the soil. She lay down flat, eyeing the suspicious position of the twig,

"You definitely do not belong there. If you had fallen from the tree, you would not have landed straight up, burrowed into the ground like you are. Who put you there?"

It was dark. Too dark to know for sure, but this had to be one of Bo's traps. It was an interesting design – one unfamiliar to Mary, but she had taught her daughter how to manufacture traps from things given to her by nature, so she wasn't all that surprised.

When she finally decided to look overhead, it all became clear. Mounted in the trees was a very large net. She grinned, now seeing the brown thin line that ran down the tree trunk.

"Trip line. Good girl."

She wasn't sure how the net would fall. Would it stay wide until it hit its target or would it fold in the wind and miss? She could only trust that Bo would know what she was doing and would have weighted the net. She waited, watching as the men moved closer together.

"Good location, Bo." Mary smiled, the man to the right moving closer to the man at the center because of a bolder in his path and the man to the left moving closer to middle because of a thicket of pine trees. She set her eyes intently on their feet, watching for one of them to trip over the invisible line likely stretched close to the forest floor.

"Closer… closer… closer… come on… work… please work…"

The grin that spread across her face was wide when she saw her daughter's trap in action. Three shotguns fell from the air as the men were left suspended high in the trees.

She looked around, waiting for men to come to their rescue, their shouts a dead giveaway to her position should she stand, but no one came. Still, taking no chances, she waited once again, admiring her daughters' handywork.

"So, they trip the wire and a sling buried beneath the topsoil comes up from under while the top net comes down. Suspended from only one wire, they flip over several times essentially trapping them in a cocoon. Pretty special, Bo. You'll have to teach your little sister that one."

Fairly certain it was safe to approach, she stood and quickly moved forward, staying low. She followed the set branch to the wire that was now holding one side of the trap. Lifting her left hand, she swung hard, slicing through the cab. She smirked as the three men swung from height to the tree trunk on the opposite side, hitting it hard. All three men let out a collective grunt on impact, only two still conscious. They were still looking around trying to figure out what was happening when she cut the other line and moved to stand over the crumbled lump of men,

"Like I said – white men… think they're so smart."

One man was now moving, so she walked to his side of the heap. Lifting his chin with her blade so that she could look into his eyes, she asked,

"Do you know who I am?"

"Huh? Uh… look, Lady… you gotta help us! That crazy Bo Dennis rigged these woods with traps! She's a crazy murderer!"

"Oh? And who invited you onto her lands?"

"We're here to take down a demon! We're saving Alaska from the likes of that half-breed!"

"See, now that's where you've made your seventh mistake for the day."

"Huh?"

"You see, your first mistake was entering into a gang like Big Jim's. Your second mistake was the failure to recognize that you were associating with the wrong people the first time they asked you to do something illegal. Your third mistake was getting on a plane and flying to Alaska. Your fourth mistake was taking the train to Talkeetna where Bo Dennis is not only well-known, but well-loved. Your fifth mistake was daring to come onto her land. Your sixth mistake was attacking her family and now, we've arrived at your seventh mistake… well, maybe it's more like the tenth, because there's the whole taking up a weapon, walking through lands that you know nothing about – trapper's lands – in the dark, assuming that because you're a man that you can easily defeat a woman… well, you get the idea… you've made a lot of mistakes. But the biggest and the worst was referring to Bo Dennis as a half-breed and telling you that this fine state needs to be rid of her."

She stood, flipping her knife over and over in her hand, "You see, my name is Mary Dennis, mother of Bo Dennis and you've just insulted an Athabascan warrior…"

She licked the blade of her axe, tossing it end over end in her hand before twirling it around, "My daughter made this axe and the last time I saw her, she was dropping to the forest floor after being shot. Now, the doctor was right by her side when I began my hunt for her killers, but if she's dead, you'll be grateful I killed you and yours quickly. Of course, I might also be convinced to spare your stinkin' life if you're willing to provide me with information on Big Jim's operation."

"I'll tell you anything you want to know! Just please, don't kill me! I've got a wife and kids!"

She knelt down before him once again, "Then what in the world are you doing here? Why aren't you home with them?"

He smirked, "Why weren't you home with Bo?"

Rage burned through the veins of the native as she stared down at the man trapped in his daughter's snare, "That was your final mistake, sir. May your family know peace in your death."

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

As Tamsin approached the cluster of tall trees as the west end of Bo's property, she saw Mary sitting up against a tree. She had tripped over two bodies in the bush just behind the homestead and followed the woman's trail through the low ground cover to this point.

She was still. Very, very still. She walked slowly, hoping to all of the native Gods she'd ever heard spoken of that this woman was alive. There were cables and rope hanging from the trees and what looked like a bundled cargo net of bodies beside her. There was blood… lots and lots of blood.

She decided to take a wide berth so as not to disturb any evidence but had to drop to the ground when Mary turned, heaving an axe and blade in her direction. She found herself in a choke hold just a moment later. She tapped the woman's harms feverishly, but the woman did not relent. Finally, she was able to move to a half-stand and flip her over her head before pressing her shoulders into the ground,

"MARY! MARY! It's me! It's Tamsin!" She shouted until the woman's eyes went wide with recognition.

"Tamsin. I'm… I'm so sorry. I thought…"

"I know. It's okay. Are you okay?"

Mary sat up, looking to her side where the men lay in a clump, "They uh… they…"

"Mary. Look at me." Tamsin said, turning the woman's head so she held her eyes, "You did what you had to do." She looked down, "You did it a bit… excessively… but you're alive and they're dead. That's all that matters."

"He called her a half-breed. He called her…"

"Mary, come on. I need you to come with me. Bo's been shot."

Mary nodded, "I saw. Is she… Tamsin, please tell me she isn't…"

"She's alive, Mary, but she's in bad shape."

Tamsin watched as the woman gathered her thoughts for a long moment, then stood, walking towards the grotesque sight of where the warrior had been unleashed. She had shown no mercy, taking the lives of all three men, two who had been unconscious at the time. She pulled her knife from the neck of one man and her axe from the head of another before wiping the blades clean on the forest floor.

She sheathed the knife on her leg before sheathing the axe on her back and walked to the trees that held the weapons she had hurled at Tamsin. One was mounted to her hip the other to her thigh before she walked back to the bloody scene once again. She picked up the three shotguns in addition to the one she had confiscated previously,

"These should not be left lying around where children may be playing. As a matter of fact, there are likely weapons all over the forest now. They can do a great deal of damage and are not safe to be left unattended."

She headed back towards the homestead, leaving Tamsin holding the pile of four guns, "These are dangerous?" Tamsin mumbled, "And you with your sharp pointy objects are not?"

She shook her head and followed, watching as the woman seemed to drag her feet across the topsoil of the woods. The words she had spoken to her on the train echoed through Tamsin's head,

" _My soul is dying. This war had raged on long enough and I fear my soul will be sacrificed to save my children."_

The woman had then fallen into a deep sleep, leaving Tamsin to play with her young daughter. One thing was certain, if her soul truly was dying, Bo's death would surely be the end of it. She couldn't help but think it would be a mistake to share the intel they had gotten from Bo about the two remaining threats in Sitka and the North Slope with this woman would be a mistake. But still, that was what Acacia planned to do. She was convinced that Mary would know these two men and she had every intention of gaining any advantage Mary could provide with that knowledge.

They walked, both women silent and heads down… until Mary heard the snap of a branch and the whoosh of an arrow rush past her head. She motioned to Tamsin to get down and the blonde immediately complied, taking one of the shotguns and mounting it to her shoulder. She looked through the site, searching for a shooter until she saw what looked like a bear moving through the brush.

She pointed in the direction of the movement, drawing a nod from Mary who slowly reached up to the tree behind her and pulled down the arrow that had been released on her position. She examined it, shaking her head when she saw the gold-painted initials below the mount of the tip… G.W.

She sighed before pulling her axes from their sheaths and standing to face her opponent,

"Come on out, Little Brother. Let's do this as Father taught us, shall we?"

A loud bellow of laughter came from the distance as a large, dark-skinned man stood, throwing the large bear skin from his shoulders and stepping towards his elder sister,

"Mary. My lovely big sister. How are you? It's been a long time! How's my rambunctious little niece, Ysabeau? I shot her, you know."

It was a statement of fact. One that obviously made him proud.

"Does it make you feel powerful like all of those white men of yours to kill an innocent woman?"

"Innocent? She's a filthy half breed, Mary! You tainted our line!"

"You know, it will never cease to amaze me that all of you hate the fact that Bo's blood is tainted with non-native blood when that other blood belongs to your boss!"

"Mother and Father would be sick to know that you strayed from our native roots!"

"Mother and Father know that a man like Big Jim doesn't exactly give young women without parents a choice!"

"The only reason we didn't have parents is because YOU killed them!"

"I did NOT kill our parents!"

"If they hadn't had to save you, they would still be alive!"

Mary hung her head, knowing that every word coming from her brother's mouth was true. It had been her greatest source of guilt her entire life and now that she was back in Alaska, the shame had only grown with flashbacks from her childhood. The memories were eating away at the very core of her being. Gemini would be a different man if their father had been around to raise him.

"So, let's do this thing, Sis. Huh?"

"Well, I would but you always cheated, didn't you, Gem?"

Gem chuckled, "No, you always accused me of cheating. It's not my fault you couldn't count to three."

"Okay then, so we draw on three or on two then?"

"I'll draw on three, you'll be too slow and then you'll be dead, giving me a clear path to your little girl."

Mary shook her head, "No, you say you'll draw on three, but you'll draw on two and you'll be too slow then _you'll_ be dead. My little girl will live on and you'll be dead."

She frowned as she said the words, "You know, it's too bad, Gem. Ysabeau really loved you. You were her best friend and only Uncle. Then you took off after Big Jim and never came back. She needed you, Gem and you turned on her. You betrayed me."

"You left her, Mary. Don't put that on me."

"I didn't have a choice, Gem and you knew it! You said you would take care of her and you pawned her off on a schoolteacher she barely knew!"

"What did you expect, Mary? You expected me to be a single Dad to your kids?"

"You were the one who was supposed to carry on our line, Gemini. You were the one who could have changed everything or Ysabeau. She had so much promise and without Big Jim to hold her back, she would have been something truly special."

Tamsin interjected, "She is something special. She's really special. So, while the two of you are sitting here whining away about your past like children, I think I'll go see to her needs. You two can kill each other for all I care. This feud between all of you so-called grown-ups gets more and more ridiculous the more I hear. What the hell is wrong with you people?"

Tamsin picked up the pile of weapons and headed down the path towards the house, but Mary's shout drew her attention. She stopped, turning towards her voice, but instead saw her toss an axe her way, deflecting an arrow mere inches from her chest before heaving another side-armed into her brother's chest just as he released an arrow. The man's projectile missed its intended target, instead hitting Mary in the side. She folded up, dropping to her knees before falling onto her side.

"Shit! I forgot how much that hurts." She said, her eyes on her brother to be sure he was staying down, "Check him. He's got a lot of layers on. Don't drop your guard. He can draw an arrow faster than you can shoulder a shotgun."

Tamsin drew her sidearm, "Good thing I can pull a trigger faster than he can sit up then."

Mary watched as the blonde moved cautiously towards the man, kicking him several times before using the bottom of her boot to push him over. His eyes were like dark pools of glass, blood draining from his mouth. She watched blood spurt out around the axe as his heart pumped the last of its beats.

"He's dead." She watched as Mary shook her head, "Sorry."

"Honestly, I thought he was already dead. Still, he was a man of his word. The last time I saw him he told me that if we ever met again it would be me or him."

Tamsin nodded, "I'm sure your daughters will be happy it was him. Can you walk?"

She looked down at her side, "Got a lighter or matches on you?"

"You're not going to…"

Mary nodded, "I'm losing too much blood. If I don't cauterize the wound, I'll be dead before we make it back to the clinic in Talkeetna."

"Okay, okay. Tell me what to do."

"Go tear a strip of cloth off my brothers' clothes, wrap it around a stick and set it on fire. Bring one of his arrows back with you too."

Tamsin did what she was told and returned holding a flaming torch and an arrow.

"Kneel down here in front of me. Break the tip off the arrow and hold it into the flame."

Mary watched as Tamsin followed her directions. She laid down on her side, trying to relax. She'd had to do this once before. She had passed out. This time, she needed to try to stay conscious.

"I don't think the arrow hit anything vital. Because the arrow's in there, there won't be much blood. When I pull the arrow out, the bleeding will be mostly internal until it gets too heavy for my body to hold it in. So, you're going to break off the tip of the arrow, then push it through while I pull it out from the front. As you push it out, replace it with the heated arrow. That should cauterize anything that's been opened. If it's good and hot, it should also kill anything that was on shaft."

"Geezus. Are you serious?" Tamsin asked, staring at the tip of the arrow.

"Do it, Tamsin. Do it or I die before we get back. Do it or you'll have to carry me out of here."

Tamsin pressed the end of the torch into the ground and handed the hot arrow to Mary. She moved behind Mary and gripped the shaft before breaking off the tip. She took the arrow back from Mary and heated it up once more,

"You'd better wrap something around the arrow so your hands don't slip." Mary cautioned.

Tamsin nodded before snapping off the tip and pushing the arrow in, chasing it with the now red metal of the other arrow. There was a loud scream before Mary collapsed from the pain, passing out cold. Looking down, at her hand, she wasn't sure what to do next. Was she supposed to remove the arrow? Of course, that could start the bleeding again, but she decided that if she left it in, the blood would start to clot, making it impossible to move. She pushed it through the rest of the way, relieved when she noticed very little blood on the shaft.

"Lauren's going to kill me for doing that."

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

"I understand this is a difficult time for you, Lauren but you are under contract and I need you in Boston! End of discussion!"

"Then I quit!" Lauren replied.

Evony turned to the doctor, standing only inches from her face, "Then I will own you. I will take everything you own. I will take everything your girlfriend owns and I will make sure that Tamsin is working in some dark Federal basement sorting files for the rest of her life! I will withdraw charity care from your friend Kyle and she will spend the rest of her life eating meals through a straw, pinned to a wheelchair as she withers away into nothing."

"Evony!" The nurses said in unison.

She turned to the three women, pointing at each of them, "I take it the three of you don't value your jobs either?"

Lauren held up her hands, "Fine. I'll go, but my flight doesn't leave until tomorrow evening, so I would appreciate it if you would stay out of my way until then."

"We have things to discuss."

"Not things that are more important than the care of my patients. The coroner will be arriving shortly, and I have a mountain of paperwork to finish. Then, I believe that Sheriff Thornwood will want to take my statement. In accordance with my contract, I have full decision-making power in medical matters, and you have no jurisdiction where matters of law enforcement are concerned, particularly in a federal investigation."

At that moment, Acacia came to join the group from behind the curtain of one of the treatment rooms. She pulled on her jacket and approached the group, pretending she hadn't heard Evony's rant. In truth, Acacia had come to feel a connection to these people. They'd been to war together and she owed them, especially Lauren. She had saved the lives of several of her agents.

"Has anyone seen Tamsin?" She asked.

Lauren turned to Acacia, "She just called. She's on her way in with Mary, who was apparently shot with an arrow."

Acacia nodded, "And who's this?"

Evony didn't wait to be introduced. She shot her hand out and took the matter into her own hands, "The name is Evony Fleurette Marquis and I am the owner of this establishment and the boss of the medical staff."

Acacia chuckled, "Big boss lady, huh? Well aren't you special."

"Excuse me?"

"Nah." Acacia replied, "Lauren, would it be possible for me to start making the rounds to take statements? Apparently, I'm a bit short-staffed at the moment, so I'd like to get started if I can. I'll save you for last as I'm sure you're busy tending to the wounded."

Lauren shrugged, "I'm afraid that most of them are in no condition for conversation, but Mark and Molly are sitting with LJ. They should be able to give you a good run down."

Acacia nodded, "Mark and Molly it is." 

Lauren stopped the woman, "Acacia, you're bleeding again."

The elder agent looked down at her side, "Dammit. Why won't it stop bleeding?"

"Maybe because she's vertical and I told her not to leave the bed!" Doctor Chapman said, walking towards the group.

Lauren frowned at Acacia, "I know you are trained to put work first and your own life second, but you have got to take a beat, Agent. Please, go with Dr. Chapman so he can repair your stitches and then stay in bed. I'll have Tamsin start the interviews when she gets in as long as she isn't injured."

Acacia nodded, "Fine, but make sure you take care of yourself too, Doc." She said, pointing at Lauren's side.

"That's not my blood. It's Bo's."

"I didn't mean take care of our wounds, Doc. I meant take care of you."

Lauren gave a half smile as the agent in charge was led away by the other doctor on staff. She turned to Evony and sighed,

"Leave, Evony. Leave now if you're not going to show any empathy or help. You have no place in a hospital where people are suffering after a tragedy of this magnitude, so get out."

"It's my hospital. I can stay if I want to."

"Actually, you're aggravating my staff and my patients, so no you can't. As I said, in medical matters, you may not overrule me. It's in my contract. Break that contract and I will sue you for everything you own. I will own the hospital and employ everyone here. I will give them all raises and use the money we make for good rather than designer clothing, limos and private jets."

Evony smirked, "I can't wait to have you back in Boston. Tata, ladies."

The four women watched as the boss left the clinic. Voice raised in unison, "Bitch."

There was a pause as they all looked at each other, then burst out laughing. It was Shannon who spoke first,

"Lauren, you're not seriously going back to Boston with Bo in critical condition, are you?" 

The blonde shrugged, "She's right. I'm not worried about myself and I know the three of you could get work anywhere else, but Bo… Evony wasn't kissing when she said she would own her and let's face it – Bo has been through enough."

"But how could she possibly hurt Bo?" Kelly asked.

"With everything that's been going on including the fire at the construction site, they're behind schedule. She could sue Bo for breach of contract or at the very least, bury her in fines. At worst, she would hire another company leaving Bo with no income to pay her workers for the work they've done so far. She has money, but she doesn't come close to having the bankroll that Evony to fend her off."

"Well, I just talked to Kenzi and she said that Hale told her that Evony has put this place up for sale."

"What?" Lauren asked, her eyes set on Carolyn as she explained.

"Apparently with the hospital opening, she plans to divert all patient care to the hospital. She's going to move the equipment over there and sell this place off as a retail business."

Lauren's jaw clenched, "And where are the three of you going?"

Kelly shrugged, "We're not supposed to know she's selling. She did mention to us that we would be having our end of the year evaluations just before Christmas and that she would renegotiate our contracts at that time."

Shannon nodded, "I asked her if she was expecting to move us back to Boston and she just said no. There was no explanation, no alternate destination, nothing. We have no idea if she's keeping us on staff or firing us."

"Right before Christmas, huh?" Lauren asked.

The three women nodded.

A throat cleared, causing the four women to look over their shoulders to find Dr. Chapman standing just outside of their circle,

"If I may… and you should know that I am no fan of Evony's… but maybe there's a retirement clause in your contract, Doctor Lewis?"

Lauren laughed, "Retirement? Why would I retire? I mean… I can't retire. Retirement is for elderly doctors and I'm just…"

"Doctor Lewis, I'm merely giving you the only option that would allow you to exit your contract without repercussion." 

Lauren stopped, her eyes locked on the other doctor's as he stood calmly, "I'm retiring at the end of this year."

"You? But you're only in your early forties. You've got a family."

He smiled, "The beauty of a retirement clause. I'm permitted to work in any setting other than the one where I am currently employed. My official duties are at Seattle General, not here. If I retire from Seattle, I can choose any other non-hospital setting."

"Meaning you could work here if you wanted to." Lauren smirked.

He nodded, "And I must say, that you are one of the most honorable physicians I have ever had the pleasure of working with. I would love to work for you should you, say… ever own a clinic. Check for that retirement clause. I've been talking to other doctors. It seems it's a standard clause her lawyers recommend she have in all of her contracts. It prevents us from working for a competing hospital but also gives us a way out, so we're not considered indentured servants."

Lauren smiled, giving the man a nod as she pressed her hands into her lab coat, "Thank you. Thank you for helping me to see outside of Evony's box."

He smiled, "She does have a way of making people see only her point of view. Remember, Doctor, she's not as smart as you. Not even close." He looked down at his watch, "Now, I believe Kelly has a flight to catch with Kurt who is leaving for Anchorage for a supply pick up in about twenty minutes. Doctor Lewis, you look exhausted. I am ordering you to take the rest of this shift off. You've been through a tremendous ordeal; you have several cuts and scrapes that could become infected if they're not properly cleaned and you need sleep. I'd say all of that will take about twelve hours at which time, you can come back to brief me on the clinic before you leave for Boston."

Lauren smiled, "Doctors' orders, huh?"

He nodded, "And I believe there's two little girls who are quite traumatized by the events of the last several hours. They might need a house call as well, so if you need a bit more time, I'll be here and so will the nurses."

They all nodded, leading Lauren to smile. It warmed her heart to have the support of so many.

She nodded, turning to Kelly, "I suppose we have a flight to catch."

Kelly nodded, "We need supplies, so we really do need to leave on time. Do you have any goodbyes you want to say?"

Carolyn shook her head, "We'll make sure everyone is here tomorrow. Just make sure you make arrangements with Kurt to fly you to the airport."

Lauren nodded, "I'll need time to pack…"

"Lauren, we know what has to happen before you go from Alaska to Boston and before you say anything, we know you're unsure about returning. We'll make sure that everything is ready to go from here in your apartment and at Bo's house."

The blonde nodded. The thought of taking her things out of Bo's house was… well, she was glad that someone else was going to do it. She turned to Kelly,

"I'll see you at the airstrip in ten minutes."

Kelly nodded, "See you there."

"You'll make sure Bo's Mom is well cared for?" She said to the remaining three as Kelly exited the clinic.

Shannon smiled, "She'll get our best, Doc."

"Thank you all again." She turned and headed up to her apartment to gather an overnight bag.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **Four hours later, Anchorage General Hospital, Trauma Unit**_

"Hello, Doctor Lewis. We've been expecting you."

Lauren smiled at the night nurse, taking the offered chart, "How's my patient?"

The nurse sighed, "The surgery was successful, but she's been in an out of consciousness. She's in a great deal of pain."

Lauren shook her head, "The surgical report says that the arrow splintered?"

The woman nodded, "The bullet lodged in the soft tissue of her abdomen and, as you suspected, was a through and through. It nicked an artery, but the doctors credited your quick work in the field with saving her life. The arrow, on the other hand, was a bit of an ordeal. It hit her hip and splintered. They found pieces of graphite in seven different parts of her body. They were concerned about attempting an MRI to rule out any other splinters, but…"

"The magnetic field would be too dangerous because the arrow wasn't wooden. It was a metal. Have they considered…"

"They're doing a PET Scan in the morning. For now, she needs as much rest as she can get."

"Of course." Lauren replied, "Thank you."

The nurse smiled as Lauren turned and headed for the intensive care unit. She'd become all too familiar with this hospital since Kyle's stay here before being moved to Seattle. She had hoped that she would spend the night wrapped in Bo's arms before she'd left, but now, here she was, visiting Bo in a hospital bed again. It seemed as if since the day they'd met there was always some sort of impending doom lurking in the shadows of their lives. Was this really the best they could hope for as a couple?

She entered the room to find a restless Bo tossing and turning in the bed. The nurse was about to administer another injection, but Lauren stopped her,

"Please. I'd like to see what happens when she's conscious."

"She's in pain when she's conscious. Who are you?"

Lauren looked down, noticing that her jacket was covering her credentials, "My name is Doctor Lewis. This is my patient. I have surgical privileges here, but she had to come ahead of me."

"Yea, well someone really did a number on her. I hope they got the bastard."

Lauren nodded, "They did, thank you."

The nurse nodded, "Just hit the nurses' button when you're ready for the injection. I'll come running."

Sitting by Bo's bedside, Lauren nodded. She turned to face the brunette. It was the first time she'd seen her in the light. Kurt had airlifted her in his chopper right from the trail before they'd ever made it to Talkeetna. Lauren had to stick around to take care of the wounded and tag the dead for the coroner. She'd done all she could for Bo and she knew she had to stay busy or she would go crazy waiting for her to get out of surgery.

As she gazed down at the face that she'd come to adore, she found it covered in bruises and cuts. She had no idea what had happened when she'd gone off on her own, but she had a knife wound to the side and leg, to match the arrow and gunshot wounds.

"What were you thinking! I can't protect you if you go running off on your own! You want to be a couple, but you make these crazy decisions for yourself. If you want us to be together, then you have to give me a say."

She laid her head in her hands on the bedside, her fingers finding Bo's. She closed her eyes for a moment, but sat straight up when she felt Bo's fingers curl around her own. She looked at the brunette who was staring up at her with drowsy eyes,

"Bo?"

"I hear you and I'm sorry. I don't know how to be a couple. I didn't think… I'm so used to being alone."

Lauren stared down at the fingers in her hand. The nurses hadn't cleaned her hands yet. She leaned over and grabbed one of the wet wipes on the bedside table and got to work cleaning the grime from beneath her nails.

"Lauren, you don't have to do that."

The blonde ignored Bo's words, continuing to work, but the brunette wasn't having it.

"Lauren, please. Talk to me before I fall back to sleep again. Are you okay? Is everyone okay?"

Still, Lauren said nothing, unable to reply as she was holding back tears about the news she was about to deliver. Maybe she should wait until morning.

"Lauren, you're scaring me! Is someone dead?"

The blonde looked up, tears betraying her, "Everyone is alive, Bo. Your Mom was shot with an arrow by your Uncle Gemini, but she's going to make a full recovery thanks to Tamsin's emergency first aid."

"Tamsin did first aid, huh?"

"Mary insisted." Lauren smiled, "She took down six men on her own, Bo. I think any doubts you had about her attention should be put aside now."

"Six men?"

Lauren nodded.

"So everyone is alive… then why are you crying?"

Lauren sighed, "I… I don't know if or how to say this."

Bo squeezed Lauren's hand, "Just say it, Lauren. You can tell me anything."

Pausing for a long moment, Lauren lowered her eyes, her work on Bo's fingers now more of a nervous act than an actual attempt to clean her hands,

"Evony showed up at the clinic…"

"No."

"Bo…"

"No. Not now. You're not leaving now. I'm not ready!"

Lauren looked up, her heart clenching as tears fell from Bo's eyes. She heard the monitor sound and cursed herself for telling her. She stood, watching as the brunette's heartrate soared,

"Bo, I need you to calm down. Sweetie, calm down."

The nurse came into the room and immediately prepped the syringe when she saw Lauren give her a single nod. Leaning down, Lauren whispered,

"No amount of distance can change the love I feel for you, Bo. Sleep. I'll be here when you wake up. We still have tomorrow, Bo. I promise. We will have tomorrow. I'll be right here. I love you."

The brunette looked up at the blonde who leaned down and kissed her forehead. She gave her a weak smile and a gentle kiss on the lips before she whispered,

"No distance can take our love away."

"I love you, Lauren. I'm not ready." Bo said before the drug took hold and sleep claimed her.

Lauren lay her head on the brunette's chest for a moment, then sat back in the chair, never letting go of her hand. She looked up at the nurse who had her arms crossed over her chest,

"Your patient, huh?"

"My girlfriend who became my patient when they came for her and shot her. She saved ten people today. She's the strongest woman I know. I did emergency care in the field and had them chopper her here where someone who could be objective could operate. We had twenty people in my clinic up in Talkeetna. I came as soon as I could. She knew I had bad news. I shouldn't have told her. Not yet."

"Is there a war zone nearby that I don't know about?" The nurse asked.

Lauren let out a chuckle, "You heard about Big Jim?"

The woman laughed out loud, "What a whack job that guy is. Heard he tried to kill his own kid. Came after her at the Iditarod and she lived to tell the tale. Heard a hundred men were chasing her the whole way."

Lauren kept her eyes on Bo as she replied, "You don't really believe a hundred men were chasing one woman, do you?"

"Nah, but a friend who ran in the Iditarod said there were Feds everywhere trying to get the guy."

"About twenty men chased her. In the end, she survived and won the race. Big Jim ended up in cuffs."

"Well, any guy who tries to kill his own kid deserves to be in jail."

Lauren nodded, "Well, this is the kid he tried to kill."

The nurses' eyes went wide, "Wait – this chart says Jane Doe."

Lauren smiled, "She doesn't like attention."

"This is Bo Dennis, the Iditarod Champion?"

"One and the same." Lauren smiled.

"Who the hell did this to her?"

"Big Jim still has men loyal to him out there. His men are still chasing her and her Mom. They came for us at Bo's home. A lot of people died."

"And you told her who died?"

Lauren nodded, "Something like that."

It did feel like a death. It felt like half of her was being ripped away. Why had she been so adamant about leaving? In this moment, it seemed insane. She loved this woman. She loved the fight in her. She loved the life she'd found here. She loved the family they'd created here. But the constant fight against Bo's past was exhausting. Still, that wouldn't last forever, would it? Surely, they would find safety and settle into a normal life.

Lauren chuckled knowing that life would Bo would be anything but normal. She looked up at the nurse who was hanging Bo's chart and checking her drip lines.

"She'll sleep for a few hours now. When she wakes, if she remembers what you told her, try to keep her calm, okay? That heart rate was dangerous for her condition."

"I'm aware." Lauren snapped, immediately regretting it, "I'm sorry. I just… I'm tired."

The nurse came over to Lauren, "You're hurt."

Looking down, Lauren noticed the gash on her arm, "I hadn't noticed. I must have… well, I honestly don't know what happened. A lot of things happened."

"I can clean and stitch that up for you if you'd like." The nurse offered.

Lauren nodded, "No sense getting an infection. Can you do it here? I don't want to leave her. I promised I'd be here."

"Of course."

"If I fall asleep, please feel free to continue." Lauren smiled.

"I wasn't going to say anything, but you do look exhausted."

The doctor nodded, "I don't even know how long I've been awake. It's been a long time, though."

"You rest. I'll take care of that. Do you have any other wounds?"

"None that I know of."

"Well, you can hop in her shower if you'd like. I can give you some scrubs."

"That would be great. I'd love to wash this day away."

"Well, why don't you scrub down in the shower and I'll be back in about fifteen minutes. Be careful with that."

Lauren nodded, watching the nurse leave and come back with a set of scrubs.

"Here you go."

"Thank you, nurse."

"Nancy. My name… it's Nancy, Dr. Lewis."

"Thank you, Nancy."

Lauren looked at Bo. She was happy that she was sleeping soundly, but she desperately wanted to hold her and be held back. This wasn't the goodbye she had hoped for – not by a long shot. She sighed and stood, deciding a shower would be the best thing right now. The nurse would stitch her up, she would pass out and when she awoke, Bo would be awake, and they would have some time together. For now, that's what she had to focus on. They had time.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_


	15. Chapter 15: Back to Boston

**A/N:** _Thank you so much for the reviews and messages! I truly appreciate the feedback and the support. I hope everyone had a merry, happy holiday season!_

 _The time has come for Lauren to head home…_

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **Chapter 15: Back to Boston**_

It had been two days since the attack victim had come into the Intensive Care Unit and Nurse Nancy Fastwater had spent a good amount of that time talking to Doctor Lauren Lewis. She'd spent even more time investigating the doctor's background and that of their local hero, Ysabeau Dennis. Nancy had grown fond of the pair and their story, but even more – fiercely protective of the couple and their privacy.

Nancy prided herself on being a strong, stubborn, smart and savvy middle-aged woman both personally and professionally. She had seen a great deal in her years as a nurse and had learned the value of running a tight ship from her mentor who had retired a few years ago. When Dr. Lewis had warned her not to test the patience to winning. The woman was calling the doctor incessantly and the nurse called it what it was – harassment – and encouraged the young doctor to take legal action. It was something that Lauren had never considered an option, but suddenly it was there in the back of her mind whenever Evony called.

Nancy took the lightweight blanket from the foot of her patient's bed and covered her sleeping companion, smiling when she pulled her legs up onto the chair and curled into the soft warm cloth. Nancy grinned with satisfaction at the sight of the doctor. She was meant to leave yesterday, but the nurse had managed to do what Dr. Lewis had said was impossible - fend off the most incredible bitch of a woman she'd ever met by using her contacts to close the airstrip in Anchorage making her departure impossible.

It gave the doctor a few more days here. Nancy wasn't quite certain why she had done it, but she was a stout defender of her patients and she was well aware that Lauren was the best medicine for her patient right now. When Lauren stood to leave yesterday, Ysabeau was in tremendous distress, so Nancy had acted on instinct when she picked up the phone and called in every favor she was owed. Of course, keeping Bo sedated also helped to calm her, but she had slept peacefully since being assured that Lauren wouldn't be leaving for at least a few days.

Satisfied that the pair were settled, she left the room and returned to the Nurses' station. She smiled at the clock, knowing that it was soon time to reject yet another of the daily phone calls from Miss Evony Fleurette Marquis. She was passionately in loathe with that woman and was looking for any way to get on her last nerve.

Yesterday Evony had dropped by the hospital in an attempt to see the doctor. Nancy had lied, insisting that Lauren was not at the hospital and called security to have the woman forcibly removed. When Evony threatened to sue the hospital for not giving her access to _'her doctor_ ', the President of the Board showed up and reminded her that as a hospital owner herself, she was well aware of the laws regarding patient confidentiality. When Evony began to argue, he reminded her that in Intensive Care Units, only partners and immediate family were permitted – she was neither, so he was well within his rights to physically removed her from the premises if she would not walk out under her own power.

Nancy had watched the entire altercation, but the entire time, she couldn't shake the feeling that Evony saw Doctor Lewis as some sort of indentured servant. The way she referred to Lauren as 'her doctor' unnerved the nurse and again, she mentioned to Lauren taking legal action against her.

This morning, Evony was particularly insistent. The woman had yelled down the hallway to Lauren, threatening to fire her if she didn't come out and speak to her immediately. Behind her back, Nancy quickly picked up the phone and called Lauren in Bo's room to ask her if she was supposed to be on duty at the hospital. The doctor had explained that her shifts were all covered because she was supposed to be gone by now. As it stood, she had called in to the clerk in Boston, logging vacation days just to be sure she remained within the bounds of her contract. As a side note, Lauren had told Nancy that she had accumulated hundreds of days of sick and vacation time since coming into Evony's employ, so she could legitimately take off months and still have a job. Nancy had giggled into the receiver before hanging up so she could return to looking busy over medical charts.

When the Nurse could stand the yelling no more, she called security again, asking Jed to hold Evony until the clinic could be called to see if Lauren was there. When Nancy got Carolyn on the phone to speak with her boss, she told Evony that Lauren was well within her rights to use some of her banked time off and that the good doctor had people to see before she was forcibly removed from Alaska by her boss.

Evony didn't like Carolyn's tone, so reminded her that she could be removed from her job. Carolyn laughed and hung up, knowing that Evony was not about to fire her unless she could find someone with her qualifications in Alaska. What Evony didn't know was that all three of the Nurses had been in touch with their friend back in Boston and learned that their boss was alienating staff right and left. Many people had quit in Lauren's absence. Nadia was now competing with Evony for top 'bitch from hell' status and no one wanted to work with the two women. Even if Evony did fire her, Carolyn didn't care. She and Shannon had already discussed shifting their employment to the Anchorage hospital – especially if they weren't going to be working for Lauren.

Nancy had inserted herself into an employment nightmare and came out with more information than she had wanted. One thing was for certain – she would no longer be applying for a job at Talkeenta General when it opened. There was no way she was going to work for Evony, and she was certainly not going to tell her that Lauren was actually in Bo's hospital room. For now, she would continue running the façade with Doctor Lewis to buy her more time so that her girlfriend could heal enough to handle her departure emotionally and physically. She felt bad for the couple – especially for Bo. The woman had been through so much.

Nancy was no hermit. She had heard the stories about the Musher and had watched others fear the dark woman when she'd come into town. She had known many Big Jim Morton's in her life, so saw right through his attempts to slander the native. She was not easily convinced as the rest of the people in the city when it came to believing rumors. She was one who liked to judge people and truths for herself. The more she watched the well-known Iditarod runner when she came to town, the less she believed about all that Big Jim had told the townsfolk.

Hearing the buzzer sound for Bo's room, she stood and walked the short distance down the unit hallway to Bo's room. She stopped in the doorway when she saw that Bo was still sleeping. Lauren was standing, arms folded on the other side of the room staring out of the large picture window. This was the position she found the doctor in most hours of the day since Bo was admitted. She never left the room. Never. Bo's condition had been upgraded from critical to serious, but the doctor still paced the room most hours of the day. She'd done everything from Bo's room and Nancy had helped her to do so by ordering take out and keeping her showered, hydrated and fed.

Nancy's online research had made it plain that Lauren was an outsider, but there were some other dead giveaways. Beyond some of the terms she used and her fashion-forward east coast boss, the blonde didn't sleep much – a common characteristic of outsiders who are faced with Alaska's unending daylight hours in summer. Truth be known, without room-darkening shades, Nancy would probably struggle to find sleep at times as well, but as a native, she could sleep in the low-light evenings if she had to. In a few days, they would lose the two hours of near darkness that remained, and they would all be a bit more tired on a regular basis. It beat the bouts of depression they suffered in the winter months of unending darkness.

She sighed, turning her attention to her patient and checking the monitors one last time before folding her arms and the patient chart to her chest and walking towards Lauren,

"You called?"

Lauren turned, giving her a shy smile, "Yes. Sorry. I didn't hear you come in."

Nancy smiled, "I'm practicing my stealth capabilities for use on your bitch of a boss."

Offering a tight smile, Lauren nodded, "She is being quite… insistent. She doesn't like it when things don't go her way."

"Like a petulant child." Nancy smirked, "So, did you need something?"

"Actually, Bo is the one that hit the call button. She opened her eyes, grabbed the button, hit it and then rolled over and went back to sleep."

Nancy shook her head, "Sleep calling, huh?"

Lauren shrugged, "I suppose. She doesn't seem to be in any pain. Her vitals are steady. I'm not sure what that was about."

"The sedatives are likely confusing her a bit. I'm hoping that the doctor will take her off those tomorrow."

"I see. So, as I suspected, she's out of the woods?" Lauren asked.

Nancy nodded, "I believe she's just about there."

Lauren stared at Bo for a long moment, a look of longing on her face, "Evony will be demanding we find an alternate means of getting the airport once she's moved to a regular room. I've got a conference in three days. I'll have to go."

Nancy shook her head, "There has got to be some legal action you can take, Lauren. There's no way you want to work for a woman like that. You're too gifted a surgeon to have to stay with a woman like her."

She smiled up at Nancy, "I'll figure it out, Nancy." She took a deep breath and heaved a heavy sigh, "When I get back to Boston, I will take care of my conference duties, check on some patients and then I intend to see a mentor of mine as well as my attorneys."

She looked back to Bo, "She said she'll come to Boston to visit me. I really would love for her to see my city."

Nancy nodded, "Don't get your hopes up about her reaction, Doctor Lewis. If what I've read about our champion is true, she's lived off-grid on her own most of her life. A person like that gets a bit skittish in the big city, so be warned."

Lauren nodded, "I've considered that very point. I'll have to choose our activities carefully to assure the smallest crowds possible."

Shrugging, the Nurse offered, "I can only speak from my own experience."

"You've been to Boston?"

Nancy nodded, "My eldest daughter went to college in California. She met a young man Boston and followed him home. I visit them twice a year – longest days of my life. I feel like a caged animal. So many tall buildings and cars. Way too much concrete and enough trees. I do like the water, though… and the beaches."

Lauren smiled, "I do intend to take her to my beach house. I hoping she'll love it there."

"Anything is better than being in this hospital." Nancy smiled.

"Agreed."

"Well, I'll be heading back to my station then. Let me know if either of you need anything."

"Thank you, Nancy. Sorry to have disturbed you."

"No worries, Doctor Lewis. It's my job after all."

Nancy offered a smile as she departed the room. The familiar walk to the nurses' station found her thoughts muddied with personal feelings of sympathy and empathy, something she usually felt was a positive trait for nurses. She had lied for Lauren crossing a line into getting personally involved with a patient – a big no-no in her book.

Still, she found it hard to feel guilty about her actions, because the woman really was a bitch. Besides, Braun Howard owed her a favor and it was long past time she called it him and made him pay big in return. As the owner and lone decision maker with regards to all flights in and out of the airstrip, he was the only one who had the power to close flights, so he had done it to settle their debt. He had screamed in her ear for almost an hour about having to deal with Evony and her threats to ruin him, but when Nancy started telling him how it would make him a local hero because everyone hated the woman, he calmed down.

The debt was paid, and Braun was satisfied, though truly, the debt would never be paid. Nancy had caught him in the act with Angie Withers on the hood of his Chevy behind the movie theatre. He had begged her not to tell his wife and she had agreed in exchange for future favors. The real reason she hadn't told was because his wife was a longtime friend of hers and she refused to hurt her by telling her of his betrayal. Braun had promised it was a one-time thing and Nancy had promised in return to knocking him unconscious, calling 9-1-1 to get him to the hospital and surgically removing his man part while he was out if he ever cheated on her again. When he passed out cold at the thought, she knew he would be keeping his promise.

Getting him to violate FAA rules was difficult at best. It didn't help that Braun thought that young love was a stupid reason to shut down an airport, but when Nancy's friend Vex showed up dressed in battle fatigues with a machete in hand, that familiar pale color returned to Braun's face. When she explained that Vex was a good friend of Bo's, he agreed without further complaint.

Nancy couldn't put her finger on it, but there was just something about the Champion and the Doctor. They were the real deal – they just didn't quite know it yet… at least, it seemed, Lauren didn't know it. She didn't trust herself. That wasn't going to change or keep her from leaving, but her presence would give Bo a chance to recover enough to handle her departure. She smiled thinking of the tough, fiercely independent doctor. She had fought Nancy like a cranky patient on taking care of herself enough to be able to take care of Bo. It was true – doctors really do make the worst patients.

Nancy carried the chart to the rack, then slid into the chair next to her colleague who had just returned from her rounds. The younger nurse immediately hounded her with questions,

"How's our famous patient?" The woman leaned back in her chair, putting her elbows on the arms and interlocking her fingers, "Any juicy gossip?"

"Geez, Carla. The woman almost died, she's being kept asleep or near sleep because her pain levels are likely higher than any normal human could handle and you're asking for gossip? Tell me again why you ever became a nurse?"

"So I could see the world, make tons of money and marry a nice doctor like my mother always wanted."

Nancy laughed, "You mean so that you could _trap_ a man who _happened_ to be a doctor into marrying you and giving _you_ lots of _his_ money so that _he_ could pay for you to see the world."

"Semantics." Carla replied.

"Devil child." Nancy said, shaking her head.

"Well, apparently you learned a bit more about integrity as a child." Carla sat up in her chair, smiling at the woman who was truly more like a big sister to her than a colleague. She begged, "Come on, Nance. This is the most exciting thing that has ever happened around here. You gotta give me something!"

Nancy looked at her in disbelief, "Exciting? We get bear attacks, earthquake victims, near drownings and we bring people back to life who have been frozen on Denali for almost thirty minutes! That woman being shot is exciting to you?"

"Shot with a bow and arrow! I mean… who does that happen to?"

Nancy shrugged, "Apparently it happens to her."

"Nancy…"

"Carla, that's enough! I'm not making that woman a victim any more than she already has been."

"Spoilsport." Carla pouted, slumping back in her chair.

"Spoiled brat." Nancy chuckled, turning her head to continue filling out her patients' records.

The outside door opened, letting in the cool air of an Alaskan summer. Nancy loved the smell of the crisp air this time of year… she savored it. Everywhere you looked there were flowers in bloom. Every home in Anchorage had a garden filled with fresh vegetables and kitchens oozing the delicious scents of meals cooked from foraged, natural foods. No one ate frozen this time of year. They had enough of that through the long winter. She thought that she might have a salad for lunch today… one with those plump tomatoes and cucumbers she'd picked from her own garden.

She shook out her thoughts and looked up to find a familiar tall man with short, curly blonde hair approaching the counter. She smiled until she saw the badge he held up,

"Good evening Ma'am. Sheriff Dyson Thornwood, here to interview Miss Ysabeau Dennis."

Nancy shrugged, "Dyson. Here on official business, huh?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Don't Ma'am me, young man. I've known you since you were a toddler. Mischievous little thing you were. It's hard to ask a woman to believe you're a sheriff now."

He smiled, "How's Drum and the kids, Nancy?"

"Drum's the same way he always is, just a little older and a little crankier. The kids are off and running their own lives. They only come home when they want a home-cooked meal."

Dyson nodded, "I suppose that's the natural order of things in life, eh?"

"How about you, Dyson? You look in on your Mama from time to time?"

"That I do, Ma'am."

"Good boy. Now, what can I do for you?"

"As I said, I'm here to interview Miss Dennis about the attack on her homestead."

"I was told a Federal Agent was coming today."

"The attack happened in my jurisdiction."

"And like I said, I was told a Federal Agent was coming today. I believe they have official control over the case seeing as the security in the lobby and outside of the unit are both federal agents."

"They're merely a precaution, not investigative personnel. I have a right to be here."

Nancy nodded, "Well, let's just wait for the Federal Agent and ask her. I'm sure you don't mind waiting so that I don't violate any laws. Miss Dennis has just come out of a very long surgery and she is still listed as in serious condition."

"That was three days ago, Nancy."

"Dyson, she's still in serious condition. Now please don't argue with me…"

"But Nancy, this investigation is…"

The door opened, stealing the attention of both Nurse and Sheriff from their standoff and sending it towards the Special Agent entering the hospital. Tamsin wasted no time flipping open her badge and Nancy wasted no time leading the way to Bo's room, smirking at Dyson as she turned. He shook his head and followed, listening to the update on Bo's condition provided by the Nurse.

He was still angry at Bo for not giving him a heads up about what was happening at her house. It was his territory, after all. He had to hear it from that damn Special Agent in Charge, Acacia something. He was furious that she blocked his department from 'interfering' in their operation. He should have been there to defend Bo – it was his duty.

His attention was drawn back to Nancy's update when she mentioned that a certain blonde doctor had not left Bo's side since she'd been brought in. His jealousy flared as his eyes came to rest on the joined hands of the two women, Bo's spare hand caressing Lauren's cheek.

He cleared his throat causing everyone in the room to turn his way. He pounded his fist against his chest, "Sorry. A little congested. Allergies."

Nancy rolled her eyes knowing full well that Dyson had no such condition. She had, however, heard from Vex that the Sheriff was sweet on Bo and mighty upset that she had chosen Lauren. She walked to Bo's side,

"Feel up to discussing what happened with Tamsin? I'll allow it if you promise to remain calm."

Bo smiled up at Tamsin, "Translation… if I don't stay calm, she'll poke me with another one of her needles and knock me out. Apparently, the arrow knicked an important artery and almost killed me. They want my heart rate to stay down until they're sure it's fully healed."

Lauren spoke up, "Translation… her blood pressure needs to remain low to avoid additional stress on the artery where it was repaired. Increased heart rate means increased blood pressure. She really does need to remain calm, Tamsin."

The agent nodded, "Well, I have plenty of witnesses for what happened at the homestead. But you, Miss Dennis, were alone on that mountain until your Mom and I found you."

"How is my Mom?"

"She was discharged yesterday and is holding down the fort at your house with the kids and your kin. Everyone has been pitching in to repair your house and to scour the lands for any left-over weapons or shell casings."

Dyson protested, "That's not appropriate procedure, Agent. Spent or full shell casings should be processed…"

"Give it a rest, Dyson. We don't need every single shell casing. We've got the ones we need. Besides, I'm not a novice. I have forensic photographers on the scene, so just relax. Why are you here, anyway?"

"The incident happened in my territory."

"But you have no jurisdiction here, Dyson. It's a federal case."

"I was told that I would be kept in the loop. A large-scale attack happened on my lands and I was not informed."

"According to Acacia, you were informed." Tamsin argued.

"But we were not involved. Now, I'm gathering information needed to keep my territory safe."

Tamsin laughed, "Your territory is safe. The incident is over and we're taking it to the courts."

Nancy watched as Bo's heart rate increased, "Ladies, Dyson… this is exactly what I wanted to avoid."

Bo waved Nancy to her bedside and whispered in her ear. Nancy cleared her throat as she stood, giving Bo a nod before turning to Dyson,

"Come with me, please."

"I will not. I have a right to be here."

"My patient just asked me to take you from the room. If you resist, I will call those federal agents you mentioned and have them put you under arrest. I believe Tamsin can attest to my right to do so."

Dyson looked at the brunette, "Bo, please…"

"Leave, Dyson. I don't want you here. You can get any information you need from Tamsin's report and you know it."

Nancy placed a hand on Dyson's upper arm and led him from the room. He looked back over his shoulder to see Lauren kissing the back of Bo's hand and then her cheek. He sighed before turning and walking from the room.

Tamsin sighed, "Okay. Now, do you feel up to talking about this or was that little moment about Dyson?"

Bo sighed, "I don't want him involved in my business. I don't want him involved in my life. I don't want him anywhere near Lauren."

Her heart rate climbed again, but Lauren spoke softly in her ear, "He's gone, Bo. It's just us and Tamsin, okay?"

Bo nodded, "Okay."

"Now, are you up for answering questions?"

Bo shook her head, "No questions. I have to tell you. There's two more groups."

"What?" Tamsin and Lauren said in unison.

"Up on the mountain. The guy… there was a guy… he's the one that cut me, but I got the best of him in the end. He was… he was bleeding… a lot. I… I was putting pressure on the wound, but then he started saying all of this stuff and… I lost it… I was so angry… no angry… it was rage… just rage and being sick and tired of this war and… I didn't know I could… but… I did… I left him. I was going to send someone back but then I got shot and…"

"We found him, Bo. It's okay."

"There was so much blood… I'm a monster… I just left him there… I should have…"

Nancy hurried into the room, shutting off the alarms, "That's enough for now, Tamsin."

Tamsin looked up at the monitors and nodded. She moved away from the bed with Lauren so that Nancy could administer the sedative again.

"Did she say anything to you about these two other groups?" Tamsin asked.

Lauren shook her head, "This is the first I'm hearing about it. She's mostly been dwelling on the fact that I'm leaving soon."

"I thought the airport was closed?"

"Evony has given me until tomorrow. She's bringing in a chopper that will take us to the airfield at Talkeetna. Apparently, Dyson is helping her."

"Of course he is." Tamsin shook her head, "I've got to find out about these other two groups. Word must have gotten to them by now that this group failed. They'll be coming for her again."

Lauren held up a finger, "Bo writes in a journal. She was bored yesterday, so asked for a pen and paper while I was taking a shower yesterday."

She went to the backpack with Bo's personal belongings she had brought from the house and pulled out the leather-bound journal. She paused for a moment, but Tamsin moved to her side,

"I know it feels like a betrayal, but I really need to know in order to protect her, Lauren."

The doctor nodded, opening the journal. She skimmed the passage with yesterday's date and smiled, showing it to Tamsin. Sure enough, Bo had regaled the entire tale of what had transpired on the mountain including the information provided to her by the man.

"Wow. She's got names, places… this is exactly what we need." Tamsin pulled out her phone, "I will redact the personal stuff… as well as the confession about having killed a man."

"Surely that is considered self-defense. It says he had admitted he would continue pursuing her until she was dead – that they all would. Besides, it wasn't like she could carry him down through gunfire."

"Oh, I agree. I just don't want that particular piece of information out there in the ether without the full context of Bo's statement. This is her guilt talking. In a proper investigation, we will ask questions that bring forth the full motive for her actions… protecting herself and her kin."

Lauren nodded, watching Tamsin take photos of the pages. When she reached the last page, Lauren placed her hand over the writing,

"That's very personal."

"Lauren…"

"And has nothing to do with the case."

Tamsin could see the pleading in the doctor's eyes, "May I take a quick look?"

"No pictures."

Nodding, the agent agreed before reading a few sentences. She skipped to the next page and the next, satisfied that there the entry was no longer case-related. She looked up at the doctor,

"I know you're torn, Lauren. But just in case you need to hear it, here it is. Bo has never felt about anyone the way she feels about you. It's as real as can be for her, so if you have any doubts about her ability to commit to you, please let me reassure you – you are it for Bo. Barring some miracle, there won't be another for her. You check all of her boxes and believe me when I tell you that no one has ever been able to do that for Bo."

Lauren nodded, "I would think Kyle came close."

Tamsin shrugged, "Probably, but Kyle has no patience for Bo's anger."

"You give me too much credit. I don't either. It's been a big sticking point." Lauren confessed.

"But you got Bo to seek help for her anger. No one has ever been able to get her to do that."

Lauren nodded, "You know, that's not a bad idea. I should give Doctor Gray a call and see if she'd be willing to come to the hospital."

"Faith is a big fan of Bo's. I'm sure she'll come."

"She talked to you about Bo?"

Tamsin shook her head, "Of course not. Patient-client privilege and all. Bo told me that's who she was seeing, and we talked about her. I saw her after… well… an incident. It was a mandatory counseling thing. Anyway, she's awesome. I'm sure she could help Bo."

Lauren pulled out her phone, "I'm going to give her a call and ask her to stop by."

Tamsin nodded, "I'm going to head back to Acacia and the gang, get home office on these other two cells before they can cause any more trouble. I'll also bring in a tactical team here, the homestead and the clinic as well… just until we have these bozo's in custody."

Tamsin turned to leave, but stopped and turned back to Lauren, "You might want to give Faith a heads up that you're leaving tomorrow."

Tamsin could see Lauren's eyes fill with tears as her voice cracked when she began to speak into the phone. She walked to Bo's beside and leaned down to whisper in her ear,

"I'm on it, Bo. I'm going to bring this to an end once and for all. You just rest and recover. We've all got your back. You've done enough. Just focus on yourself and the journey ahead."

Tamsin stood, looking at the monitors, satisfied that her friend was resting peacefully. She looked at Lauren who was now standing at the window, one arm over her chest. It was likely the last time she would see the blonde doctor unless he made her way back to Alaska. Maybe one day she would be on a case in Boston and would look her up if she didn't return.

She looked back at Bo and whispered, "May the Athabascan spirits be with us all if she doesn't return to you."

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **Boston, One Week Later**_

Lauren loved the historic district of Boston and today she loved it even more. She was meeting her friend and mentor, Doctor Stephen Archer. It had been almost a year since she'd seen him, and she was looking forward to his company.

She crossed the street and headed past Faneuil Hall into the Marketplace. There were street performers here regularly throughout the summer. They held auditions in Spring and hired the best of the best. She joined the crowd who had gathered to watch a group of jugglers who were bringing some children from the crowd into their act. She smiled at the girl with a head full of blonde curls. Her heart clenched as reminders of Elise rushed through her mind. She had made a promise to care for the child and now, here she was, enjoying Boston. The ache was replaced with guilt, causing her to turn away. She had a restaurant reservation to make, after all.

She strolled along the brick walkway, pausing every now and then to watch performers or look in a store window. Again, memories of Alaska and Bo Dennis surged to the forefront of her mind when she saw a group of Native American musicians who were all playing native instruments. The music was beautiful, and one woman reminded her of a younger version of Bo's mother.

She closed her eyes tight, forcing the memories from her mind. She had reservations and had to go. She turned down a side street, choosing to avoid the marketplace altogether for the rest of her walk. She returned to the main road and walked the rest of the distance with her eyes straight ahead, dodging people who shared the sidewalk.

Finally, she saw the sign for the Union Oyster House up ahead. It was Stephen's favorite place to eat and was the oldest restaurant in the state. The history of Boston was one of the things that Lauren loved the most about living here. Entering the establishment, she could feel the years beneath her feet. Everything from the historic building to the uneven floor and dark motif screamed the birth year of Atwood and Bacon's establishment in 1826.

"Hello, would you like a seat at the Oyster Bar?" The waitress asked.

Lauren shook her head, "No thank you. I'm meeting Doctor Stephen Archer? We have reservations for…"

"The Kennedy Booth. Doctor Archer never sits anywhere else. He's waiting for you, Doctor Lewis."

"You know my name?" Lauren asked.

The waitress smiled, "I saw your press conference last night. It's miraculous how you saved that young boys' life."

Lauren blushed and shrugged, "Just doing my job… Pam, is it?"

The young woman smiled, "It is. Now that we've got our introductions out of the way, would you like me to take you to the booth or do you know the way."

Lauren grinned, "I know every inch of this place. I love it here. I can find my way, thank you."

Pam nodded, "Okay then. I know what Doctor Archer is having. Do you need a menu?"

"I think I will have a look at a menu. I've been living in Alaska for almost a year and am just reacclimating to life on the east coast. I want to look at all of my options."

"Alaska. All of my friends say it's a bucket list trip."

Lauren nodded, "It is."

Her heart ached for Bo, but as she suspected, she was happy to be back in Boston. She had only performed two surgeries, but her colleagues had challenged her at the three-day conference and the surgeries had her adrenaline pumping. She missed having Carolyn on her surgical team, but there were a few rookies who handled things fairly well.

She had been busy. Very, very busy. Too busy to think too much. When she got home at night, she passed out quickly. When she got up in the morning, she had to get off to the hospital for rounds right away. In transit, she was studying patient charts or running surgical routines on the subway.

It was the quiet moments that were the most difficult. She missed Bo terribly. She had called her twice, but Bo hadn't returned her calls. She called Kenzi, but it was the middle of the dinner rush, so they couldn't talk long. All the younger woman told her was that the rest of Big Jim's gang had been taken into custody and Bo had been discharged from the hospital. She was in good hands with her Mom by her side at the homestead and Tosh had hired workers to help a wheelchair-bound LJ at the Kennel.

Kenzi mentioned something about Bo having regular visits with the shrink, but the rest was drowned out by the crowd at the hotel before the call cut out. She had tried Molly and Tamsin as well, but neither of them had returned her calls either. So, she was feeling shut out, but was trying hard to rationalize the fact that no one had returned her calls to everyone being very busy. It was summer and the cruise ship passengers were out and about in force.

"Lauren! My dear, dear friend!" Doctor Archer stood, putting both arms out to the blonde and engulfing her in a hug. She held on tight as tears threatened to fall, but he finally gripped her shoulders and pulled her back at arms' length.

"Oh, no! My dear, this is not the greeting I expected. Please… sit."

Lauren wiped her eyes, forcing a smile, "I'm sorry, Stephen. I'm just a bit emotional today and seeing you after such a long time away set me off."

"If only I could have that effect on all of the ladies." He grinned, "Now, tell me all about Alaska and your time away. Any adventures?"

Lauren smiled, "So many adventures. It was incredible, Stephen. You really must go."

"I'm afraid at my age, that trip is a thing of the past."

Lauren shrugged, "If you took precautions, you could make the trip… you could make any trip, Stephen. You really should be traveling… see something other than Boston or a big East Coast city for a change?"

"Now doctor, you of all people know that after having a DVT blood clot, long flights are not recommended."

"I'm not suggesting a flight, Stephen. I'm suggesting several short cruises, maybe a few short drives. Make your way slowly west and finish it off with one short flight. You've got nothing but time on your hands, after all."

He laughed, "And do you really think Betsy would be up for such an adventure?"

Lauren grinned, "Every day is an adventure with that woman. Hell, she jumped out of an airplane last year and took a ride in a hot air balloon the year before… albeit right here in Boston, but venturing out would be an epic trip."

"Yes, well, I'll consider it. You know, she wanted to come today to hear all about your adventure."

"Let me guess. She already had plans?"

"Her cycling club."

"That woman is amazing." Lauren grinned, shaking her head, "It's hard to believe she's seventy-two."

"Indeed. So, tell me… word has it that you've met someone." Stephen smirked.

Lauren's eyes went wide, "You… how could you possibly know that?"

"You do realize that you had your nurses in Alaska with you, right? They do still speak to their friends here. The hospital grapevine is alive and well."

Lauren laughed, "Nadia came for dinner and vented to you and Betsy about it."

"Exactly."

The pair laughed, Stephen pausing for a moment to explain, "You are well aware that my wife and I are not fans of your now ex-wife, so when she invited herself to dinner, it was awkward at best."

"I can't believe she did that." Lauren replied.

"Really? You can't believe that Nadia came to our house and tried to make you out to be the bad guy in our eyes? She's been doing nothing but trashing you since she got back from Alaska… did a fair job from a distance while she was there as well."

Betsy laughed, "And she's trying to make you look like the hospital slut as well."

Both Lauren and Stephen looked up to see a familiar silver-haired woman in riding gear place her helmet on the seat next to the blonde doctor, giving her a peck on the cheek.

"Betsy! It's so good to see you." Lauren smiled, hugging the older woman.

Betsy smiled, walking over to Stephen to give him a peck as well, "That feeling is mutual."

She turned to Stephen, "Ingrid took a spill, so we had to call an ambulance. Our ride came to a swift and not-so-miraculous end, so I thought there was still time for lunch with my favorite people on the planet."

Lauren grinned, "We haven't even ordered yet, so you're just in time."

Pulling off her riding shoes, Betsy sat back in the seat next to Stephen, "You have many dear friends at the hospital, Lauren, so rest assured that your reputation is safe with them. For every lie told by Nadia and Evony, there are fifty people to tell the truth."

"Evony?"

Stephen nodded, "I took the liberty of sending some detailed statements to your legal team."

"Detailed statements from who?" Lauren asked, sitting up in her chair.

"From hospital staff loyal to you... well, more accurately… loyal to the truth."

Betsy nodded, "I'm still working with the volunteer staff. We keep our noses in every conversation we hear that involves your name. Evony has been bad-mouthing you, backing Nadia's side of the story. She's trying to prop Nadia up just in case you leave her at the end of your contract."

Stephen smiled, "Which, from what I've heard from the friends of your nurses, you may wish to be sooner than later."

Lauren shrugged, "Honestly, I'm not sure."

"Lauren, you can't seriously be considering staying on with Evony after how she has treated you." Betsy said, getting to her feet and walking around the table to sit beside Lauren.

In that moment, Lauren recognized that, for all her thoughts of being a strong, independent woman, she had allowed both Nadia and Evony to undermine her personal and professional life for far too long. She desperately wanted to say 'no, of course not' to Betsy, but the truth was… she loved her job. She loved her work. She loved her colleagues. She loved her hospital. She just hated her boss and was quickly working up to hating her ex rather than just loathing her.

"You know, I just don't know. Since being back here, it's taken me exactly one week to fall back into my routine and… well, I love it. I love the challenge, I love the people I work with, I love the surgeries I get to do and I love saving lives. I just can't see working anywhere else."

The two older adults sat stunned, the table silent until the voice of Pam the waitress rose above their thoughts,

"Okay Kennedy Booth! What would you like to order today?"

All three stared up at the waitress and she back at them until she asked, "Do you need more time?"

Lauren shook her head, "I have to be back at the hospital for rounds in a couple of hours, so I'd like to order if you are both ready."

The pair turned to each other, shaking their heads before looking up at the waitress, "Of course. I believe you already know what Stephen is going to order. He's a creature of habit when it comes to this place."

Pam laughed, writing down the order, "I'm aware."

"I'll have Ye Olde Seafood Platter." Betsy said, handing her menu to Pam and returning to her seat next to Stephen. She looked at Stephen, his face showing the same concern she was feeling.

Pam looked to Lauren who handed her the menu, "I'll have the Pan Seared Scallop Salad."

"Okay folks. I'll have that back here in a jiffy."

"Thank you, Pam." They all said in unison.

Stephen sat back in his booth, taking Betsy's hand under the table, "Lauren, you've considered me your mentor for a very long time."

"Since my med school days, yes, of course."

"Then I hope you'll hear what I say with the knowledge that I love you like a daughter and always have your best interests at heart."

"Of course." Lauren smiled.

He looked at Betsy, then back to Lauren, "We believe it is long past time that you take legal action against Evony and leave her hospital. If you wish to stay in Boston, there are any number of wonderful hospitals who would hire you in an instant not to mention hospitals in other states who would be drooling to have you on their staff. They would likely shift staff to allow you any position, salary and work conditions that you choose."

Betsy smiled, "I think that what you're feeling since your return is comfort, Lauren. You were out of your comfort zone for a long time, but you are a creature of habit. You said it yourself. You've settled back into a routine since returning. I'd ask you if the routine is truly providing you the challenge you seek or if you're instead using that routine to avoid thinking about something that you're missing."

Stephen knew Lauren's limits and the blonde had clearly reached them. So, giving Betsy's hand a squeeze, he changed the subject,

"Just some things to think about." He smiled, "So, tell us about Alaska. Did you see Denali?"

Lauren sighed, her eyes moving to the napkin on her lap before looking back up at Stephen and Betsy,

"Alaska was beautiful. Of course, when I first landed, I thought Evony had sent me to a frozen hell. The older teen boy who picked me up killed a polar bear to keep us from getting mauled to death before we even got to our first stop."

"So, when did you begin to see its beauty?" Betsy asked.

Lauren grinned and shrugged, her mind traveling to Bo, but she quickly shut down the thoughts and sighed, taking a long sip of water before answering,

"I don't really remember a specific moment. It happened so gradually. I mean, you're surrounded by all of these mountains and, as backdrops to the towns, they're mammoth's…" She smiled thinking of the day she had her big tour and saw it, "…but then you see Denali and I swear in that moment, I almost believed in God."

"You? The eternal Atheist? The science is all that matters, big bang theory doctor?" Stephen laughed.

"Ha. Ha. I did say almost. Anyway, it was truly amazing. Bo took me up to one of the climbing routes and I actually stood on the side of the mountain. It was incredible. Flying over the Alaska Range was incredible. I worked the Iditarod as a medic for the dogs… and humans. That was an awesome experience as well. And… I drove a dog sled and I have a dog team of my own!"

"You drove a dog sled? A real one? By yourself?"

"Wait a minute!" Stephen said, swiping his hands across the table, "You swore you would never own a pet. You have a dog sled team? Multiple dogs? You brought them here to Boston?"

The couple watched Lauren's expression sag, "Lauren?"

"Sorry. I just… I miss them. They're in Alaska. They need room to run and the temperature would be tough on them. I couldn't…" She swallowed hard, choking back tears as she once again refolded the napkin in her lap. She forced her mind back to more pleasant thoughts, a smile slowly stretching across her face,

"My first sledding experience was due to my stubborn nature. I almost got myself killed." She shared the story with the pair, admitting all of her shortcomings including how Bo had to save her life. Their lunch came and went as did the minutes, the blonde recounting all of her adventures until the last possible minute when she had to get back to face the wrath of Evony.

"I have to ask. Do you have a picture of this Bo you're so enamored with?" Betsy asked.

Lauren blushed and pulled out her phone. She flipped back to the date she knew by heart and opened the picture of the two of them that Carolyn had taken, arms wrapped around each other, grinning widely and showed it to the older couple.

"I've never seen you look happier, Lauren." Betsy said.

Stephen agreed, "She's clearly captured your heart. In all of the time I've known you, I've never heard you go on about anyone like that." He smiled, "You love her."

Lauren looked down at the picture for a long moment before closing her phone and putting it in her pocket. She looked up at the pair,

"I do." She added, "But I live here, and she lives there. It's not fair to hold her back from her life there. I'm just a silly city girl."

Stephen nodded, "Where one lives is basic geography, Lauren. Love resides in the heart and you carry it with you no matter where you go. Once it plants its roots in your chest, it will need to be nurtured or it will die right along with the parts of the heart it has come to inhabit. You know as well as I do that a broken heart is a very real thing. Take care of your love and your heart, Lauren."

The blonde shrugged, "My heart is just fine, Stephen. I promise."

"You don't miss this Bo?"

"I suppose I do on some level, but I've got a life here, Stephen. A very full life."

"A life filled with surgeries and duty, Lauren. Not a life with love."

Lauren smiled, "Are you telling me that you two don't love me anymore?"

Betsy shook her head, "Of course not, Lauren. But we can't give you the kind of love that Bo can. We can't give you that once in a lifetime love that makes your heart ache if you can't have it."

"Is that the kind of love the two of you have found?"

Stephen and Betsy looked at each other and smiled. Stephen turned to Lauren,

"If you had told me that I would find another person I could love as I did my Evelyn, I never would have believed you fifteen years ago."

Betsy chimed in, "We've both had big loves, Lauren and nothing – no one will ever compare to those. The love that we share now is different. We're older, our needs are different, our goals are different, our wants are different. This love cannot compare to our first loves because they served a purpose in a different time."

Lauren nodded, "I suppose I feel somewhat the same. I don't see a need to enter into a committed relationship all over again. I just got out of one."

"The wrong one, Lauren. You didn't love Nadia – not like you do Bo - so you never really committed to her with your whole heart. You weren't in a relationship, Lauren, you were just going through the motions of daily life. You carry her with you every minute of the day as you do your Bo."

She smiled, reaching across the table to run a finger down her cheek, "Your entire face lights up when you speak of her, Lauren. That seems worth fighting for to me." Betsy smiled.

"And me." Stephen agreed.

Lauren nodded, "She is very special."

"And you're willing to leave that love behind? Do you really believe you could find that sort of love again?"

Shrugging, the blonde replied, "I don't know. The two of you have."

Stephen shook his head, "You clearly weren't listening to Betsy when she explained about us. We both lost the love of our lives, Lauren. We will never love like that again and we know it. The love we have now is precious – so very precious, but it's a love for this time in our lives. You're so young and young love like this only comes around once, my dear."

"Please don't take it for granted, Lauren. This woman has opened something up in you. We can see it. Please don't let that light go out by diving into your work again… not with Evony and Nadia. They'll kill your soul, Lauren. We've seen it before with people like them. They'll suck your talent dry and thirty years from now, you'll be wondering why you ever became a doctor." Betsy urged.

Lauren checked her watch, "Well, it's that time again. Thank you both for a lovely lunch. It was so nice to see you again."

"Will we resume our Friday night dinners?" Stephen asked.

Lauren nodded, "We will, but not this week. I have plans with some friends who I still haven't connected with since my return. I promised them this Friday night at Elaine's."

"Okay. We'll see you next Friday then." Stephen smiled.

Standing, the blonde smiled, "Let me know what I can bring."

"I'll text you." Betsy replied.

"See you for study session on Wednesday?" Stephen asked.

"Of course. In your den. I'd like to review cold transplant procedures." Lauren replied, gaining a nod from Stephen.

She turned and headed for the down staircase, giving a wave to Pam before pushing through the exit. Once outside, she took a deep breath, trying to push all the advice and thoughts out of her mind. She had patients to focus on and this was no time to be distracted by thoughts of love.

She went to fold the receipt to put it in her pocket, but noticed some writing on the back. She recognized the handwriting immediately, so read the message from her mentor,

" _Any doctor worth their salt will continually evaluate their performance each and every day of their life. I'm not just talking about your surgical performances, Lauren. I'm talking about how you treat others, how you treat your patients, how you treat your friends and loved ones and how you treat yourself. I'm talking about how you feel. Feelings are very important, Lauren. When you stop feeling, you stop healing."_

She sighed, shaking her head at the familiar mantra he had repeated to her throughout her career. She folded the receipt and shoved it into her pocket before heading uptown to the hospital.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **One Month Later, Hotel Bar, Talkeetna**_

Kenzi waved one of her waitresses over, "Cover for me? I'm going to take Bo's food up."

The waitress nodded and slid behind the bar, holding the gate for Kenzi so she could slide through with a tray. The brunette grumbled in Russian as she climbed the stairway before kicking the door with her foot. The door flew open,

"What!" Bo said with a frown before realizing it was her friend, "Oh. Hi Kenz. You don't have to wait on me."

"Oh?" Kenzi said, entering the room and putting the tray on the table, "So how and when would you eat then?"

"I'm fine, Kenzi."

"Fine? Right." She took a seat on the couch, propping her feet up, "Let's review, shall we? You haven't been back to the homestead since the doctor set you free three weeks ago. Your Mom is calling me every day to check on when you'll be home to take care of your dogs again. Elise and Rudy are asking about you nonstop and you've left LJ to run your business all alone."

"I survived without any of that my whole life. I don't need it now. They'll all be better off without me."

"Lauren called again. Are you ever going to return her calls?"

"Like I said. Everyone is better off without me. Lauren will be fine."

"Don't do this, Bo." Kenzi sat up, "You were better as a member of the land of the living. Please don't do this."

"Don't do what, Kenzi?"

"Retreat back into that damn shell of yours. Become the person everyone fears again. Leave your family behind. It's not fair to Tosh and the rest of the Morton clan. It's not fair to your Mom and Rudy. It's not fair to Elise, Mark, Molly, LJ, Michael, Big Jon and all the rest of them. Big Jim is gone. You can finally be free to live the life you choose."

"And this is the life I'm choosing, Kenzi. I don't need anyone. I don't need money for material possessions. My Mom and Rudy have a house where they can live and be safe. The Mortons have each other and the dogs will have LJ and anyone he brings on board. It's a kennel filled with champions. He can sell them all and never work a day in his life again."

"If money was his goal, that would be true but that's not what he signed up for, Bo. He signed up for a business and a life as your partner. He wants to race and raise dogs with you."

The door opened and Hale walked in with Harper in tow. He released her from the leash and turned to leave the room. Kenzi stood,

"She is your responsibility. If you don't want her, shoot her and toss her in the trash since that's how you're treating her and your other dogs – not to mention me, your family and your friends. They almost died for you, Bo."

"I didn't ask them to!" She shouted.

"I've said a lot of things about you in my life, but I never thought I would be saying you're the most selfish, self-centered bitch in the world. I thought that was reserved for Evony."

She opened the door, but turned around one last time, "By the way, you might want to know that bitch from hell is taking Lauren to court. Then again, you might not care that she's trying to take her license to practice medicine from her."

Kenzi slammed the door, leaving Bo to stare at it. A million thoughts raced through her mind as she replayed her friends' last words over and over again in her head. How could Evony possibly get her hands on Lauren's medical license?

She turned to see Harper sitting perfectly still staring up at her. The dog lowered her head, groveling as she crawled over to Bo, licking her shoes and whining. She shook her head, thinking of how she had shoved Harper off of her when she'd tried to comfort her in bed. She'd hit the floor with a thud and her Mom had come running to find the dog bleeding from where she landed on the edge of Bo's axe that was left slightly propped up on her boot. That was when Bo had run out of the house and not come back.

She shook her head, kneeling down in front of her dog, "I'm sorry, Harper. You have not deserved my behavior. You deserve my love and respect."

The dog climbed into Bo's lap, pawing at her hands, still crying over being separated from her for so long. It was late and Bo had not eaten all day, so she stood and moved to the table to see what Kenzi had brought her. She picked up the tray and carried it to the couch, calling Harper to come and sit with her. They ate together, Bo sharing her meal with her favorite being on the planet. When they were finished, she lay back on the couch, Harper getting comfortable next to her.

"I guess I've been a bit of a bitch, huh?"

Harper's ears perked up as she adjusted her head on Bo's chest and licked her lips.

"I guess that was a yes."

The canine companion groaned.

"I know. I'm sorry. I just… I miss her, ya know?"

"Hrrmph." Replied Harper.

"I know. You miss her too. I just can't believe she didn't even ask about what should happen with Belle, Anna and Elsa. She hasn't called in weeks. She hasn't even sent a text. I'd love a picture. I thought she wanted to invite me to Boston, but she hasn't."

"Uhmph" Harper said, laying her chin on Bo's shoulder.

Bo shrugged, "I guess it's like she said. She's back home where it feels comfortable. She's back to her big-time hospital and her big-time doctor friends. I guess we're a thing of the past… a fling… something to do while she was here."

A tear escaped from the corner of Bo's eye, "Well, I guess it's time for us to get back to our lives, huh? It's not fair that I've left LJ handling the store on his own with the twins. I've gotta stop being an asshole. We need to start training again. I need to get back to trapping and fishing if we're going to have food for the winter. I should go see my family and you should go see your family. I'm sure your grandkids are getting big."

Harper's ears perked up and she barked twice. Bo grinned,

"Okay, okay. Tomorrow, Harper and Bo are back… the old Harper and Bo. We'll get back to the things we love to do, but we'll be the new friendlier, neighborly versions we became with Lauren… we'll just be without her."

Bo closed her eyes, hugging Harper tightly to her as a few more tears escaped before she fell off to sleep.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **Two Weeks Later, Offices of Taylor, Smith and Lloyd, Boston**_

Patrick Lloyd was the lead attorney for Doctor Lauren Lewis from the time she entered medical school. Her parents had insisted on his services because he would outlive Taylor and Smith – which he had. At the time, he was the new hot shot young partner. He was attractive, well-bred and had the best chance – in Franklin Lewis' opinion – at finally getting his defiant daughter to settle down with a proper man who could carry on the Lewis family businesses.

Armed with a lecture from the partners and Mr. Lewis, Patrick entered his first meeting with Lauren thinking she was interested in life with a man – or more specifically – life with him. Of course, he had been pleasantly surprised to find himself rejected by Lauren's emphatic declaration of her attraction to the fairer sex. They had shared a long laugh after he had explained that he was, in fact, in a relationship with a man.

After that, the two became fast friends. Lauren was his number one client and number one friend. Early on, they played the game to keep the partners and her Father at bay, but when Lauren met Nadia, they decided to stop the ruse and tell everyone what was up. Patrick had Lauren's back even when her parents told her they would cut her off if she continued her 'deviant lifestyle'. But Patrick had prepared for this day. He had been in enough meetings with his bosses and Mr. Lewis to know they would take a hard line with Lauren.

So, while she argued and eventually said her goodbyes to her parents, Patrick sat in the car, immediately solidifying his contract as Lauren's attorney before her parents could cut her off from the firm. He also connected her with an expert financial advisor – one not associated with his parents' company - Penelope Stackhouse, who quickly liquidated all of Lauren's stocks, bonds, accounts and physical possessions before her parents could have them closed or repossessed.

In just a few short hours, Lauren was disconnected from her family. While her parents had threatened to leave her penniless, Patrick and Penelope's quick actions allowed the only daughter of Elizabeth and Franklin Lewis to walk away from her family with over three million in cash. Lauren, however, was furious. She instructed Penelope to immediately begin investing in shares of companies that were direct competitors of the Lewis Family holdings. Patrick was instructed to find Lauren a place to live on Cape Cod and did so quickly. Because she was paying cash, the property was a steal. Of course, it also helped that the sellers had been hoping for a fast sale.

It was national news, creating a scandal in the business world, but the events of the day had sent a clear statement to the nation that Lauren Lewis was no longer associated with her family. While there was a very painful emotional period, the separation had allowed Lauren to forge her own path in life. She now had her own personal list of accomplishments in the medical world as well as corporate value for any hospital that hired her.

Currently, one Evony Fleurette Marquis was fighting Patrick and Penelope to retain Lauren's corporate value for herself. A decade ago, the pair had cautioned the young doctor about the potential risks of working for the malicious brunette, but fearing lesser opportunities for employment, Lauren took the job against her attorney's advice. Getting her out of her contract was possible, but it was going to take time and a lot of money in fees.

Patrick began, "We've filed the counter suit on your behalf, Lauren but the press has gotten hold of the news and Evony has gone public. That said, we have added a slander and liable suit to the mix, on your behalf. We have got a massive slate of witnesses - character and professional – that could keep us in court for months, but Penelope says you have plenty of money to handle the court time, so we are ready to go. Of course, we are pretty sure what will come next is some sort of blackmail. That's what Evony did with Doctor Anderson."

"Anderson? Chief of Neuro?" Lauren asked.

Patrick nodded, "He caved against our advice and now she's got an exclusive contract with him. He can't practice within 100 miles of one of her hospitals for twenty years if he were to leave her."

"Which means he has practically no options for big city hospitals before he retires. What the hell is wrong with her?" Lauren asked, frustrated.

"She's not a doctor, Lauren. Ethics and a moral compass are not tools of her trade." He shrugged, "Still, we trust that the medical board will see right through this and side with us, but you must know that there is a risk. As you know, she is very powerful with regards to who she knows – including her financial advisors and the financiers of her business interests. None of them can afford for her to fail, so they will side with her and do whatever it will take to protect her efforts in court."

Lauren nodded, "Well, I may have just found another card for you to play."

"Oh? And what's that?"

"You remember my former boss and mentor, Stephen Archer and his partner Betsy Carnegie?"

He nodded, "Betsy is an ancestor of the New York Carnegies and Stephen was a world-renowned Cardio Chief at three hospitals before becoming a professor at three different medical schools – one of which was yours."

Lauren nodded, "They've formed a corporation and intend to make a bid to buy a few hospitals. They have apparently had conversation with some of Evony's financiers who are former physicians. They are not happy with the path she has taken the hospitals they have backed with their retirement funds and are looking to bring back the integrity of medicine at those facilities."

"A few… really?"

Lauren smiled, "Interested?"

"Very."

"Good. Because they'll be here in a few minutes."

"Have I mentioned that you're my favorite client?" Patrick smiled.

Lauren smirked, "I bet you'll like Stephen, Betsy and friends even more."

"Never." He declared before the pair burst out laughing.

"Penelope will definitely like their wallets." Lauren added.

Patrick nodded, "I'm sure. She would like nothing more than to take down Evony's empire. For now, you'll have to report to work as usual. I'm sure she will be there checking the clock every day to be sure you're on time. She'll review each of your surgical procedures and she'll be checking the cost effectiveness of your practices."

"She'll be looking for grounds to fire me if it becomes cheaper to cut me loose than to fight me."

Patrick smiled, "But she'll make sure to load up a deal that will limit your ability to practice as a stipulation to avoid a breach of contract settlement."

Lauren nodded, "Hell week number one, coming up."

Patrick sighed, "You'll be begging for another conference to go to."

"I already am." She replied.

"Just so you know, if I can find evidence, I'll be working a deal that allows you to use some of the massive vacation and personal time you've accumulated until we get this straightened out."

"Sounds like a big if."

He tilted his head from side to side, "If we find evidence, not so much."

"I'll drink to evidence."

Patrick took a breath knowing that there had been rumors of Lauren drinking much more than her occasional half-glass of wine at social functions,

"Yea but keep that drinking under control. She'll be looking for anything that can taint the hospitals' reputation or give her a way to go after your license."

"So you mean she's going to continue to be devious, conniving and manipulative? Surprise, surprise!"

The pair shared a laugh as the phone rang, Patrick's secretary announcing the arrival of their guests.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **Alaska – Anchorage Airport**_

"You good to go, BoBo?" Kenzi asked for about the twentieth time.

Her friend only nodded – the same reply she'd given every time Kenzi had asked.

Hale leaned over and whispered to his girlfriend, "She looks like a deer in the headlights."

Kenzi shrugged, "She's never been in an airport, she's never seen this many people in one place, she's never been on a plane…"

"That's an awful lot of nevers Kenzi."

"I know."

"Are you sure you don't want to go with her?"

"She wouldn't let me. She wants to do it by herself."

"Well, well, well. Look who's here! Fancy meeting you kids at the airport."

The three turned to see Acacia standing next to them, wearing her black shoes, pants and blazer with a white oxford underneath. In her hand was a briefcase cuffed to her wrist,

"Top secret agent stuff, huh?"

She shrugged, "Heading to court just like Bo here."

Bo stared at Acacia before her head began flitting around when the air echoed with yet another series of flight announcements.

Acacia placed a hand on her shoulder, causing her to flinch and grab her wrist, "Easy there, Champ. Want an escort?"

"Uh… I'm good."

"If you don't mind my saying, you don't look good."

Bo didn't reply, her eyes roaming the list of flights, "How do I know which one is mine?"

Acacia smiled at Kenzi, "I've got her from here."

"Are you sure you know which flight she's on?" Kenzi asked.

"Tamsin filled me in, we're all good."

Kenzi nodded, "Good luck."

Acacia shrugged, "I won't be on the 'receiving' end, so I'm sure I'll be fine."

Kenzi gave Bo and hug, followed by Hale. The two exited the airport, leaving Bo standing there perplexed. Acacia called her name twice before she replied,

"You coming with me or not?"

"Right." Bo nodded, following the agent.

As they walked, Bo did her best to act casually, but honestly she was on sensory overload. When they arrived at the security checkpoint, she was stopped for the large blade she had packed in her carry-on luggage. When she argued that she had seen the news and that Washington, DC wasn't a safe place to be without a weapon, Acacia intervened with a chuckle, showing her credentials,

"She's just kidding. She's with me and so is that blade. It's evidence in a trial. I didn't have room for it in my briefcase, so put it in her carry on so it wouldn't go through baggage claim."

The TSA Agent eyed Bo suspiciously, then looked at Acacia, waving her to follow the police to her right. They were taken to a small room where they were questioned until Acacia had them call home office. It worked like a charm, Tamsin having called in advance to set up the operators with all of the appropriate answers to get a jittery Bo through security with Acacia. Of course, they hadn't planned on Bo carrying a knife.

They headed down to the gate, Acacia now a bit worried because Bo was running a little late for her flight. She made another call to Tamsin who had them hold them plane until they arrived. Finally, they were there,

"I'll see you soon, Bo."

"What? Wait! You're not going on the plane?"

The look of panic in Bo's eyes threw the agent off kilter. She'd never seen the tough, independent Bo Dennis look terrified, but that's exactly how she looked in that moment.

She stepped towards the brunette, placing a hand on her shoulder as she shook her head, "I'm on a different flight, but I promise you'll be fine, Bo. When you get off the plane, there will be an older couple there to pick you up. They'll be holding signs with your name on them so that you know it's them. Their names are Stephen and Betsy. Okay?"

"But… who are they?"

Acacia smiled, "They're friends of a friend. Trust me, Bo. I wouldn't lead you astray."

Bo reached back, then to her side. When she felt nothing but air, she sighed remembering that Harper wasn't with her. She was uncomfortable in her solitude. She wished Lauren was here. She missed her now more than ever. Sighing, she turned to Acacia and nodded,

"Okay."

"Go on. You'll be fine." Acacia said, pointing towards the jetway.

Bo looked past the woman at the counter to the open doorway to see a long walkway that looked like it went on forever. She didn't like not knowing where it went and what was around that corner.

"The gangway takes you to the plane, Bo. When you get on the plane, show the flight attendants your ticket and they'll help you get seated."

She turned back to Acacia, "Flight whats?"

"There will be people who are working on the plane to get you whatever you need. They're called Flight Attendants. Be nice to them and they'll be nice to you."

"Right." Bo nodded, looking down at the ticket in her hand. It was all crumpled and wet with sweat. She looked up at the ticket agent, embarrassed to hand her the piece of paper. The woman nodded, waving her on her way. The brunette looked up, offering a weak smile, her feet somehow glued to the spot.

The woman smiled, "First time flying?"

Bo sighed, "First time everything."

The woman winked, "I'm sure some things will be familiar." She nodded towards the oversized sign of the Iditarod to her right, "That's you, if I'm not mistaken."

Bo looked up, inhaling a tense breath before relenting to the coming onslaught, "So it is."

The woman smiled, "I'll upgrade you to first class if you give me an autograph for my two daughters."

Bo turned back to Acacia who laughed, "It's top of the line, Bo."

"I don't need any special treatment."

Acacia stepped towards Bo again, "It's a long flight, Bo. You'll appreciate the better seats."

Bo nodded towards the sign, "You do realize that I've done that race since I was in my late teens and that I sleep in blizzard conditions with dogs on the ground? Trust me when I say any seat is better than what I usually sleep on."

She turned back to the woman, "No need. I'll sign an autograph for your kids anyway."

"Great! Can I get a selfie?"

Bo scowled, "A what?"

Acacia took the woman's phone, "Stand next to the woman and smile, Bo. She needs proof so her kids believe she really met you."

Bo looked at the woman who nodded, "Oh! Sure. But you tell your girls I said they should always believe their mother."

Acacia paused, staring a Bo. Was that advice really from a woman who didn't believe her own mother? She shook out the thought, focused the camera on the phone and took several pictures, hoping Bo would offer a genuine smile. Giving up, she handed back the phone,

"That's about as good as it will get… in this lighting." She cleared her throat, "I've really got to go. You'll help Miss Dennis find her way?"

The woman smiled, "She's in good hands. Just grab your carry-on, Miss Dennis."

When Bo turned to pick up her bag, Acacia leaned into the attendant, "Upgrade her seat. Trust me when I say you do not want this skittish off-grid resident of no-where Alaska flying in coach. She might start a riot with her fear of flying on these big planes."

The woman looked at Bo, then back to Acacia, "Got it."

"Have a good flight, Bo." Acacia smiled, throwing a wave over her head as she walked away.

As she walked, she heard the attendant lead Bo to the gangway. Acacia paused, turning to watch. She laughed quietly to herself, watching the Musher out of her element. Every shake of the jetway made her stop, grab a wall and look around. When she got to the turn, Bo stopped, turned and looked at Acacia who nodded and waved her on her way. The brunette stared at her for a long moment before she turned and disappeared around the corner. When the gate attendants appeared, making their way back to the terminal counter, Acacia headed to her gate, relieved, but now certain that Bo was on the plane.

"Good luck to the flight attendants with that one. It's going to be like a remake of Crocodile Dundee."

Bo boarded the plane, following the attendant who led her right to her seat. She moved to take Bo's bag, but the brunette, pulled it away sharply,

"Hey!"

The woman smiled, "I'm just going to store it in the overhead compartment. If you need it, one of the flight attendants can get it for you."

"I'll need it." Bo insisted.

The woman smiled once more, "Okay then. How about we slide it under your seat?"

Bo hesitated, but when she noticed people were staring at her, she relented.

"Okay, so here is your seat. If you need anything at all, just press the button with the face on it and a flight attendant will come."

Bo took her seat and nodded.

"Enjoy your flight, Miss Dennis."

Bo nodded again, watching as the woman walked to the group of flight attendants at the front. She smiled and waved at Bo, the rest of the group doing the same.

Rolling her eyes, Bo sat back in her seat, preparing herself to sign more autographs. She sat in the seat, stiff as a board while waiting for whatever was going to happen next. Finally, an attractive flight attendant approached her,

"So, I hear it's your first time on a plane?"

Bo nodded as an elderly woman moved up behind the flight attendant,

"Excuse me, Miss? I believe I'm in that seat."

The attendant turned, carrying on a brief conversation with the elder woman before guiding her into the seat next to Bo's. She looked between the two women,

"Can I get either of you anything? A drink? Food? Hot towel? Pillow? Blanket?"

Bo shook her head, "I'm good."

The attendant smiled, "Okay. Try to relax. You've got a long flight ahead." She turned to the older woman, "Anything for you, Ma'am?"

The woman smiled, "Five shots of the finest whiskey you've got on board, honey."

Bo and the flight attendant turned to the woman, shocked. She laughed,

"I may be a Granny, but I've got spunk. Whiskey kills all the bad stuff inside. It's how I've lived this long. It's my eighty-fifth birthday this Saturday and I'm heading to Egypt to ride camel back through the desert. I don't take any of those medicines doctors give me – whiskey is my medicine. Kept me alive all these years." She turned to Bo, "You should try it. Besides, I hate to drink alone."

Bo considered the woman for a long moment, concerned that alcohol might not sit too well with the current nervous stomach she was battling. Then again, maybe a shot would calm her nerves. Of course, it could also put her out considering her lack of tolerance when it came to drinking. Finally, she shrugged, looking up at the attendant,

"I'll have a shot with the lady. It's the least I can do to celebrate her big day."

The attendant nodded and headed off to gather their order. The older woman turned to Bo,

"There you have it. You're well on her way to good health. I believe in my whiskey." Said the older lady who smiled at Bo, "The name's Elmyra. Pleased to meet you. I can't help but wonder… I've seen your face on billboards. Are you a model? You're a beautiful young woman."

"She's Bo Dennis, Iditarod Champion." Said a woman from across the aisle, "Can I have your autograph for my daughter? She's in college in Boston and I'm going to see her. Her dream is to race a sled. There's posters of you all over her bedroom walls at home. She took smaller ones to college with her – thought it might look weird at her age to have a poster of a woman on her dorm room wall."

Bo smiled politely, signing her name on the airline magazine the woman handed her. The older woman next to her grinned,

"I raced back in the day. I didn't win, but I finished."

Bo grinned, "That's quite an accomplishment – especially for a woman of your generation. It wasn't easy for woman to race back then. All of the money and best equipment went to the men."

"Very true, dear. It's good to see a female champion."

"She's a three-time champion. We're cheering for a fourth in 2020!" The woman across the aisle added.

Bo shook her head, reminding herself that she had done absolutely no training yet. If she didn't get focused on the coming year, she would lose all of her sponsors gained from this year's race and that would hurt Kyle and Kurt's business. They were counting on her now more than ever. She needed to shake the problems in her love life and get refocused. Running away from her new life simply wasn't an option. She couldn't do it. Everyone in her new-found family had invested so much in her – put their lives on the line for her. She really needed to get her act together,

"Well, "That's a long way off."

The woman shrugged, "Still, we know you can do it."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Ma'am." Bo replied before it hit her that she had already met more than ten people in just over two hours who recognized her on sight and were in her corner for a sport she thought most of the world had no clue about. She had no idea she was this well-known let alone this popular. In all the towns along the Iditarod route and the North Slope, she was the villain that Big Jim had created. This hero-worship gig was strange and… honestly… uncomfortable.

The flight attendant moved back to Bo, "Here's your shot and some headphones." She winked, leaning down to whisper to Bo, "People won't bother you if they know you can't hear them. Just in case you're seeking privacy. It must be hard to be a superstar Iditarod champion. I can politely reject autograph requests for you, if you'd like."

Bo looked at the offered headphones, taking them with a smile, "Uh… it's okay. Gotta give the fans what they want, right? I mean… isn't that sort of the gig?"

The woman shrugged, "I've traveled these skies for a little over a decade and watched famous people reject fans for just a few hours of peace and quiet. You wouldn't be the first starlet to say no to a fan request."

Bo considered her comment for a moment before remembering a certain sick little girl from the ceremonial start day. If she had said no to her, she never would have known she needed help getting medical care and she may not be alive today. She could never have that on her conscience.

She shrugged, looking up at the attendant, "Thank you, but I'll take whatever comes my way and handle it as I see fit. I just don't want to say no to people who have traveled into the snow and ice to watch me and my fellow mushers race. It just doesn't feel right."

"Suit yourself." She replied, placing napkins next to the drinks of both women before heading off.

"Admirable." Elmyra said, lifting her shot glass to Bo, "You've got integrity, grit and class. I like it. Apparently, yours is a life well-lived. Here's to much more success."

The woman pounded back two shots before leaning against the window, "Would you be up for teaching an old lady how to ride a sled?"

Bo grinned, "I'm not so sure the weather would…"

"Oh nonsense. Rest assured that if I die from hypothermia riding in your sled, I will consider it a good death. Better than laying in some hospital bed waiting for death to claim me."

Bo smiled, "I guess I'd have to agree with that."

"No way to argue it at your age. When you've lived as long as I have, buried everyone I've ever cared about including my two children, you learn to focus on living in the moment rather than living for more time. At this age, it's about quality. Quantity is behind me, dear."

Bo nodded, watching the woman slam back the rest of her shots before closing her eyes and pulling the lightweight airline blanket up to her neck.

She looked down at her hands, examining the headphones when the flight attendant re-appeared,

"If you touch this button, it moves between the channels and the plus and minus buttons adjust the volume. I recommend you fast forward until you hear the nature sounds. It should help you relax and fall asleep for most of the flight."

"That sounds perfect." Bo smiled, settling back into her seat.

She pulled on the headphones and adjusted the volume and station until she was satisfied, then closed her eyes and allowed herself to drift off.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **Airplane, Boston, Massachusetts**_

"Honestly, Miss Dennis. This is the location that was stamped on your ticket."

"And I'm telling you there is a mistake. I'm not getting off this plane. I'm supposed to be in Washington."

"Ma'am, you left Seattle, Washington over twelve hours ago."

"Not Seattle you idiot! Washington D.C. – you know – like the White House only I'm supposed to be at a courthouse to put away a group of hardened criminals who have been trying to kill me and my family for years! I can't miss the trial!"

"Miss Dennis, if you would please just disembark, we will get it straightened out in the terminal. This plane is scheduled for a maintenance check before it heads back to Denver."

"No, this plane is heading south to Washington. I can't be in Boston. I can't be here! You don't understand!"

The pilot stepped up, "Can I help?"

"Apparently you made a wrong turn, buddy."

He looked at the flight attendant who shrugged before turning and walking into the galley.

"Excuse me?"

"I'm supposed to be in Washington. It says so on my ticket!"

"Ma'am, this plane…"

"I know, I know. I heard them before. They say it's supposed to be in Boston. I say it's supposed to be in Washington. You don't understand. I can't be here. I can't be in Boston."

"May I ask why?"

Bo looked at the man, unsure of how to answer that question. She sighed, "I just can't. I won't be wanted here."

He laughed.

"Something funny?"

He shrugged and smiled, removing his cap and scratching his head, "Seriously? You're Bo Dennis, Iditarod Champion and Survivalist extraordinaire. I've heard you've fought a bear with nothing but a knife. People are dying to know more about you."

Bo shook her head, "Well, their deaths will have to wait because I have to be in Washington, D.C. for a trial."

"Well, I'm afraid you won't make it there any time soon unless you disembark and hop on a plane south. Is there something you can call to make arrangements?"

Bo sighed, "Can I use my phone?"

He pointed towards the overhead lights, "Free to do as you please now that we're on the ground… as long as what you please is not to stay on this plane."

Bo nodded, "Fine."

She stood, grabbing her bag from beneath the seat and following the pilot to the exit of the plane. She walked up the gangway, eventually turning right. Looking up ahead, she could hear the roar of a lot of people. She could see the crowds. She stopped, her breath short as she thought about the hoard of people that she was about to connect with upon departing the tunnel.

"Miss Dennis? Can I help you?"

Bo turned to see the flight attendant, "Oh. You again."

"Not used to big cities?"

"Not in the least."

"Would you like me to help you arrange for your flight to Washington, D.C.?"

Bo nodded, "If you don't mind."

She smiled, "Not a problem. I'm on the ground for the next seventy-two hours, so can take a few minute to help you out."

"Thank you." Bo said, walking with the woman up the walkway, "Sorry I was such an ass. I get stressed in unfamiliar situations."

She nodded, "I'm sure."

As they moved into the open space beyond the tunnel, Bo immediately felt the walls closing in again. There were mobs of people everywhere screaming and shouting. She lowered her head and came to a stop…

"Just focus. Just… breathe. You're fine. You're fine."

She raised her hands, ready to push away the intruder when she realized it was the flight attendant, "Bo, It's me. You're okay. Look."

"Huh?"

She nodded towards an older couple who were holding signs and waving.

"Who are they?"

The attendant shrugged, "I'm not sure, but they seem to know you."

Acacia's words echoed in her head as she approached the pair.

"Do I know you?"

The pair smiled, the woman replying first, "I'm Betsy."

"I'm Stephen. It's nice to meet you, Bo. Your picture doesn't do you justice."

"My? Wh-what? Who are you?"

Betsy smiled, "We're… friends of a friend."

"But… I'm supposed to be in Washington, D.C. for a trial. Bad people will go free if I don't testify… very bad people. Acacia…"

Stephen held up both hands to Bo, trying to calm her as he spoke, "Your friends Acacia and Tamsin contacted us to pick you up here, so if they're involved, this was their intention for whatever reason. Maybe you're giving a deposition here where there is no chance of anyone doing you harm before you can go on record with your story."

"Deposit what?"

He smiled, "A deposition. It's a statement of events as you see them. It's used as a precursor to live testimony and can be used in the absence of a witness if sworn by appropriate legal representation."

She nodded, "So are you taking me to a lawyer?"

Betsy shook her head, "You're going to our home. Someone is coming there."

Bo looked around the airport. She had a choice. Stay here and continue to feel claustrophobic from this crowd or go with this nice old couple to their home where she could be in a place of peace and quiet. She sighed,

"I'll go with you."

Betsy smiled, "This way then. Let's go get your baggage."

Bo nodded and followed the older woman, walking beside Stephen.

"I've never seen this many people in one place." She commented.

Stephen smiled, "You're in the big city. It's crowded everywhere."

"Great."

He laughed, "I think you'll find that – for the most part – where we live, the people are quite friendly, proud of their city and not anywhere near as obnoxious as people from other cities like New York."

"That's funny. Acacia says New Yorkers are friendly."

Stephen shrugged, "Personal taste, I suppose."

Bo nodded, "In that case, I'll keep my vote for favorite city to Anchorage."

Stephen laughed, continuing along with this very interesting woman as they followed behind Betsy. They made good time to baggage, Bo's luggage coming off the carousel with the first load. Heading outside, they were hit with a wave of heat unlike anything Bo had ever felt before.

"Whoa. It's like breathing water out here."

Betsy nodded, "Welcome to summer. It will get better as we get closer to the coast."

"The coast?"

Betsy nodded, "We're headed to our home on the Cape."

"Cape Cod?" Bo asked.

Stephen slammed the trunk lid on Bo's luggage, "You've heard of it?"

Bo scowled, stretching the collar of her T-shirt as she spoke, "Uh… well… uh… I met this doctor… lady… once. She talked about it. I mean… she didn't say much."

"Oh? I'm a doctor as well. What was her name?"

Bo got into the back seat of the car and slammed the door. Suddenly, the heat was worse, and her head was spinning. She used the hem of her shirt to wipe her brow before gulping down the rest of her bottle of water.

Outside of the car, Betsy scolded Stephen, "Tamsin told us she has problems with anxiety, Stephen. Don't you dare press her for information."

"I'm just trying to feel her out, you know, see if she's going to be open to our plan?"

Betsy shook her head, "It's not our plan. It's Tamsin's. That means, we do exactly as we were asked and nothing more, so stop butting in."

"You know Lauren feels more than she's letting on with us. She misses this woman and you know it."

"You've been talking to Elijah again."

Betsy shrugged, shaking her head, "Fine. That may be true, but Lauren's avoiding all contact with Bo, so she must have her reasons. We're making a connection, Stephen. Nothing more. I mean it. Back off."

"Fine." He sighed, his fingers crossed as he pulled the door shut with a snicker.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **Bette's Bed & Breakfast, Provincetown, Massachusetts**_

As Bo exited the car, she pushed the many stray hairs back over her head as they fluttered in the cool sea breeze. She stared up at the magnificent white house,

"Uh… are you a governor or something?"

Stephen laughed, "I'm the assistant to the owner of this Bed and Breakfast… more accurately, I'm a silent partner."

"Bed and Breakfast?" Bo asked.

Betsy smiled, "Come on, I'll show you."

She wrapped an arm over Bo's shoulder causing the brunette to stare at the strangers' hand for a long moment before deciding she wasn't a threat. They paused at the low white fence…

"Smallest fence I've ever seen. Why's it all pointy on top?"

Betsy laughed, "It's called a white picket fence. Very American."

"Don't see white picket fences much in Alaska, thereby clarifying why we don't feel much like Americans. We're just that massive state way up there that everyone ignores."

Betsy grinned, "Well, I've been way up there, and I think it's beautiful. I'm still trying to get Stephen to leave Boston."

"He's never left Boston?"

"Born and raised here, never gonna leave here according to him. He's been to New York, D.C., Philadelphia and Detroit for conferences and medical conventions over the years, but if he can't get there by train or bus, he doesn't go."

Bo cracked a small smile, "Now that I can understand."

"Not a good flight?"

Bo shrugged, "Not used to crowds. Not used to big cities. Not used to big airports, big planes… big anything, really… well, accept big mountains and big open space."

Betsy's eyes went wide, "So it's really true? You've never been out of Alaska?"

Bo looked at the woman and smiled, "Only if you count the Canadian side of the Yukon."

"Wow. That's… well… I guess you've lived a pretty isolated life."

Bo nodded, "Until recently, I've been on my own since I was about fourteen."

"I see." Betsy replied, her mind now filled with questions about how this woman ever connected with her young friend the doctor.

They walked in silence through the front gate and continued up the long front sidewalk towards the mansion's front door. Bo stopped short, noticing the massive gardens that stretched along both sides of the sidewalk,

"There's so much grass… so many plants. What are they?" Bo asked.

"What are what?"

"The plants? What are they called?"

"Interested in gardens? That seems strange for an Alaskan native."

Bo smiled, dropping her bags and moving off the sidewalk through the grass. She grinned, dropping to the ground to pull off her boots and socks. She smiled at the sensation of her bare skin against the blades of grass before standing and walking slowly towards the flower beds. She smiled as she looked down at the soft, deep green carpet pressing up between her toes. When she reached the flowers, she leaned down and inhaled deeply.

Betsy watched her from a distance. She was like a child in a new world. Now she understood. The spontaneous curiosity, the passion for little things, the pure focus on something clearly dear to her heart… she was Lauren through and through.

She walked towards the brunette who was now kneeling in the flower bed, analyzing the petals of every flower in the garden. As she approached her, she spoke – heeding Tamsin's warning that Bo may feel a need to defend herself if caught unawares,

"You really do love gardens."

Bo turned and looked up at Betsy, "You must think I'm crazy."

Betsy knelt down beside her, "What I think, is that you are clearly passionate about nature."

Bo smiled, "No matter the season. I find nature much friendlier than humanity."

Nodding, the older woman replied, "Sadly, I believe most of us find that to be true."

She sighed, seeing the heavy look on the younger woman's face. A change of subject was in order, "So, a woman surrounded by snow most of the year is somehow a lover of flowers? How does that happen?"

Bo laughed, "I thought you said you've been to Alaska?"

"I have, why?"

"Were you there in winter?"

Betsy shrugged, "It was late October, I suppose? I was told it wasn't full-blown winter, whatever that means, but there certainly was a lot of snow – everywhere. It was still gorgeous. A little chilly, but gorgeous… the trees were gorgeous… there were no flowers."

Bo nodded, "You have to go back. May to August should do it for you."

"I'll keep that in mind."

Bo sat back, crossing her legs as her hands dug into the soil behind her, "My Mom used to work at a restaurant when I was a kid… in the south… Anchorage. She would plant the gardens in August, then we would go back in April and start to uncover all of the root vegetables. Then she would plant the vegetables and flowers that wouldn't last the winter. When things started to bloom in June and July… well, it was beautiful. Everything smelled… I don't know… just… alive and fresh. We would lay amongst the flowers and talk for hours since night never came at that time of year."

"Sounds like your Mom was quite a woman."

Bo nodded, "She was… back then." She felt a pang of guilt thinking of how she'd left without saying much of a goodbye. The woman had saved her life and she never even said thank you, "Still is. She recently put her life on the line to save me and my family and friends."

"I heard from…" Betsy trailed off, not wanting to disclose her relationship with Lauren. Tamsin had warned her that Bo might get right back on the plane if she found out that the doctor was unaware the brunette was here.

"From who?" Bo sat up, her eyes trained on Betsy for an answer.

"I think it was Acacia, but it may have been Tamsin. I forget who told me what. They were talking so fast and honestly, none of it really mattered to me – I mean, it sounds like it was all very serious and traumatic, but I'm just the hostess with the Bed and Breakfast that you're hiding away in."

"I'm hiding away?"

Betsy shrugged, "My instructions were to pick you up at the airport and keep a low profile until I was contacted."

"By who?"

Betsy shrugged again, "Tamsin or Acacia, I suppose."

"So, you're a Federal Agent too?"

"Oh heaven's no." Betsy laughed, "I was a lawyer for thirty-five years… contract and business law. Along the way, I took over this place from my parents. I couldn't wait to retire and live here full time, but when my husband fell ill, we needed my paycheck and benefits, so I had to keep my job longer." She looked out at the ocean beyond the berm, "He would have loved living here. Unfortunately, he never got that chance."

"So Stephen isn't your first?"

"No, no he's not. Jacob was the love of my life. I lost him at almost the same time Stephen lost his wife. We met in a grief group. About three years afterwards, we had a reunion of sorts with the group and he asked me out to dinner. It became a regular thing and, over time, the feelings grew. It's not the sort of love we had with our spouses, but it's love nonetheless."

Bo nodded, "Do you miss him?"

"Every day of my life." She smiled, sadly. "How about you? Have you ever been in love?"

Bo sat up, pulling the blade of grass from between her teeth, "Once. I don't think there will ever be anyone else. I can't imagine anyone making me feel like she did."

"So, it's a woman?"

Bo looked at Betsy, "I'm sorry if that offends you, but it's who I am."

"I take it you didn't look around much on the way here."

"Huh?"

Betsy laughed, "Never mind, child. You'll see when we go out for dinner."

"Out for dinner?" Bo asked.

Betsy nodded, "Yes, dear. Stephen and I aren't in the habit of making our employees cook for us unless they want us to taste an item they'd like to add to the menu."

"Right. Well… you see… other than the suit I brought for court that my friend Kenzi bought me, I didn't bring anything else."

"What you have on is fine, dear."

"So it's a casual place?" Bo asked.

Betsy laughed, "Oh, it's casual alright. Come on. Let's get you settled inside."

Bo looked at the house, then looked back to the coast along the sidewalk just past the flower bed, "If you don't mind, I'd rather rough it outside. I know that may sound strange, but I don't do so well indoors."

"Outside? You mean… here?" Betsy asked, pointing to the ground beneath her knees.

"Well, I could sleep behind the house so potential customers don't see some strange woman lying in your flower beds."

"That's very… considerate… of you, dear. Are you sure you…"

"Seriously, I'll be fine as long as I'm outside."

"Can we at least take your bags inside?"

Bo shrugged, "I suppose that would be okay."

Betsy nodded, "Great. Come on then."

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **BONUS CHAPTER! Yes, Chapter 16 is up! Read it now or come back when you have time!**_ __ __

 _ **Happy New Year!**_


	16. Chapter 16: Reunions

_**A/N:**_ _This was the second of a two-chapter update! If you haven't read Chapter 15 yet, go back! Thanks in advance for reading and reviewing! I am truly so very grateful for all of the support you've given me. Best wishes to all of you for a very happy and healthy 2020!_

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **Chapter 16: The Reunion**_

 _ **Bette's Bed and Breakfast, Grand Hall**_

Bo had been wandering the corridors of the massive bed and breakfast since Betsy had left her to unpack. Truth be told, there was very little in her bags. Pictures of the dogs, some toiletries, sunglasses, T-shirts, shorts, running tights and shoes, scuffs, undergarments, hoodies, hats and rain gear. She'd brought some rope in hopes of finding a ceiling beam to hang it from so she could still do her workout. She'd also brought three journals since she thought she might like to write about the trial… and how she was feeling being in Lauren's state but not seeing her.

She had agreed to meet Betsy in the Grand Hall in a half hour. She stared up at the ceiling of the large space shaking her head,

"You could fit five of my houses in this room."

She slowly turned around, her bare feet taking slow steps across the shiny hardwood floors,

"Great craftsmanship." She noted.

She moved towards the walls, her fingers grazing the crown molding, "Wow. This is really old wood working. It looks like it was hand tooled like the floors. Very cool."

Betsy smiled, watching her visitor appreciate the finer touches on the old home,

"So you're saying you would be willing to go tour the old homes of Boston with me?"

Bo turned, smiling at the older woman, "If they're anything like this, definitely. I may just fall asleep in a hallway. I've never seen ceilings this high in my life."

"Well, the bedroom ceilings are just as high."

Chuckling, the brunette removed her hand from the wall and stuck her feet back in her scuffs, "It's still a bit claustrophobic for me."

"You don't say?"

Bo shrugged, "I've lived off grid my whole life and by that, I mean I've lived outside. I would go into town twice a month in winter to trade my furs. That's the only time I would stay at my friend's hotel. She has high ceilings too. My room was at the very top of the building, so there were windows all around me. I slept with them open so I could breathe."

"So you don't have a home?"

Bo smiled, "I just finished building my home a few months back. Then, some very bad people came and shot it up. I did some of the repairs before I left, but I spent a good amount of time in the hospital after I got myself shot."

Betsy's face dropped, "Oh my. I had no idea."

"You don't know about the trial?"

Betsy hooked her arm through Bo's elbow and led her to a window seat on the other side of the ballroom. She pulled open the curtain, anchoring them with the sashes, unlocked the tall windows, then grabbed the long pole that hung behind the curtain, hooked it into the metal circle on the frame and pushed the window up. A cool sea breeze immediately swept through the windows, feathering loose strands of Bo's hair off of her face to her shoulders. The brunette smiled, closing her eyes as the fresh scent filled her senses.

"You really are a fan of the outdoors." Betsy smiled, taking a seat beside Bo.

The brunette turned her gaze to the ocean, "I'm a native of the outdoors. I feel relaxed and at home there."

Betsy nodded, "I've got something to tell you and I must admit, I'm a bit concerned about how you're going to react to the news."

Bo's eyes went wide, "Something's wrong."

Betsy shook her head, raising her hands, "Not in the way I suspect you expect. Please… relax and let me explain."

Relax, Bo thought. Right.

"I've heard you have quite the temper and…"

"I won't hurt you."

Betsy looked visibly uncomfortable, "Well, I suppose that's good to know." She took a deep breath, "I'm begging your forgiveness for misleading you, but… well, we didn't know where else to turn."

"Oh, this is going to be good. There's over seven billion people on the planet and you need some off-grid musher who most of the world has never even heard of?"

She lowered her head, "You're the only one that can help. Stephen and I… we're very worried. We called the Nurses who now reside in your town and they suggested we get you to Boston."

Bo froze, slowly standing and taking a few steps back from Betsy, "This is about Lauren."

"Yes."

"Is she okay?" Bo asked, panic rushing through her body.

"Yes. She's uninjured… physically."

Bo heaved a sigh of relief as Betsy continued.

"Bo, she's making some very bad choices. You have to help us."

"No."

"Bo…"

"No."

"You love her. How can you turn your back on her?" Betsy pleaded, following the brunette across the full expanse of the dance floor as she marched towards the grand entryway.

"Bo!"

The brunette turned on the older woman. There was fire in her eyes as she pointed her finger rhythmically as she spoke,

"She left without saying goodbye. She hasn't called. She hasn't sent a single text reply. She clearly either doesn't want to speak to me or has more important things to do."

"She's shutting down, Bo. She's withdrawing from the world and throwing herself into her work."

"She knew exactly what she was doing when she left Alaska. Work was the reason she came back here. She must be very happy."

She turned and headed for the staircase as Betsy called up to her,

"No, Bo. She's not. Her friends – the nurses back in Alaska - they called Stephen. They're worried about her as well. Their friends told them that Lauren has begun staying out late, she's drinking and in the past week, she's rescheduled two surgeries and passed off two or three others to colleagues. Lauren never misses a surgery. Never. If you know her as Carolyn says you do… if you love her as Carolyn says you do… you know that's a big red flag."

She watched as Bo stopped halfway up the bottom part of the long, spiral staircase. Slowly, she turned back to Betsy,

"We'll go to dinner… now… and talk. I don't know what I can do to help." Bo replied.

Betsy nodded, "That's fine and… well, for the record, Stephen and I have an idea of how you can help."

Bo descended the staircase, "Okay then. Let's go."

"Uh… do you want to put on some shoes?"

Bo stopped, looking down at her feet. She sighed, "I'll meet you in the car."

Betsy watched as she ascended the stairs two at a time, "Well, this should be interesting."

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **Later… at the restaurant…**_

"Wow. The view is… magnificent." Bo commented, taking a seat across from Betsy who had kissed Stephen on the cheek before sitting next to him.

Stephen smiled, "This is our favorite restaurant. I know that some of the items on the menu may be foreign to you, but I would be happy to explain…"

Bo waved him off, "I'll tell you what. Why don't you two just order for the table and I'll taste everything as the mood hits me. So far, the preview of our dinner conversation has chipped away at my appetite a bit."

The couple looked at each other than looked back at Bo who was now staring out the large windows at the ocean,

"Looks pretty rough out there today."

Stephen nodded, "The Cape is known for its rough seas when storms are coming. There's a doozy headed our way tonight. I'm afraid it will be a stormy evening."

Bo smiled politely, taking a deep breath, "So, about Lauren…"

"Straight to the point, all business, huh?" Stephen asked.

"From what Betsy told me, that's the point of this dinner and my being here, so yes… straight to the point."

"Evony has backed Lauren into a corner. Of course, Lauren has a fantastic legal team who is building their case and we are using all our connections to help, but this is going to take time unless we find a loophole or some serious evidence against Evony. In the meanwhile, Evony and Nadia are apparently making Lauren's life a living hell at the hospital."

Bo scowled, "Why would Evony make things hard on Lauren when she props her up as her star surgeon?"

"There's another star in town, so Evony is doing what she has to do to get some PR for the hospital. She doesn't care if it's good or bad as long as people are talking about her hospitals. Once she garners their attention, she'll put the proper spin on the news and come out smelling like a rose."

"Another star?" Bo asked.

"At another hospital?"

Bo nodded, "Right. That dude at another hospital. Carolyn had mentioned him. Lauren says he sucks."

"Bo, we need you to talk to her. Maybe a visit from you will help."

Her stomach sunk as she lowered her eyes to her hands, now sliding back and forth on her thighs. She shook her head,

"I don't think she'll want to see me."

"Of course she will." Betsy urged.

"You don't know our relationship. I can't just drop in on her without warning. We'll need a buffer – someone to distract from my existence so that she doesn't blow up at me before I have a chance to talk to her."

Again, the two looked at each other before turning back to Bo, "I think we've got the perfect buffer."

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **Driveway of Lauren's Beach House, Three Hours Later**_

Bo's mind was filled with images of the onslaught of experiences that had been the last three hours. They'd had a fantastic dinner. Her palate had experienced flavors she didn't know existed in the vast expanse that was the ocean. She's never had lobster or shrimp or that wonderfully flaky fish – whatever it was. The vegetables reminded her of the ones her Mom used to pull from the restaurant garden. They were incredibly fresh and roasted to perfection.

After the meal, Stephen had arranged for her to spend some time in the kitchen with the chef so she could see how the east coast cooked food. Her mind was already trying to come up with an Alaskan off-grid version of their cooking techniques.

When they left the restaurant, they'd walked down Commercial Street which was alive with music, dance and a large population of people that shared her lifestyle. She had no idea a place like this existed in the world. Of course, when they'd gone into the Tea House to see one of Stephen's old friends perform, Bo was expecting the Cher look-alike to be a woman. To her surprise, it was a man dressed in drag who proceeded to give her a lap dance. Bo was still trying to process the experience as she spoke to Betsy,

"What is Stephen doing here? It looks like there's a lot of people around."

Betsy nodded, "His friend is having a big party.

Bo watched out of the car window as two women ran naked from the back door and splashed into the ocean. They surfaced, wrapped in each other's arms and began… well…

"This is some party." Bo said, looking to Betsy so she didn't have to look at the two women, "Is this how all East Coast parties are?"

Betsy shook her head, "I've been to a lot of parties at this house, but I've never seen one quite like this."

The pair watched as two more naked women ran for the water. Betsy cleared her throat, turning in her seat to face Bo,

"I promise, this is not the sort of party we usually see at this house."

Bo smirked, "You're not worried about Stephen being in there all by himself?"

Blonde hair caught Bo's eyes, a woman running for the water chased by another woman – both naked.

"Geezus, what the hell is going on here?" Bo asked, "This looks more like an orgy than a party."

They both watched as Stephen came out onto the porch, losing his balance when what looked like all of the remaining guests from inside the house ran for the water all at once, nearly running him over.

Betsy was out of the car in a flash, concerned for her partner. Bo sighed with relief when he caught himself on the vertical support of the porch railing. A wave of shock ran through the brunette as he yelled,

"Lauren! Where the hell are you! Get out here!"

Bo walked slowly towards the house, her eyes scanning the bodies in the water, then the house, waiting for Lauren to appear. Finally, she saw the blonde stagger from the back of the house towards Stephen. Thankfully, she was fully clothed, but she was clearly drunk.

Bo walked towards her, "L-Lauren?"

The blonde looked her way, wine shooting out of the bottle in her hand when she threw her hands over her head in excitement,

"BO! My beautiful Bo! Bo the Beautiful! Love of my life, only woman for me! Do you see all of those women? I left the house when they started getting naked because I only have eyes for you! I'm so glad you're here, Bo! I missed you so much! I know I haven't replied… I've been really shitty about that, but I was afraid you hated me for not replying, so the longer I didn't reply, the more I thought you hated me, and it just went around and around and around and around. But now you're here and I love you and I'm sorry I didn't reply!"

She fell into Bo's arms, "Oops. Sorry."

She stood, putting her hand on the rail of the porch until she found the steps. She sat down and continued to ramble,

"You look really, really angry, as you should be. I was really shitty to you. Almost as shitty as Evony and Nadia have been to me. But you'd be surprised how much you can forget when you drink a bottle of Kenzi's favorite wine. That's right, I got me some Senor Malbec in your bestie's honor. It's almost like being in Alaska and watching her down most of the bottle while I have a half a glass. I honestly don't know how she does it! I get drunk almost every night trying to drink how much she drinks! I want to talk to her about donating her liver to science. She must have a superhero liver!"

"Lauren!" Stephen yelled, giving the blonde a shake, "Snap out of it!" He turned to Betsy, "She's three sheets to the wind."

"Great." Betsy replied, shaking her head.

"Stephen! Betsy! You came too? I don't think this is your kind of party. I mean… I thought it was, but then all of a sudden, all of these interns crashed the dinner and before I knew it, they were dancing on the tables. They busted open my liquor cabinet and started doing shots on people's belly buttons."

She turned to Bo, "You ever seen people do that, Bo? They were setting shots on fire on each other's belly buttons. Weird, huh? Kids these days. I thought I was going to have to do drunken first aid on third degree burns! I finally convinced them to stop and then they went after my stereo. I decided, fuck it and tried to go up to bed, but there were these three naked ladies in there. Whoa… too much for my eyes. But I fixed them! They didn't know I had a hammock on my back porch. I could sleep there!"

Lauren went to raise the bottle to her mouth, but Bo took it away, "Hey! Give baby back her bottle! I gotta keep up with Kenzi! Maybe then she'll like me."

Bo shook her head, "Kenzi isn't here, Lauren and she would never expect you to drink as much as she drinks."

"She thinks I'm a loser. She thinks I'm stuck up and snooty and she hates doctors. She thinks I think I'm better than her, but I don't think I'm betterer. I think she's betterer because you like her more. She's your bestie and you'd rather spend time with her than me. She knows all your secrets and I only know what you tell me. You don't tell me your secrets because you don't trust me. Give me back my bottle, please. Give it!"

"No! I'm not going to let you drink yourself into oblivion!"

"Oblivion would be awesome! Evony could never find me there! I wouldn't have to take orders from Nadia! Did you know she gave my ex-wife my ex-position at my ex-surgical ward? I went to Alaska and I came back a big X! I can't even take a job somewhere else! But it's okay! I'm fucking up their reputation good! I cancelled two surgeries… I mean… surgeries this week and I handed a bunch off to Evony's new star. He's an idiot and a horrible surgeon. He killed two patients already! Serves her right for hiring that asshole and making Nadia chief. She should have known to do those surgeries herself."

Bo watched as Lauren's expression changed and she started to cry, "They died because of me! I should have done the surgeries! I knew he couldn't handle them, and I gave him the surgeries anyway! I'm a killer! I'm a killer and a killer!"

"Lauren, you're not a killer. You don't have a mean bone in your body." Bo said, trying to make sense of what the doctor was saying.

"I'm no good. I'm no good to anyone. I should just quit medicine. I tried, but Stephen and Betsy and Patrick and Elijah and Harvey and Tom all said I shouldn't quit. I can't quit. I have to fight for everyone. Why, Bo? Why do I have to fight the battle for everyone?"

Bo offered a sympathetic smile, "Because it's what we do, Lauren. We fight the battles for the little guy."

"I think I'm just a little guy, Bo. I'm a nobody."

"That's not true, Lauren."

Lauren laughed, "Oh yes, it is. Evony has made sure of it. She's taking me to the board to have my license revoked for not doing the surgeries. She's saying I have a drinking problem and that I've done drunken surgeries. I haven't, but I have no proof that I haven't. I thought we were supposed to be innocent until proven guilty. What proof can she have that I was drunk when I did a surgery?"

"I don't know, Lauren."

"She's a monster, Bo. She and Nadia are monsters bent on destroying my life. I think I'm going to drive trucks, Bo. Do you think I can drive trucks?"

Bo shook her head, "I think you can do anything you put your mind to, Lauren, but I think patients need Doctor Lewis. Anyone can drive a truck, but there's only one Doctor Lauren Lewis."

"Awww. You're such a sweet talker. Do you love me? No, you hate me because I was an asshole. I didn't talk to you. Radio silent. I went radio silent when you needed me most. I'm an idiot."

"You're not an idiot, Lauren."

"Did I tell you that Evony is suing me?"

Bo looked up at Stephen and Betsy who replied, "First we're hearing of it."

Lauren looked at the couple, "You're so cute together. You didn't know that Evony was suing me? You gotta talk to Patrick. I have a plan. I hatched a plan with him today. We're totally going to take Evony by surprise. I can't wait to see the look on her face."

"Oh? What's the plan?" Bo asked, turning to Betsy and Stephen to whisper, "And who the hell is Patrick?"

"Her lawyer." Betsy replied quickly.

Lauren began. She spoke rapidly and slurring her words, "We got video evidence of Evony telling the interns to crash this party, pic me drunk, naked and in bed with them so she could put the final nail in my coffee... coffin. They crashed, but I was smarter. I got myself drunk before they could get me drunk. See what I did there? I beat 'em to it! I won! And, I put on three layers of clothes so they can't get them off. Most women struggle to get one layer off! I dare 'em to get all three of these off! Oh… and lucky… when I checked my bed to take off the sheets so they couldn't put me in there, I found three… count 'em… one, two, three ladies in my bed, so they can't take me there. Know how I did it?"

"Did what?" Bo asked.

"Got their phones! Know how I did it?" Lauren asked.

"No." Betsy said when Lauren looked her way.

"I collected all their little cellphones when they came into the party – you know, so they wouldn't 'drive' after drinking! They all fell for my safety speech! Claudia gave me the intern's code and I found a video of Evony talking to the group in her office. Nailed it!"

"Where's the phone, Lauren?" Stephen asked.

"Hi Stephen!"

He smiled, "Hi Lauren. Where's the phone?"

"What phone?" She asked.

"The one with the video of Evony. The intern's phone."

Lauren held her finger up over her lips, "Shhhhhhhhh. Wanna know what I did? I found a video that's going to put Evony in jail!"

"We know, Lauren. Where's the phone with the video?"

She pulled a sim card out of her pocket and handed it to Stephen. She opened the inside zipper pocket of her windbreaker and pulled out a phone. Stephen took that as well.

"Know what the code is on the phone?" Lauren giggled, "So stupid. It's 1-1-1-1. Claudia told me. Claudia's a good nurse. She doesn't like the Interns much. She was here and helped me. She left though. I told her there might be trouble so she should left… I mean right… I mean – leave! Leave! Yea!"

"Lauren!" Betsy yelled, "Oh for crying out loud!"

Lauren frowned, "Sorry."

Bo shook her head, "It's okay. Tell us what was on the video, Lauren."

"I didn't watch the whole video. Claudia the nurse said the Intern videotaped a conversation where the interns were gonna blackmail me to get better grades in the program. They were gonna try to get me drunk and naked, then pose on the bed with me." She giggled again, "See? I'm perfectly fine and fully clothed! Three layers! Did you know I put on three layers?"

"You told us, yes. Good idea."

Lauren gave Bo two thumbs up, "They failed! Epic failed! Now they're gonna epic fail out of medical school!"

Bo nodded, "Okay then. Good to know."

Lauren leaned over to Betsy, "Shhhhh!"

Betsy pulled her ear away as Lauren's saliva flew into her ear, but Lauren pulled her closer again, trying to whisper, but speaking in a full voice,

"Wanna know a secret, Betty?"

"My name is Betsy, Lauren."

"Right. So, Betty… wanna know a secret?"

"Sure." Betsy said, shaking her head.

"They coulda got me naked if they had flown my Bo here. Yup! Only my Bo can get me naked, so the jokes on them! I gotta call her. She's gonna be mad that I didn't call her yet."

She looked around her, "Where's my bottle?"

"All gone." Betsy said.

"I gotta call Bo. She's the love of my life, ya know. I'm just afraid to tell her. What if she doesn't feel the same? What if she says… 'Lauren! Are you crazy? I can't love a fancy doctor from the Lower Forty-Eight. You're not good enough for me!'… she could say that, yes she could. I think she was calling me to break up with me. I think when I left, she looked at her life and realized I was holding her back. If I picked up the phone, she could have broke up with me!"

She looked up at Stephen, "Right Stevie? Before me, she was free to roam and live out of the grid thingy. She could… you know…" Lauren closed her eyes and began to sing, " _Give me a home, where the buffalo roam and the deer and the antelope play…_ " She stopped and looked back to Stephen, "She coulda done that if she didn't have me for a ball and chain. I suck!"

Stephen shook his head, leaned down waving the phone and whispered to Betsy, "Do you two have this? I'm going to go handle this with her lawyer."

Betsy nodded, watching as Stephen opened the sim card slot on the side of the intern's phone, powered up the device and then entered the pin to open the phone. He took it back to his car where he could listen to the videos and speak with Patrick privately. Hopefully, this would be what they would need to counter anything Evony was planning. Hopefully, this would get Lauren her freedom and then some.

Betsy looked at Lauren, "Why don't you ask Bo how she feels, Lauren?"

"Huh?"

Betsy nodded towards Bo, leading Lauren to look up in her direction. She grinned,

"Bo! Hi Bo! You're so pretty!"

Betsy shook her head and stood, walking to Bo, "She's all yours."

Bo turned and looked at Betsy, "Hey! I didn't bring me here! Why do I get to deal with drunk Lauren?"

When Betsy didn't turn back around, Bo sighed moving to Lauren to sit beside her. The blonde gave her an awkward smile,

"Do you hate me?"

Bo shook her head, "No, Lauren. I don't hate you, but I'm not fond of drunks."

"I not drunk!" Lauren said, sitting up straight and holding a single finger in the air.'

"Right. And I'm not Alaskan."

"You're not Alaskan? You lied to me!" Lauren said, truly offended.

Bo shook her head, "Oh boy."

"Oh boy yes or oh boy no? Are you Alaskan or not? Be honest!"

"Yes, I'm Alaskan, Lauren. Sober you knows that. I think it's time for you to go to bed."

"No way! There's bare naked ladies in there!" Lauren's eyes went wide, "Hey! That's the name of a band! There's a band in my bed!"

She jumped up from her seat on the steps and turned to Bo. Using her phone as a microphone, she started to serenade the brunette,

" _It's been one week since you looked at me. Cocked your head to the side and said I'm angry! Five days since you laughed at me saying get that together come back and see me! Three days since the living room, I realized it's all my fault, but couldn't tell you. Yesterday you'd forgiven me but it'll still be two days till I say I'm sorry…"_

Lauren stopped singing and dropped to her knees, "That sounds just like us only it's been a lot more days and it wasn't the living room, it was the hospital room. I left you in the hospital room. I didn't even say goodbye. I suck."

She walked to Bo, sitting down beside her, "You didn't forgive me yet, did you. You're mad at me, huh?"

Bo shrugged, "I was very upset with you, yes. But I think I've gathered some additional information that explains a little more about what's been going on here. Why don't we get you back to the Bed and Breakfast so you can sleep this off."

"Oh, no. We can't leave them here alone. They'll trash my house. I have to make sure it's nice in case I have to sell it."

Bo nodded, "Well, where would you suggest you sleep, Lauren?"

Lauren smiled, "Why don't you do that mean Bo thing and kick all of them out? The house smells like booze, but we can stay in the guest house."

"Guest house?"

Lauren giggled, "Yes, silly. That little house over there."

Bo looked up to see where Lauren was pointing and shook her head. She thought that was a neighbor's house. She never dreamed that the blonde would own an additional house almost the same size as the main house. She was starting to understand a little bit more about the extent of Lauren's wealth.

She stood, "If I go to talk to those women, will you stay here?"

Lauren nodded, but before Bo could do anything, a police officer pulled up to the house. Stephen and Betsy got out of the car and spoke to the two officers that exited the vehicle before all of them walked towards the house. Bo stood, telling Lauren to stay where she was before walking towards the group.

"What's up?"

Stephen smiled, "Bo, these are old friends of Lauren's – officers Kane and McNally."

"Lauren's worried. She doesn't know how to get these women out of here safely. She asked me to kick them off the property, but I don't know how to do that either. I mean… they're naked and drunk. I'd rather not…"

The two officers laughed, "We feel the same way, Ma'am. We have a few female officers coming with a wagon. They'll take them away, let them sober up and then release them. It's private property, so they technically haven't done anything wrong unless Lauren tried to ask them to leave earlier and they refused."

Bo looked at Stephen who gave her a nod, so she continued, "Lauren said a bunch of these women are young interns who crashed the party. It was supposed to be a simple dinner party with some friends, but when the young 'uns showed up, the alcohol started to flow and things got out of hand. Apparently, they broke into her liquor cabinet. She left the house and sat out back until we came. I haven't been inside, but Stephen has."

They turned to Stephen who rubbed the back of his neck, "Lauren isn't going to be happy when she sees the place. They trashed it."

"Well, she can take photos, check to see if anything is missing or broken and then file a report in the morning. Usually, we like to take the pictures ourselves, but we'll just do a quick video of the place if that's okay."

Stephen nodded, but Bo wanted Lauren out of the way before they went in. He didn't want the officers to know how drunk she was. Right now, she just looked distraught. She wanted to keep it that way so it couldn't be spun into something else.

"Can you give me a minute to get Lauren over to the guest house? She's pretty shaken up. I'd rather she not know what happened inside right now."

"Sure thing, Ma'am."

"Thank you."

They all stood still as Bo walked back to Lauren. She stood in front of her,

"Lauren, if you want to save your career and reputation, I need you to stay quiet and walk as upright and straight as you possibly can with me."

"Uh… where?"

"To the guest house. The police are going to come over here and if they know you've been drinking, things might not go so well for you. Do you understand?"

"Walk with you. Stand straight. Be quiet."

Bo nodded, extending both of her hands to Lauren. She used her body to block the officer's view of Lauren as they walked, keeping one arm under her right armpit and the other wrapped around her petite frame. She could feel how thin Lauren was through her thin layers.

"Okay. In we go." Bo said, opening the door to the guest house.

It was a quaint space and appeared to be free of unwanted guests. Bo led Lauren to the sofa and then headed up the steps to check on the bedrooms. She heard voices and shook her head. Deciding she needed to bring a little bit of Alaska to the East Coast, she stood outside of the door and slowly slid her hand down her leg to lift the cuff of her pants. Pulling the Bowie knife from its ankle sheath, she used her other hand to turn the doorknob slowly.

When it opened, she slid the knife inside the door along the frame, then her arm, then the rest of her body. Inside, she found two women in the throes of passion.

"Ahem."

They both rolled over, pulling the sheets up over themselves. Bo chuckled, rubbing her knife back and forth across her thumb,

"Wow. There's two modest women at this party who feel a need to cover up. Lauren would be so proud."

"What the fuck! Can't you see…"

"See what? That you're trespassing? Were you invited into the guest house? For that matter, were you invited to this property or are you one of the crashers?"

"Nina said anyone could come! We didn't know anything about invites!" The other girl argued. Bo noted that this woman didn't want any trouble. Nina, on the other hand, was asking for trouble – whoever she was.

"Doctor Lewis invited a few friends over for dinner. Do you consider yourself friend, colleague or student?"

The pair looked at each other, then back to Bo,

"Who are you?" The more defiant woman asked.

"Security. Who are you?" Bo asked moving to her side of the bed, flipping her knife end over end in her hand.

"You're not security." She replied.

"So that's the answer you're going with? Did I mention that wrong answers result in physical harm?"

"Tara, we should go." The nervous girl said.

"I'd listen to her if I were you, Tara." Bo said, turning to the woman who seemed more reasonable, "Why don't you get dressed and head on out. There's transportation for everyone on the way. Actually, it's probably here by now."

"Doctor Lewis got us all rides?" The anxious girl asked.

Bo nodded, "For those who want to cooperate, yes. She doesn't want anyone driving home drunk and ending their careers before they have a chance to start."

"She can't end our careers."

Bo smiled, "Well, little miss defiant, apparently you haven't read your code of ethics. Breaking and entering would give you a police record, kiddo. Police records and medical licenses don't mix."

"She won't press charges. Evony won't let her."

Bo grinned, "So, Tara - you worship at the altar of Ms. Fleurette-Marquis, huh? I thought you med students were supposed to be super smart."

"Tara, please. We should go."

"Annie, I'm fine. She's got nothing on us. We didn't do anything wrong."

Bo turned to the fearful woman, "Annie, I'd recommend you head on out of here. When you go out, just do exactly what you're told and you'll be fine."

The woman hesitated, but with a bit more encouragement from Bo, she exited the room. Bo turned back to the woman still in the bed,

"So, what's it gonna be, Tara? Leave peacefully or do I have to call law enforcement to have you forcibly removed?"

"You gonna make me?" Tara smirked.

Bo smiled, "You see, that's the difference between you and me. I know my rights and you don't know my rights."

"What about my rights?"

"Actually, you don't have any rights at the moment. You're the one that's trespassing. I have a right to defend myself in this space, as I was invited here for the expressed purpose of defending this property against trespassers like yourself."

"And how exactly do you intend to defend yourself?"

Bo smiled, "Well, I will ask you one more time, politely, to follow Annie and leave this property."

"And if I don't?" She smirked, crossing her arms over her chest, "You think you're so bad with that knife. It's not like you're gonna use it."

Bo enjoyed wiping smirks off the mouths of smart asses. In one fluid motion, her knife was flying across the bed, hitting its mark just to the right of Tara's ear. It was buried deep in the headboard. Oops. Lauren would probably not be very happy about that. A little wood filler and some stain – it would be good as new.

Bo walked to the bed, straddling the woman. She gripped the knife and pulled it from the headboard,

"Now," she began, running the blade over her index finger, "What did Doctor Lewis ever do to you that you would show up uninvited and then disrespect her property?"

"She's a bitch! A real ball-buster! She's got us working ridiculous shifts! She quizzes us constantly and never lets up!"

Bo laughed, "Wait. All of this is because she's pushing you to be the best you can be?"

"Best? I am the best! But she busts my ass constantly! She picks at every little detail! She's obsessed! Even Doctor Anastas says so!"

Bo rolled off the woman, standing up and leaning against the wall. She took a deep breath, "And do you know how Doctor Anastas' surgical record compares to Doctor Lewis' surgical record?"

"Well, the two don't compare. Doctor Lewis is renowned worldwide. Still, I'm just an intern! I don't need to be world renowned. I don't even need to be renowned at the hospital! I just want to pass. I want to have a life outside of medicine! Doctor Anastas said that's why she and Doctor Lewis got divorced… that Lewis didn't know how to balance work and play."

Bo's temper was beginning to max out. Fucking Nadia. She took a few steps towards Tara,

"Well, for now, we won't discuss how unprofessional it is for Doctor Anastas to talk to you about Doctor Lewis' personal life. We will, however, discuss the fact that you want to be a mediocre doctor. I mean… really? If by some chance Doctor Lewis does allow you to move on in your education after your time with her, do me a favor and don't come anywhere near me with a scalpel?"

"Seriously? I have every intention of being an outstanding doctor! I bust my ass!"

"Oh yea? Well, if you're busting your ass, you sure do complain about it enough! You can't have it both ways, kiddo! You're either going to work hard because you want to be an outstanding doctor or you're going to work good enough and be a fair doctor. Personally, I don't know anyone who would want a doctor tinkering around with their heart if they aren't the best. I mean, when we go to a doctor, isn't the whole idea to get better and – most of all – live?"

"Yes, but…"

"Okay, so you need a heart transplant. Who do you want to do it?"

"Doctor Lewis."

"Why?"

"Because I know that she'll…"

Bo smirked, "You know that she'll be well prepared? That she'll study before the procedure even though she's done it a hundred times or more? That she'll care about you and want you to survive? That she'll fight like hell in surgery if something goes wrong to be sure you'll survive? That if something goes wrong in surgery, she has a lot of ideas for how to fix whatever goes wrong? Should I continue?"

"No."

"What would you let Doctor Anastas do to your heart?"

Tara shrugged, "I mean… if Doctor Lewis wasn't available…"

"When would Doctor Lewis not be available?"

It was Tara's turn to smirk, "Well, she wasn't available for several surgeries in the past two weeks."

"And do you know why?"

"People are saying she's been drinking too much. That's she's hung over."

"People? What people?"

Tara shrugged, "Honestly, I heard it directly from a conversation between the boss and Doctor Anastas."

Bo laughed, "And do you think they knew you and others were listening or did they make sure they were alone?"

Tara thought for a moment before answering, "I guess they weren't very careful."

"And do you realize that they could both find themselves in a whole lot of legal trouble if Doctor Lewis found out they were spreading rumors about her to her subordinates?"

"I didn't really think about that." Tara admitted.

"You kids and your gossip. You do it so often that you don't even recognize that it can be legally considered slander! How about I make a suggestion about the things you're hearing from those two women?"

"Okay."

"Doctor Lewis has been placed under a contract that does not allow her to practice medicine within a certain distance of any of the Fleurette-Marquis hospitals should she resign or be fired. Of course, if she were fired, there would be an inquiry and her medical license would be in jeopardy. Now, suppose you were an angry ex-wife or a boss who was angry that you were considering quitting your job? Suppose the ex-wife is a real vengeful sort and the boss is a win-at-all-costs type. How far do you think they would go to get the ex-wife/doctor fired so that she would not only never be able to practice medicine again, therefore eliminating any competition for patients and acquire said vengeance for the ex-wife."

Tara sat there, mouth open, staring at Bo, "No way!"

Bo shrugged, "Just consider that there are always two sides to every story. In this case, Doctor Lewis' side and the new team of Evony and Doctor Anastas' side. Do your homework. More importantly, remember why you're studying medicine."

"I want to be a doctor."

"No good enough. Why do you want to be a doctor? Why did you pursue an internship at this particular hospital? Why cardiothoracic surgery – one of the hardest specialties from what I've heard."

Tara leaned forward, her arms on her legs, "My grandmother… she died of heart failure. They lost her on the table when a heart came in that was supposedly viable. I don't want other grandmothers to die needlessly."

"Then you did set out to be the best." Bo clarified.

Tara shrugged, "I guess when I first started out… yea."

"Do you have a picture of your grandmother?"

"Sure. I carry it with me everywhere I go."

"Where is it?" Bo asked.

"In my phone." Tara said, reaching over to the nightstand. She opened her phone and showed the picture to Bo.

The brunette smiled, "I never knew my grandmother. It would have been nice to know her."

"I guess I'm lucky I got to know mine then. She was so full of life. She's the one who got me interested in science. She was a medical researcher."

Bo smiled, nodding, "I want you to make her picture your home screen wallpaper."

"Why?" Tara asked.

"I want you to remember why you're doing this whole doctor thing. When Doctor Lewis starts pushing you hard, open your phone and look at your grandmother… ask her if Doctor Lewis is pushing you too hard."

"Yea, I guess."

You do know that only six interns in the entire country get to work with Doctor Lewis, right?"

"Yes."

"And if you make it through the program as one of her interns, you'll be considered the best of the best?"

"Yes."

"And I'll bet that right now, you're tired and frustrated because you're watching other interns who don't have to work as hard as you, but instead of complaining, why don't you step back and watch the other doctors. Watch how they do their thing, then compare them to Doctor Lewis. Watch how they talk about their patients when they're not with their patients and then compare that to your mentor. I believe you'll find that you are working for a consummate professional who will do everything in her power – often defying the odds – to save her patients and give them the best possible outcomes."

The woman had no reply, but instead, sat thinking about what Bo had said.

"Tara, I'm fairly certain that what I've said here… well, I think you already knew most of it – other parts, you just needed a reminder. I think you also know that I'm right when I say that Evony and Doctor Anastas have gotten in your ear and are asking you to defame Doctor Lewis."

The woman went to speak, but Bo held up her hand,

"I don't want to know if I'm right, but if they have and you know others they have gotten to, you – and they – should know that Doctor Lewis is done being their doormat. She and other doctors are going to take a stand. Instead of blindly following them, why don't you grab any doctors' contract and give it a read so you'll know exactly who their boss is. Doctor Lewis may be willing to let you see hers if you told her you wanted to know what the business side of being a doctor is like."

Bo sighed, "Anyway, after you give a contract a read, consider what it would be like to work for Evony after you graduate and finish your residency. Maybe you could even go to another hospital – or even online – to see if you can read the contracts of doctors at other hospitals to see how they compare. I'd hate for you to take a job not knowing what's expected of you."

Bo turned to leave, but stopped, "Oh and before you complain anymore about how hard Doctor Lewis is pushing you, I'd like you to consider how hard she works. From what I've witnessed, she's always the first to arrive and last to leave. She may have hit a rough patch in the past two weeks, but you really have no idea what has been going on behind the scenes. Employees have bosses – even top-notch Cardiothoracic surgeons. Evony sent Lauren to Alaska against her wishes. She came home and all she had worked for had been given to her ex-wife who everyone knows is a massive asshat. Get on the right side of this, Tara. Show me that you're worthy of becoming a doctor – that you'll always do the right thing for your patients and the hospital."

Reaching the door, she bent down and picked up the bra at her feet. She tossed it back to Tara,

"Oh, and I still expect you to be out of this house in fifteen minutes. I'm giving you ten to find and change the sheets and five to dress and exit."

"Yes, Ma'am."

Bo smiled, "Now that's more like it." She moved to leave the room, but stopped, turning back, "Did you drink a lot? I mean… do you need a ride?"

She shook her head, "No, I'm fine to drive. My car is in the driveway. Will Annie be in trouble?"

"Not if she wasn't drinking."

Tara nodded, "She wasn't."

"Good. Clock starts now."

Leaving the room, Bo checked her watch, then closed the door quietly behind her. She headed back down the stairs where she found Lauren sound asleep on the couch. Hopefully she was out when Annie came by, so she didn't give away her drunken state.

Bo felt fairly certain she'd done some damage control tonight. She didn't say Lauren hadn't been drinking, merely suggested that Evony and Nadia might be lying or embellishing the truth to get her fired. Either way, she had two more names for Stephen to give to Lauren's lawyer. Hopefully those two would lead to others who would give statements as to what was happening.

She stood over the blonde, happy she was sleeping peacefully… for now. Bo knew all too well what happened when you combined bad days with drunk nights. Nightmares, your mind repeating failures in your head, and headaches that woke you up. Why was the doctor doing this to herself? Or more importantly, what had Evony and Nadia been doing to break her like this? Lauren was the strongest woman she'd ever known. Whatever it was, it couldn't be good.

She leaned down and whispered in Lauren's ear, "Lauren? Lauren."

"Mmmm… sleeping."

"I know, but wouldn't you feel more comfortable in a bed?" Bo asked.

"I'll sleep in a bed when I go home to Alaska. It's the rule."

Bo frowned, "What?"

Lauren's eyes opened slightly, "You know! The rule! I decided on the plane!"

"What rule, Lauren?"

Lauren sat up in a huff, waving her hands as she spoke, "I will not sleep in a bed until I can sleep in Bo's bed again. It's the rule! Of course, if she doesn't want me, I'll sleep in my bed over the clinic… and hate it!"

"Lauren, it's me. Bo."

"You're not Bo. Bo wouldn't come here. She's in Alaska. She's staying there, so I'm moving there. I can't be without her. I just can't. She may not want me, but if I can at least be closer, maybe it won't hurt so bad that she doesn't want me."

Bo sat down in front of Lauren, on the edge of the couch, "Now why would you think Bo doesn't want you?"

"Well, duh. I gave her the silent treatment. Well, that's what she'll think. Actually, I did it because I was afraid."

"And now? Are you still afraid?"

Lauren rolled her eyes, closing them again, "Yes. I'm afraid of not having her in my life."

Bo smiled, "Well, I have a feeling that won't be an issue. There may be some bumps in the road, but she'll forgive you eventually."

"Do you know Bo?"

"Yea, I do." Bo smiled.

"You sort of sound like her." She yawned, "You look a little like her too."

Bo nodded, "So do you want to go to a bed?"

"No! The rule!"

Bo smiled, "Right. The rule."

Deciding she would wait for Tara to leave, Bo covered Lauren with a blanket from the back of the sofa and moved to the kitchen. She searched the cabinets for tea and found what she was looking for, then set to making a pot of tea. Once the kettle was on, she moved to the window to see what was happening outside. She smiled seeing the property was clear of all guests. She moved to the side door and noticed Betsy and Stephen speaking with a tall man in a suit. They were walking towards the guest house.

She moved to Lauren, making sure she was on her side and then moved back to the kitchen, taking a seat at the round, wooden table.

Stephen, Betsy and their guest entered the house, immediately walking towards Bo who pointed towards Lauren and put a finger on her lips. They nodded and came to sit with her at the table. Speaking softly, Betsy did the introduction,

"Bo, this is Patrick, Lauren's lawyer."

"Pleased to finally meet you, Bo. Lauren has talked about you non-stop since she got home."

"Oh?" Bo asked, wondering why she would have come up in a legal conversation.

"Yes. Lauren and I have known each other since she became a lawyer. Eventually our professional relationship became a friendly one. Her Dad sort of pushed us together hoping dating me would 'turn Lauren straight'. We dated for years until we 'broke up' siting irreconcilable differences."

"Lauren dated you?" Bo asked, confused.

Patrick laughed, "Sort of… you see, our differences are that we're completely incompatible since I prefer men. It was a great guise while it lasted. Of course, her Dad was pretty pissed when he found out. Still, my legal firm knew they couldn't fire me for being gay, so I've continued to be promoted through the ranks for years. I just made partner at my firm. But, then all of this mess started for Lauren and they were siding with her Father – their long-time client."

"Let me guess, he brings in a ton of money for them." Bo smirked.

Patrick nodded, "Always lawsuits in medicine. So, this lawsuit created a conflict of interest since they're also Evony's firm."

"So what's the plan?" Bo asked.

Patrick grinned, "I'm going out on my own and most of my clients are coming with me. My old would-have-been-partners will be gunning for me, but we have the evidence and I have a good idea of how they'll play this since I've been working with them since I passed the Bar Exam."

"Don't you need capital to start up a law firm?" Bo asked, "I mean, I don't know much about being a lawyer, but I know every business needs start-up money."

Patrick nodded, "I've got backers in Stephen and Betsy as well as a few other doctors at other hospitals closer to where I grew up. I'm taking a few of my law school buddies with me as well as two lawyers from the old firm who were just behind me in becoming partners. Now, they'll start as partners. Then, we have Lauren's accountant, Penelope who is great with finance law. We're representing Lauren and the multitude of doctors who want to leave Evony's employ. We'll also be representing other members of the hospital staff – and you, if you so choose. Lauren has secured my services for you and your company so that Evony can't allow any backlash to fall on you for what happens with Lauren's case."

Bo sat back in her seat, "Wow. That's really… mature of her to think of me. Thank you."

"Of course. Now, let's get started on…" They all turned when they heard footsteps. Patrick looked at Bo who waved him off. He looked worried about what she may have overheard and rightfully so.

"I'll just be leaving now…" Tara said as she scurried through the living room, "… Thanks for the chat… uh… security lady."

Bo smiled, standing from her seat, "My name is Bo."

" _The_ Bo?" Tara asked.

" _The_ Bo?"

Tara explained, "The one Nadia and Evony have been complaining about?"

Bo laughed, shaking her head, "Wow. I feel so special that they're bringing gossip about little old me to the high-class East Coast drama."

"Nadia hates your guts."

"Feeling's mutual. She put her hands on Lauren, so I handled her."

"I can imagine." Tara replied, "You're such a badass." She laughed.

Bo shrugged, "Come and visit Alaska some time. You'll find it's not so badass at all. We just believe in doing the right thing by others and so does our justice system. Not as much red tape up there."

"Isn't it super cold there?" Tara asked.

"Doctor Lewis tells me you were in the teens and twenties here last winter. Not much worse than that most of the time."

Tara cocked her head, "Nadia said it was below zero."

"I doubt she ever looked at a thermometer. The woman didn't have the right clothes and she'd cry over a hang nail."

Tara laughed, "True. She has to have everything her way." She lowered her head, "I've been thinking about what you said… about the way they behave. I don't want to be like them. Doctor Lewis is the best. If they're screwing with her… well, maybe they need some badass Alaska justice."

Bo grinned, "Maybe they do. However, since they do things differently around here, this is Doctor Lewis' attorney. If you'd like, you could talk to him right now. No pressure – only if you're serious about what you're saying, and you would be willing to stand up in court. Doctor Lewis has plenty of connections – if she loses and they screw you over, she knows plenty of people who aren't controlled by Evony who could help you with a new internship. I'm sure of it."

Stephen nodded, "That's very true."

Tara looked up to see the man sitting across the table, "Ohmagosh! You're… you're Doctor Stephen Archer! You invented the… ohmagosh. I'm sorry. I'm fangirling all over you. I'm sorry. You're just… I wrote a paper on you in my undergrad class! Your out-of-the-box thinking has saved lives and money!"

Bo smiled, "He's Doctor Lewis' mentor."

"You?" Tara asked.

He smiled, "She's the only intern I never broke. I ran that woman into the ground, and she kept up with me every step of the way… even taught me a thing or two."

"So it's true? She helped you with the design of the valve you created?" Tara asked.

Stephen smiled, "If it weren't for Lauren, I never would have thought of it. The company that manufactured the device wouldn't allow her name on it because she was a first-year intern at the time… bad for business and bad for FDA approval."

"Well that sucks." Tara said before realizing how that may have sounded, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to insinuate that…"

"Relax, child. I understand. It did suck… financially as well. Lauren wasn't getting any of the royalties from sales of a device she helped to create. So, I put my partner's name on the patent with mine and when Lauren was established, she transferred credit in her will so there would be no backlash. She died about seven years ago, so Lauren has been getting credit ever since."

"And that's where the rumors came from." Tara concluded.

Stephen nodded, "She's a very private and modest surgeon. She didn't need the credit and really didn't care about the money, so didn't allow a press release. Of course, she could have used that money when she was putting herself through medical school.

"I thought she came from money." Tara stated.

"She did – money that her Father earned. His children have to earn their own way. She won't get anything until they're deceased. Of course, after this mess, she will likely be cut off altogether."

Tara sighed, "Wow. Kinda stingy, aren't they?"

Bo nodded, "Doctor Lewis has never taken the easy road."

Tara frowned, "And now they're really trying to make a big mess of her life, huh?"

Bo shrugged, "Doctor Lewis is a fighter. No matter what happens, her life will go on and she'll find a way to be happy."

Tara nodded, "I'd like to make a statement, Sir."

"Oh?" Patrick said, his interest peaked.

They all watched as Tara stood not far from the door, fighting with herself over what to do. Finally, she turned and walked towards the table. She noticed her boss on the couch,

"Is she asleep?"

Bo nodded, "She is."

"I don't want her to hear what I have to say. I'm pretty sure she's gonna hate me."

Bo shook her head, "I happen to know that Doctor Lewis is one of the most forgiving people in the world when you come clean about a mistake."

Tara stood, looking at Bo, "Okay."

She walked to the table and sat down just as the tea kettle started to whistle. Bo stood, turning to the table,

"Who would like tea?"

Everyone raised their hands. As Patrick opened a pad of paper and took out a pen, Bo prepped the tea. It was going to be a long night and Bo still wanted to get Lauren into a bed.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **Early Morning, Lauren's Guest House…**_

Lauren's eyes fluttered open, then immediately slammed shut, "Arghhhh. Room's spinning."

"Try putting your foot on the floor." Bo said from across the room.

Lauren froze. Surely her mind was playing tricks on her. She opened her eyes and turned her head, the room going for a wicked spin once again. As it spun, she could have sworn she saw Bo. Unfortunately, her stomach became very unhappy and left her stumbling for the bathroom. Bo followed closely behind, catching her when she almost took a spill. When she finally made it to the commode, she emptied the contents of her stomach… several times.

Finally, she sat back, leaning into Bo, "It's you."

Bo nodded, "It is."

"When did you… why did… how did you get here?"

"Uh… two days ago, but here on this property, last night. I came because your friends, including those in Alaska, brought me here under the guise of a trial. I got here because they all pitched in and bought me a ticket. In the end, they wanted me here because they're worried about you and… even though I'm still kinda mad at you, I'm worried as well."

Lauren sat up, sliding across the floor so she could lean against the cabinet. Bo slid opposite her and leaned against the wall opposite Lauren.

"I'd really like to brush my teeth right now, but I'm worried about standing up."

Bo smiled, "Let me help you out. Are there guest toothbrushes in this house?"

Lauren nodded, "Second drawer."

"Okay."

"Oh boy!" Lauren said, lunging for the toilet once more.

Bo shook her head, knowing this was going to be a long morning for the blonde. She laid the toothbrush on the counter before heading over to pull back Lauren's hair for her. After several minutes, Lauren relaxed again. But only a few minutes later, she was back at it again.

Yup, it was going to be a while.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **Early Evening – Lauren's Guest House**_

Bo had been roaming Lauren's guest house, checking out her book collection, ordering take out since there was no food and sitting in the doorway watching the ocean tide come in. She didn't want to go far just in case Lauren started to get sick again, but she wasn't as worried since it had been about five hours since she had last used the bathroom. Hopefully that part was over. She had fallen asleep about four hours ago, so Bo hoped that when she woke up, the worst was over.

Patrick, Betsy and Stephen had been over to discuss her case. Lauren had lasted for about an hour before falling asleep on the table. Bo had taken her upstairs and then sat with them while they finished reviewing everything they had to go on. When Patrick left, he said he would be in touch tomorrow for a possible meeting with Evony and her team the following day. He was hoping the threat of a lawsuit would turn things around quickly.

Bo hoped so too. Not only did she want to be sure Evony couldn't royally screw her company over, she also wanted to get all of this behind them and move on.

"Bo?"

The brunette stood, turning back to find Lauren coming down the stairway.

"How do you feel?"

"Like I've been run over by a dogsled, but it's my fault. Thank you for taking care of me. You really should have let me suffer on my own as punishment for the way I treated you the past month."

"Lauren, we've been through this…"

"I know, I know. I still feel horrible."

"Do you mean that figuratively or physically?"

"Both." Lauren said, "Unfortunately."

Bo nodded, "Well, hopefully that will be your last drunken night for a very, very long time to come."

Lauren sat down at the table, "I've really gotta stop doing this to myself."

"If you want to date me, yes you do."

"Sorry you had to watch me vomit for hours on end."

"Yea, not my idea of a good time – particularly since I've waited all of this time to see you."

"I do appreciate it. You really didn't have to stay, but I'm glad you did. It's always nice to have someone there with you when you're losing half of your internal organs."

Bo laughed, "As a witness – I can promise that no internal organs were lost during your drunken event."

"Well, I suppose that's a positive."

"How much do you remember?" Bo asked.

Lauren shook her head, "I remember realizing you were here and were going to be with me every miserable step of the way as I paid the price for getting drunk. I also remember our conversations about us and my 'radio silence' as you called it. I remember apologizing profusely, but not feeling that anything I said was enough. I remember you being quite upset but assuring me you would forgive me in time."

"Do you remember Patrick being here."

"Right! We have a lawsuit and a plan." Lauren replied.

Bo nodded, "He's going to give us a shout tomorrow morning.

"Good, good." Lauren replied, "So, what's your plan?"

"What do you want me to do?"

"I want you to stay, of course. But… only if you want to be here."

Bo smiled, "Then I'll stay."

Smiling, Lauren made a proposal, "How about we have a quiet dinner, maybe a walk on the beach and a movie tonight. Then, tomorrow I'll take you out for an adventure."

Bo offered a soft smile, "Sounds perfect."

"Good." Lauren replied, "It will give me some time to get hydrated and back to normal. You're going to love tomorrow."

Bo smiled, "I'm sure I will."

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **Tall Ship Gracie Marie**_

"Okay, open your eyes." Lauren said, watching Bo's mouth drop open when she did as instructed.

"Oh. My. Gawd!" Bo said, her eyes traveling up the tall masts of the ship, "We're going on that thing?"

Lauren smiled, "It's not a thing, it's a ship and technically, the ship is a she. She's the Gracie Marie."

"That's a cute name."

"My friend that owns and captains the ship named her after his little sister. She died when she was six of Leukemia. She loved the ocean and loved being out on the boat. He felt it was appropriate that she sail the seas in her afterlife… so to speak." Lauren explained.

Bo nodded, "That's a nice story."

Lauren approached the gangway, "Permission to come aboard, Sir?"

The man laughed, "Lauren, you know you're always welcome! How are you? It's been too long!"

"I'm great Hank. How are you?"

"Good, good." He turned to Bo, "And you must be Bo? Lauren's date?"

"Yes. It's nice to meet you. The ship is beautiful."

He smiled, "She is indeed. I'm Hank, the First Mate. You'll meet the Captain after the trip. He's got to take care of the paying customers first and has some VIP's on board he has to tend to."

Lauren smiled, "I already told him to pretend we're not here. We'll be fine."

"I'm sure." Hank replied, "Well, head on up to the forward section of the ship. Lauren you know what to do if there's anything that Bo didn't pick up on during her land training."

"I certainly do. Thank you, Hank!"

"Sure thing."

Bo followed Lauren to the forward section, greeting various deck hands as they walked. Finally, Lauren got her set up at the bow of the ship, to take in the scenery until it was time for them to get to work. It truly was beautiful here. She could see why Lauren settled here. In its own way, it had a touch of Alaska to it. There were evergreen trees – much taller and fuller than most near the town thanks to the bears, the frost, heavy snows and wildfires, but there was definitely a lot of green… and blue. Bo had never been out on a calm, clear ocean that wasn't covered in icebergs and whitecaps. Suddenly, she didn't feel a need to have the knife that was strapped to her lower leg with her. It was calm and quiet out here. She felt… at peace.

She looked up at the men climbing the masts to untie the top sails and release them onto their gear. Her job would come next when she would help to raise the sails beneath them so they could leave port. Everything had been demonstrated and explained to her at least three times. She was looking forward to this. It was a new experience and only now did Bo realize she enjoyed new experiences. Her life had become about daily routines. Get up, start a fire, feed dogs, let dogs out, have breakfast, set traps, take dogs for training run, check traps, eat lunch, head into town, work in the kennel, training run, work in the kennel, train pups, work in the kennel and so forth. This was exciting.

"LET FALL!"

Bo smiled as the top sails fell and the sailors returned to the deck. She'd been given the opportunity to climb the mast but didn't think she would care to do it again. The view from the top made her stomach roll, something that the most experienced sailor agreed still happened to him. He told her that the hairs still stood up on the back of his neck when he looked down from the top. He also said he'd be more worried if they didn't. No one has any place up on the mast if they don't have at least a little fear of being up there.

"PREPARE TO HOIST THE JIB SAILS!"

That was the command the crew around Bo had been waiting for and she knew her role. She quickly moved to the forward side of the halyard at the fore jib sail.

The first mate moved to Bo, "Remember to check…"

"That the halyard runs straight to the top of the mast and make sure the shackle is securely fastened to the sail." Bo held out each line, "Clear!"

He smiled at Lauren who smiled as she readied her own lines. The captain called out,

"Prepare to hoist the fore and aft jib sails!"

The chain of command followed the voices along the rails of the ship before the first mate yelled back,

"Prepared to hoist!"

"Haul away on the halyards!"

Bo set to work, hauling the sail up, keeping pace with the rest of the crew so that the sails went up evenly. She caught a glimpse of Lauren, her muscles flexing under the stress of the heavy aft sail.

"Remember to anchor your halyard tight, Bo!"

"Got it!" Bo called back, "Double check me, Hank?"

"I've got her, Hank!" said, Chip, double checking Bo's knot around the cleat, "That's a perfect knot, Bo. I take it this isn't your first time on a tall ship?"

Bo smiled, "First time on a ship, yes. First time with knots, far from it."

"Good job. Now you can sit back and watch the crew set the mains."

"SET YOUR LOWER TOP SAILS! MAN THE LOWER TOP SAIL GEAR! EASE YOUR CLOTHES, HAUL AWAY YOUR SHEETS, SHEETER HO!"

Bo had no idea what they were doing but watched as the sky was suddenly filled with massive white sheets of cloth that fluttered in the wind until they were pulled tight. Next, the top sails that had been lowered by those climbing the masts were set in place and secured. It took the entire crew working together to get the full sails up and set. In Bo's mind, it was the ultimate feat of teamwork.

Hank moved towards Bo with Lauren walking closely behind, "Captain wants the two of you to relax and enjoy the view for the rest of the trip. You helped to load all of tomorrow's gear, so he considers your room and board for the night paid in full. Thanks for your help. It's been a long day with a full load of tourists, so the guys and gals working the ship are grateful for two hard-working women like yourselves at the back end of the trip. Best to just stay out of their way now so they can tack as needed."

"Thanks for the experience, Hank. I've never done anything like this before. It's really cool. You all work like a well-oiled machine."

He smiled, "That's a compliment to any First Mate. Thanks, Bo." He tipped his hat to Lauren and headed back to work.

"So, you're enjoying it so far?"

Bo grinned, "How can I not? This is so cool."

"It's a lot like sledding, eh? Captain leads his crew through commands and the ship sails in the same way that you serve as the captain to your dogs who run the sled on your orders."

Bo smiled, "I guess I hadn't thought about it that way. I'm just glad I'm not the musher of this team. I'd have us on land by now."

Lauren smiled, "Okay, let's head aft and get out of their way."

Bo followed Lauren towards the rear of the ship. As they walked, Lauren kept her eyes to the water as she saw a shadow emerge. She grinned when she realized what she was seeing,

"HUMPBACK, MIDSHIP, STARBOARD SIDE!" Lauren shouted, taking Bo by surprise.

Heads turned and everyone cheered as the whale breeched, hefting its massive frame out of the water and landing with a splash away from the ship.

"Whoa!" Bo said, moving to the rail, "That was amazing!"

Grinning, the brunette was transported back to her youth when she went out with the village captain on a whale hunt. She knew that her village needed the food, the oil, the blubber and the skin the large mammal would provide, but she hated killing them. They were such beautiful animals and it did her heart good to know that in these waters, no one would be hunting this one.

"Have you seen a whale before?" Lauren asked.

Bo explained how villages were all granted at least one whale hunt per year depending on the size of their village. The animal was hauled on shore and divided up among everyone, the captain getting the best cuts so that he could sell them and recoup the cost of the vessel and a small token for himself.

"It's nice to know this guy won't be killed."

Lauren nodded, "True, as long as he stays in friendly waters. I'd like to think he and his family have put down roots here and are year-round residents."

Bo smiled, "I noticed a lot of signs for whale watches on our way to the dock. Is that common for this area?"

"Oh, yes. It's a hot spot for whale watchers." Lauren replied.

The pair watched as another whale breeched, an entire pod now swimming alongside the ship. Lighthearted conversation centered on ocean wildlife and the beauty of the natural environment that surrounded them continued for the duration of the trip.

When they entered port, the pair helped with the sails, then cleaned up the ship as instructed. Finally, Lauren took Bo back to the Captain's quarters. They knocked,

"Come."

Lauren opened the door to find her friend, the captain, writing his reports. She stepped inside,

"Elijah?"

The captain looked up, a smile stretching across his face, "Lauren! How was your sail?"

The pair met in the middle of the room, embracing for a long moment before pulling back and smiling at one another. Lauren's eyes sparkled as she said,

"It was perfect, my friend. Thank you so much." She stepped back, keeping a hand on his shoulder as she opened her hand to Bo, "This is my girlfr… this is Bo."

Bo stepped up, recognizing Lauren's embarrassment, "Lauren's girlfriend. It's very nice to meet you. That was quite an experience."

He shook Bo's offered hand, smiling as she took Lauren's hand, giving it a squeeze to help her relax. They hadn't talked much about their status as a couple since they'd met at the mess of a party at Lauren's house, so Bo thought she would set the record straight. She was definitely still upset that Lauren hadn't returned her messages, but they would talk more about that later.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it. Lauren tells me you're a native of Alaska. Do you get out on the water much?"

Bo smiled, "Not since I was a child. I've never been on a ship like this. She's amazing."

Elijah smiled and nodded, "Yes, Lauren and I have very different tastes in women. The love of my life is this ship while the love of her life is 100% Ysabeau Dennis."

Bo looked at Lauren, then back to the captain, "You know my real name?"

Elijah laughed, "Oops. I think that was supposed to be a secret. Did you know my friend here thinks you have the most beautiful name ever given to a human being?"

Bo grinned at Elijah, her gaze moving to Lauren as she replied, "I didn't. Thanks for letting me in on that secret. I might have to let her use it on special occasions."

Lauren turned to Bo, "My friend Elijah can't keep a secret, so if there's anything you don't want everyone to know, don't tell him."

The captain smiled, "I'm a firm believer the truth will set you free."

Lauren smiled at Bo, "I agree. When you finally release your truth – for better or worse – you feel lighter… terrified, but definitely lighter."

Bo replayed the words that Lauren had said earlier, "I may not have believed in it before, but I do now. You're my soulmate, Bo. I'm sure of it. I've never been more sure of anything in my life."

"Well, from what Lauren told me of her plans, you two are going to head ashore for some take out, then come back on board for the night. We set sail on our sunrise cruise at 5:30am. I suppose the first one on board will wake you up by their presence alone."

He pointed to the corner, "There's a bed over there. A head on that side. You can shower by jumping off the dock into the water. I don't have any toothbrushes, so you'll have to pick those up in town unless you brought them."

"We can get by on next to nothing. Bo lives off-grid and has been teaching me how to live with less." Lauren reminded.

Elijah nodded, "Right. So you've told me. She talks about you like you're superhuman."

Bo laughed, "I can assure you, I'm quite mortal and all flesh and bone. I've got the scars to prove it. So you're really doing it, huh Lo? You didn't sound too convinced when we talked in March – seemed to just be an idea you were kicking around in your head."

Lauren smiled, "I'm really doing it."

"I take it I have a standing invitation – if it's okay with Bo?"

Bo looked between the pair, but Lauren nodded, "You will always have a bed in Alaska when you visit, Eli. I really hope you come visit sooner than later. I think you'll love it as much as I do."

He smiled, "I'll get there in the off-season. Promise."

"It'll be cold."

"It's Alaska. Isn't it always cold?"

Lauren grinned, "It's perfect in summer. I'm looking forward to getting there for the last of it."

Turning to Bo, Eli spoke, "I hope you know how lucky you are. This woman is one of the good ones. She's got her quirks and she's definitely a bit of a control freak, but for this one to up and move herself for love of woman and land… well, that's saying something because she has been a lover of these waters for as long as I've known her. You must be something special for Lauren to move all the way to the northwest."

Bo didn't know what to say in response. She felt… pressure.

Lauren smiled, "To be clear, Eli, I'm not just moving there for Bo."

"I know, I know. You're moving there for those dogs you're obsessed with and a more well-rounded work experience with people who really need and appreciate you. I've been listening, Little Lo." He turned to Bo, "From what I hear, you're a triple threat she can't resist."

"Triple threat?" Bo asked.

"Brains, brawn and beauty!"

Bo smiled awkwardly as Eli slapped Bo on the back. She hated when men did that to women like they're 'one of the guys'. She replied, simply, "Right."

She looked at Lauren who scolded her friend, "Eli!"

Lauren looked at Bo, "Sorry. He can be an ass sometimes. I'll be right back. I want to ask Hank if we can catch a ride. I have to get to him before he leaves for dinner."

Lauren rushed out of the captain's quarters taking the steps to the upper deck two at a time. It left Bo and Elijah standing alone. After a moment of awkward silence, he sighed,

"Look, Bo. I'm sorry for being such an ass. It's just… well, I've loved Lauren since we were little kids running up and down the beaches here in summer. It matters to me that she's happy. Frankly, I'm a bit upset that you're as beautiful and talented as you are. Lauren can't stop talking about you and… well, I guess I'm jealous. I think in some strange alternate universe sort of way, I'd always hoped that one day Lauren would decide she was straight as an arrow and choose me. I guess the good thing about meeting you is… well, it's a reality check. The way she looks at you… she's clearly, completely and totally off the market for good. That woman would follow you through the fires of hell."

Bo sighed thinking of all Lauren had followed her through already. She nodded, "She already has, really."

Elijah smiled, "They had her holed up here on my ship for a week when she arrived… the Feds, I mean. They were taking down some group in a place called… Sitka?"

Bo nodded, "Yes and a group here on the east coast. We were all locked up and under guard until they knew they had everyone. Thanks for keeping her safe."

"When Lauren told that woman… Tamsin… that she had a friend who owned a tall ship, she was sold. From that point on, they used Coast Guard surveillance when we were on the water and checked every passenger manifest before we left port."

Bo hadn't been informed that Lauren was on lockdown. She felt bad that she had brought additional stress down on her with all she was dealing with from Evony.

"The trick was arranging her schedule with Evony being the bitch she is. She insisted on having her attend these medical conferences and galas to rub elbows with the big brass in the medical world. That just made things hell on the Feds who were running her security detail." He shook his head, "But, all of that is over now… Evony is over now and that's a huge relief for anyone who cares about Lauren."

Bo nodded, "For sure."

After another moment of silence, Bo spoke, "I've never heard of you before. Has Lauren kept in touch with you all year?"

Eli nodded, "Since she left, yes. We would text or call almost daily just checking in with each other. Like I said, we're childhood friends. I may love Lauren on a different level, but she thinks of me as a brother, so we interact like siblings. It's tough at times, but I've come to accept my role in her life. I'll always be there for her even though it will always be platonic on her side."

"So, she knows how you feel?" Bo asked.

"Yup. Hope you don't feel weird about us hanging out. You have absolutely nothing to worry about. I know that more than most."

"Why?"

When we were kids, we used to debate the existence of soul mates. As you probably know, our favorite doctor doesn't believe in anything that cannot be observed through science, so she never agreed with me on that topic… until now. Lauren told me about a week ago that she believes you are her soulmate. The problem was, she thought she'd destroyed what you had by keeping her distance from you for as long as she had. She didn't know how to break the ice to open the door again. She was frozen in silence because she was terrified you would reject her."

Bo smiled, "The truth is, I may have – at first – but that would just have been my anger talking."

"Yes, I've also heard about the famous Bo Dennis temper."

Bo chuckled, "Yea, but I'm working on that."

"Good for you. Lauren has no time for temper tantrums. Nadia used to pull those all the time. When it happened, Lauren would come out to the Cape and – if I was heading out – would set sail with us until she calmed down. The very first fit Nadia threw, Lauren came out here and lived on my ship for a week. The second time, she decided she'd better just by her beach house. They weren't married at the time. I'm surprised they ever were, honestly. I tried to talk her out of it, but she thought Nadia was the best she could do."

Bo nodded, "Well, I think you and I are on the same page about her ex-wife – and I've only met her one or two times."

"Be happy that's all you had to deal with. I reached a point where I made Nadia complaints off limits – she was taking up that much of our friend time. Drove me crazy – especially after Lauren went against my advice and married the bitch."

Bo nodded, "It's good to know that she has a friend to talk to… one that's not tied to me. She didn't have that while she was living in Alaska until the nurses came, but still… they're sort of her employees, so I think it's still not quite a true friend you can vent to. She tried to tell me that after the Iditarod, but I didn't really listen. I'm glad she has a Kenzi."

Eli laughed, "The hotel owner."

"Yup."

"And your bestie that hates her guts."

Bo shook her head, "Kenzi doesn't hate Lauren… she just doesn't trust doctors."

"Well, I hope she'll lighten up. It's important to Lauren that she learn to get along with her for your sake."

Bo shrugged, "It doesn't matter to me what Kenzi thinks of Lauren. It's not her call."

"I'm glad to hear you say that." Elijah said, "I just don't want to see her hurt – by anyone. She doesn't deserve it."

Bo sighed, "I'm sorry you have to deal with those feelings you feel. I guess it's hard to have me here."

Elijah shrugged, "Not really. She's happy. That's all that matters. Sure, there's the occasional twang, but all in all, I'm kind of used to it."

"Are you sure it's a good thing for you to maintain a relationship with her?" Bo asked.

He shrugged, "I'd rather have her as a friend than not at all. I mean… we were friends first… we've never crossed that line… not so much as a kiss, so it's all fantasy on my part."

"Uh… ew." Bo replied.

"Oh, no. I don't… not that kind of fantasy… I mean… I don't… you know… when I'm alone… that would be… creepy. No, I wouldn't cheapen Lauren to that… you're right… ew."

"Bo? Hank's ready to go." Lauren called from up the steps

Bo turned to Elijah, the two sharing an awkward 'should we hug or shake hands' moment before finally settling on a handshake.

"Bo, whatever happens with you two, please trust that she's all in… and completely and totally all in to finding forgiveness for being an idiot. I'm sure this is all very hard on you, but please know that Lauren has been on shaky ground emotionally since coming home. She's realized that she made a huge mistake by not communicating with you but dealing with Evony also had her pretty messed up. In fact, she was so completely overwhelmed by her feelings for you and what her boss was doing that she was ready to give up everything to come back to you... medical license included."

"I would never ask her to do that." Bo replied, emphatically.

Elijah nodded, "And we wouldn't let her. Her friends held a little intervention of sorts to talk her out of that. We all know that Lauren wouldn't be Lauren if she wasn't helping the sick. It's at the very core of who she is."

Bo nodded, "Agreed."

"We've gotta go, Bo!" Lauren called down.

Elijah smiled, "You'd better go."

"Right. It was nice meeting you. Thanks for the chat." Bo said.

"Of course. Thanks for listening… and thanks for giving her this chance."

Bo smiled and headed up the stairs to meet Lauren. Elijah had certainly given her more to think about… and more reasons to trust Lauren. She had a feeling that before the night was over, her mind would be filled with more news about the real Lauren Lewis.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

Lauren and Bo made their way back to the ship, take out containers in hand. Lauren had challenged Bo to a contest in which they would take turns naming wildlife species in alphabetical order. They were on the letter 'X' when Bo said,

"XZebra."

"Zebra starts with a 'Z', not an 'X'. There is no 'X' in Zebra."

"Sure there is."

"No, there's not."

"Okay then, name one species that starts with the letter 'X'."

"Xenarthra."

"What?"

"It's a subspecies of the Sloth."

"Okay, then that's my 'X' animal."

"You cheated!"

"I did not! I asked you a question and you answered. I simply used the new information I received from a casual conversation."

"You're still a little cheater."

They boarded the ship, Lauren calling out to Hank so he would know they were on board. Security would take watch starting at nine tonight. The doctor led the way to the bow of the ship, grabbing the lantern that hung near the bow and setting it down between them for when the sun went down. Together, they unpacked the takeout containers, each digging into the food with ravenous appetites.

"I had no idea I was this hungry." Bo said.

Lauren nodded, "I couldn't manage breakfast… hell, I haven't managed much food for the last several days. I guess my body has reached its breaking point."

"Lauren, you have to take care of yourself. You can't afford to give up any pounds. You'll waste away to nothing."

"I'm a doctor, Bo. I know how to take care of myself."

"Really? Well, according to those in the know about Lauren Lewis – including our nurses back in Talkeetna – your diet has mostly been alcohol for almost two weeks."

Bo caught herself raising her voice and took a breath. She looked up at Lauren,

"Sorry. I must sound like your Mother."

"My Mother?"

"Just another bit of information I've picked up during my time with your friends."

"How did my Mother come up in conversation?"

Bo shrugged, "As one of the numerous explanations for why you – shall we call it 'let loose' – the past two weeks."

"Oh, so I have Mommy issues."

"And Daddy issues, apparently."

"Wow. My so-called friends are apparently prepping me for the loony bin behind my back." Lauren threw down her fork and started to stand, but Bo placed a firm hand on her leg,

"Lauren, stop. These people care about you. They care about you and me as a couple despite not knowing me. They're giving me insight into your past in hopes of helping me to understand where your mind was when you went radio silent. They're not saying these things out of malice or to prep you for the loony bin. They're saying these things so that I'll open my heart and mind to what has been going on in your life. Honestly, it's helping me… a lot."

"How can learning about my past with my parents possibly help you with my general lack of attentiveness."

"It helps me to realize that you weren't being inattentive, you were running away from a situation with Evony that you could not control. You are aware that you are a control freak, right?"

Lauren shrugged, "Yes, but I think it's one of my more charming characteristics."

Bo had to chuckle, "Have you ever thought about why you need to control things all the time?"

"Not really. It happens in the moment and I don't even realize I'm doing it. I suppose I've always thought it just came from overseeing so many life and death situations for most of my day. My job is all about controlling something that is out of my control. It's not easy when I lose those battles."

"Like with Elise's Mom."

Lauren nodded, "That's just one of many examples."

"Is that why you told Patrick to sell everything – that you want to move to and work in Alaska?"

Lauren shrugged, "To avoid life and death situations? Uh… have you not seen the number of life and death situations I've had to handle since moving there? I mean…. Here, there are predictable situations with predictable procedures and outcomes. In Alaska, I rarely see the same condition twice. One week I'm treating three people who fell through the ice attempting to jump a frozen river on a dog sled, the next week two kids come in who tried to do a somersault on a snow machine. I've had broken bones, severed arteries, broken backs, broken necks, hypothermia, helicopter and plane crashes… every day is an adventure."

"Do you miss the routine? I mean… knowing that you're going to do a heart transplant or a valve replacement each day instead of the unexpected and unpredictable random trauma cases?"

She picked up Lauren's fork and handed it to her, encouraging her to eat. The blonde relented and took a bite as she considered Bo's question for a moment. It seemed the brunette might be on to something,

"Actually, I've enjoyed the variety in Alaska. I've enjoyed the somewhat slower pace. I've enjoyed being able to take time off. Mostly, I've enjoyed the people and the fact that medicine in Talkeetna is not about money – it's about healing and getting people back to their lives. It's the kind of medicine I set out to practice when I first went to medical school. I guess that's why I'm making the change."

Bo nodded, "It sounds to me like you handled not being in control much better in Alaska."

Lauren laughed, nodding her head, "Well, hanging out with Bo Dennis allowed me to practice handling the unexpected."

Bo looked out to sea, giving a slight nod of the head, "You know, I've never thanked you for standing by me through all of the things that have happened with my family. You've had to put up with attempts on your life, my temper, my crazy Father and now my crazy Mother. You've been shot at, set on fire and more. You've had to adapt to a whole new way of living and I do recognize the whole 'no running water' thing at my homestead is rough."

Lauren laughed, "You didn't mention catching my own breakfast from the river. In Boston, I'd hit a drive through for a cup of coffee and some oatmeal."

Bo laughed, "You've gotten quite good at it, though."

"True. Fishing in the early morning with the mist hovering over the river has actually become one of the most relaxing parts of my day."

"Still, I'm sorry that my life has put you in danger so many times. Despite that, you've always stuck by me. I think I owe you a little trust for your little disappearing act.

Lauren shook her head, "You don't owe me anything, Bo. I'm not keeping score."

"I'm not either, Lauren but I did finally realize that this relationship has got to be about give and take. I'm choosing to give you a little latitude on this because you did that for me for months. I was quite uncooperative and angry in our early months together. I want to be sure to show a little gratitude in the form of repaying your trust and loyalty."

"Thank you." Lauren replied, unsure of what else to say.

"Of course, there was that very stressful night when you almost got yourself killed. I don't think I'll ever forgive you for that."

"Which time was that?" Lauren laughed.

"Uh… 3-team dog sled, blizzard, no lessons…"

Lauren shrugged, "I was testing my pups to see if they were good enough to lead Bo's sled someday."

Bo laughed, "You make me sound like Santa."

"Well, you have given me an incredible gift."

"Oh? And what gift is that?" Bo smiled, expecting a comical response from Lauren, but the blonde's eyes filled with tears as she spoke her answer,

"Unconditional love."

Bo's eyes filled as well and she shrugged, "As I've told you before, I love you Lauren. You're that once in a lifetime for me. Even if we decide we're better off apart, I'll still love you. I will never love another like you. I know it sounds like some love-sick pathetic pup, but it's my truth. I can't help that my heart has set anchor with you. It has. I have to live with that – with or without you. If it's without you, I'll do my best to find love again – perhaps the kind that Stephen and Betsy have. But for now, I'm choosing to fight to save what we have."

"And for that, I'm grateful." Lauren replied, "Because I don't want to live without you. We just have to stop hurting each other."

Bo smiled, closing up the containers of take out. Lauren picked them up, "I'm going to take these down to the refrigerator. I'll be right back. The sun should be setting soon – west is over there."

Nodding, Bo turned to the port side of the ship. She wished she had her Adirondack chairs here. She looked around, searching the deck for something they could sit on, but saw nothing.

"I brought chairs." Lauren said, returning with two folding chairs and blankets, "And blankets."

"Awesome. I was just looking for a place to sit."

Lauren opened one chair, extending the leg support as well, then did the same for the other. She intentionally set her chair with a bit of space between them, not making assumptions that Bo would want to be physically close. She then turned and picked up the blankets from the deck. When she turned back around to hand one to Bo, she found the arm rests touching.

"As I said. I want this to work, Lauren. I want us to just… be us. We wouldn't sit that far apart."

"Right." Lauren said as she nervously sat in her chair.

Bo took the blanket that Lauren held and laid it over her own, then pulled both blankets over the two of them when Lauren sat down. She took Lauren's hand beneath the cover, noting the shake of her hand.

"Feels like a first date, huh?" Bo asked with a smile.

Lauren smiled, but her eyes brimmed with tears again, "I've decided that when I go back to Alaska, I'm going to make an appointment with Doctor Gray. Because of doctor-patient privilege, she would never discuss the content of your sessions with me, but it could give her insight if we're both seeing her, making it easier for her to lead us through discussions about our individual perspectives on our relationship."

Bo's eyes stayed fixed on the horizon as she asked, "What would you think of couples counseling?"

Lauren turned to Bo, "I would be open to that once I have a few sessions under my belt, if that's okay. I feel a bit unhinged right now. I want my confidence and strength back, Bo. I don't know how to do that… I don't know where it went."

Bo shrugged, "If you want my completely uneducated and unprofessional opinion, I think you stopped trusting yourself last night, Lauren. I think you realized that you had been reckless over the past couple of weeks, and it was a wake-up call. Now, you wonder just how far you could go, and it scares you."

Lauren was quiet for a while, but finally answered quietly, "I think your uneducated, unprofessional opinion is right on the money. I don't trust myself to make good choices right now. If I can't trust myself, how can you trust me?"

Bo thought for a moment, unable to keep the question from her mind – she decided to be honest and ask about what was on her mind,

"You didn't do anything else… reckless… did you? I mean… with anyone else?"

"No! No, of course not! I mean… I had a couple of invitations when I was hanging out in bars, but that's why I would leave. I didn't trust myself to make a bad decision if I got too drunk while out in a bar. That's why I question whether or not you can trust me when I can't trust myself!"

Bo turned back to Lauren, "Because I don't just trust your choices, Lauren. I trust your heart. I trust that when you screw up, it isn't because of a choice made from malice, hate or deception. It's from the most innocent of emotions… fear, sadness, hurt or maybe even anger."

Lauren sighed, "I suppose that's true. More importantly – look."

Following the blonde's finger as it pointed to the horizon, Bo caught sight of a sky streaked with brilliant patterns of pink and purple.

"Wow. It's… beautiful." Bo said, her eyes firmly set on the vision before her, "It's like we're at home on the river, Lauren. All that's missing is the snow on the mountains."

Bo caught herself, looking over at Lauren, "Not that this isn't beautiful. It is… it really is."

Lauren smiled, "I knew these colors would be familiar to you. The backdrop of white makes them even more brilliant in Alaska. But just wait… here, you'll see many, many more colors. It's like a watercolor painting in progress, only it's different every night."

Bo turned towards the horizon again and noticed a brilliant orange streak forming between two shade of lavender. The brunette smiled, "Wow, that's amazing."

Lauren nodded, "And we've still got about fifteen or twenty minutes more until the sun goes down."

Lauren watched the expression on Bo's face change with the colors, each more brilliant than the next. The brunette sighed, relaxing back into her chair. Her eyes remained focused on the now brilliant orange streaks that filled the sky for as far as she could see. She spoke softly to Lauren,

"Thanks for this, Lauren. This is so relaxing to be here staring at the sky while the water beneath the ship rocks you my body into this sleepy mode. I've never felt so… at peace. This truly is a beautiful sight to behold."

It was a beautiful sight to behold and one the blonde had hoped she would see in this moment.

She kept her eyes set on Bo as she replied,

"Yes, it is."

Bo turned to Lauren, now understanding the beauty to which she was referring. She blushed, giving Lauren a soft smile. She leaned over and laid her head on the blonde's shoulder,

"I'm still mad at you, Lauren… but I love you to the moon and back."

"I'm still sorry, Bo and will be every time I think of this time we've been apart… but you are my everything, Bo Dennis and I will do anything in my power to make you believe that is the truth in my heart."

She leaned over and kissed the top of Bo's head before snuggling down into the chair, pulling the blankets snug over their bodies and giving Bo's hand a squeeze.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **Captain's Cabin – One Hour Later**_

"Lauren, I really don't mind taking the couch." Bo insisted, still standing next to the single bed holding a blanket in her hand.

The sofa and bed were perpendicular to each other, making it easy for them to see each other as they spoke. Lauren smiled back at the brunette,

"Bo, you're my guest. It was my idea to sleep on the ship and not drive back to the B&B so we could each have a proper bed. I'll take the sofa. Really - I've slept on here many nights."

Relenting, she crawled into the bed, "Elijah told me you used to come here when you and Nadia argued."

Lauren smiled, laying down on the sofa and pulling the blanket over her. She turned on her side, propping her head up with her hand so she could talk to Bo,

"Well, that's how it began. It sort of evolved into my problem solving space. Bad surgery, visit from the parents, especially rough week with Evony… actually, there were more and more reasons to be here and less reasons to be at home as time went on."

"I guess things were over with Nadia before you ever really ended things?"

Lauren shrugged, "I suppose. I mean, I'm not the one that ended things. She made the decision to go elsewhere for sex. Of course, it took me a while to figure out that was happening - I was oblivious. I guess it was more that I didn't really care… I mean, I cared but it wasn't a priority for me… I was content. I didn't realize she wasn't happy." She lowered her head, pulling at the loose threads on the blanket, "Or maybe I knew but I wasn't willing to listen or to do anything to save our marriage."

She looked back up at Bo, "I never really thought of love as something I couldn't live without… not until you. I suppose growing up with parents who had children more to 'carry on their line' than because they loved kids was part of the reason. I never knew the love of my parents. I only knew what Lewis' were and were not supposed to do. It was all duty, no fluff. I suppose it's why my brother left home when I went off to college."

"Where is your brother?"

Lauren shrugged, "I honestly don't know. The last time I heard from him, he was working with an environmental group to save the planet. He called for bail when he got arrested for using pipe bombs to stop the construction of a pipeline in Canada."

Bo nodded, "Yea, the pipeline has a love-hate relationship with Alaska. Some of us love it, some of us hate it. Mostly, none of us talk about it too much. It's something that's out of our control."

Lauren smiled, "Well, that's where my brother comes in. He and his group fight the battles that most people think are out of their hands. Unfortunately, they tend to walk a very narrow line when it comes to the legality of the things they do."

"I guess no one complains about the activists back home. They're going to bat for us, so no sense giving them grief. Still, the oil companies don't like them much. I still think I could make my truck run on solar. I told Kurt to work on a design. I don't need to travel fast – I just need something strong enough to haul that big ass truck through the snow from town to the homestead and Talkeetna to Point Siku or Anchorage depending on the day."

Lauren nodded, "So, how about you? Did you ever see yourself falling in love?"

Bo smiled, "When I was a kid, we would watch Disney movies on VHS during recess when it was too cold to go out or if there had been a polar bear siting."

Lauren laughed, "You say that as if it's so normal. Sorry, kids! No recess today! We saw a polar bear and don't want you to get eaten! We'll just stay inside and watch Disney movies."

Bo chuckled, "Of course, _Balto_ was my favorite movie until I learned that he wasn't the actual real-life doggy hero of the story. The other movies… well, I never really saw myself as a princess in some guy's fairy tale and watching those movies – well, I thought that love only happened for those girls. So, I tried to be girly and I talked to my Mom about being girly. Of course, life at home reminded me that the prince isn't always kind, handsome and loving."

"I suppose the example you had was anything but."

Bo nodded, "And my Mom led me to believe that it was okay for men to treat a woman that way. Then I met a girl named Nellie. She invited me to her house and I pretty much fell in love with her parents. They treated each other with respect and they showed affection rather than anger. After dinner every night, Nellie got to pick the record that played and her parents would dance and dance while she watched. Finally, they would pick her up and hold her between them – all three of them dancing."

Bo lowered her eyes as the memory hit her full force, "I was so jealous… and I was angry that my parents weren't like that. I spent a lot of time with Nellie and her parents that year. But when I finally asked my Mom why our family wasn't more like theirs, she forbid me to go there again. That's when my love-hate relationship with my Mom began."

She looked back up at Lauren, "It's funny how when she went missing and I was left alone, all of my anger and memories of the bad stuff just seemed to float away. Over the years, my memories of her were all focused on the good things she did – the happy times we had. I had honestly forgotten about Nellie and her family until now."

Lauren smiled, "I think Doctor Gray would call that a breakthrough moment."

Bo nodded, "She would say something like – _and how do you feel about that_? Or _why do you think the negative memories faded away, Bo?_ "

The pair laughed, but Lauren tossed out a serious question,

"Why do you think you forgot all about the bad stuff? I mean… forgetting he was your Father, forgetting about your brothers?"

Bo shrugged, "Doctor Gray said it's our mind's way of protecting itself when it has information it can't or doesn't want to process. She said it especially happens with traumatic memories."

Lauren nodded, "I suppose anything associate with your Dad or your brothers – especially their departure – would fit the bill."

Bo agreed, "And it's probably why I never allowed love into my life… until you."

"Well, if we're being honest, I sort of pried my way in."

"Like a can opener opening the old, rusty, steel can that I was until you turned me into an open book." Bo laughed.

Lauren grinned proudly, "I did do that, didn't I."

"Yes, you did, Doctor Lewis. My heart… hell, my life – will never be the same."

"Is that a bad thing?" Lauren asked.

Bo smiled, "No, it's a good thing. A very good thing. I have an amazing life now. I don't regret my past – it made me the strong, independent, knowledgeable woman I am today. I do regret the life of isolation I created for myself. I mean… it's a huge planet, right? I've spent it all in one place. I mean – look at Betsy. She desperately wants to travel with Stephen, but because he won't leave Boston or go past a train stop to a big city, she's forced to settle for traveling with her girl band."

Lauren nodded, "Believe me, we've tried for years."

"Well, maybe if he loves me enough, he'll come to Alaska for our wedding someday."

Lauren's eyes went wide, her mouth hanging open at Bo's words, "Wedding?"

Bo scowled, "Nadia ruined it for you?"

Lauren grinned, "No. I mean – my marriage to her, yes – but marriage to you, absolutely not. For you, I would marry again in a hot New York minute!"

Bo smiled, "Okay. Well, I'm not asking yet. I mean, you still have some making up to do for being so mean to me for the past month."

"Well, how can I make it up to you?" Lauren smiled.

"Well, I'm kind of cold."

"Cold?" Lauren asked, "You need another blanket?"

"Wow. You really are out of practice, aren't you?" Bo laughed as Lauren's face twisted with confusion, "Get over here, Lewis! I want some body heat. Naked Lewis body heat!"

"Oh!" Lauren replied, no moving until she realized what Bo was saying, "You mean…"

"Yes. I mean I want to have wild, passionate nooky with my soul mate."

"Nooky?" Lauren laughed, tossing back the blanket and standing from the sofa, "I must admit, this is not the reunion I expected for us when I left Alaska, but I will certainly take it."

"Romantic reunions are overrated. This whole makeup sex thing has always worked for us."

Lauren grinned, pulling off her sweater and tank top all in one move, leaving herself naked from the waist up.

"Yup." Bo grinned, "Make up sex is definitely the best. Lauren Lewis, you are surely a sight for sore eyes." Bo said, rolling onto her side and sitting up, watching carefully as her girlfriend unveiled the rest of her precious flesh, "Show me, Lauren. I want to see all of you. I've missed you so damn much."

Lauren hooked two thumbs in the waistband of her sweatpants, slowly pulling them down to reveal shorts beneath. She leaned over, her chest barely out of Bo's reach,

"Tomorrow, we are going to eat. You are still beautiful as ever to me, Lauren but you've lost way too much weight. I'm worried about you."

"Well, you'll be happy to know that I'm feeling much better now that the woman I've missed more than I can ever say is here with me."

She stood in her shorts, pulling off one sock at a time, slowly, "I'll take off my shorts if you take off your top."

Bo wasted no time, ripping off her upper layers in one swift move, "Show me."

Lauren laughed, pulling the covers off of Bo. She lowered her mouth to her breast, taking all she could get into her mouth, her other hand touching the free mound of flesh. She pulled back, caressing the hardened nipple with her tongue before looking at the wet peak,

"I missed these beautiful breasts." Her eyes wandered to the brunette's, "I missed my beautiful Ysabeau. I love you… so much."

She captured her lover's mouth in a soft, passionate kiss as she hooked her fingers into Bo's shorts and began to pull them down, revealing her full, naked form.

Her hands caressed her legs, trailing up over her hips to her waist, "So soft. So damn beautiful."

"Your turn. I've waited long enough." Bo said, fire in her eyes as she stared up at Lauren's breasts, taking them in her hands, thumbing the erect nipples while the revealed the naked skin of her lower body.

Bo pulled her down, wrapping her arms around Lauren as their flesh fused together in a fervent embrace. Lauren's lips found her lover's and the dual began for dominance. Neither could wait to touch, caress and feel the sweet ecstasy the other provided, soothing body, spirit, mind and body as no other ever had.

"Bo…"

"I know."

Bo's hands ventured towards Lauren's need, the blonde maneuvering to offer the same relief to her lover. Eyes met in the moment they shared entry into the other, Lauren moving to provide the needed pressure for both.

"Lauren…"

"You feel so good."

"You feel so damn good."

"I've missed you, Bo."

"I'm like a teenage boy here… I can't… gawd, Lauren I'm gonna…"

"Me too…"

Lauren locked her eyes on Bo's as they climaxed together, neither willing to stop after they did, "Bo!"

"Geezus, Lauren!"

"I'm gonna…"

"Me too! Damn, my body just craves you, Lo."

"Mine too. Bo… Bo…"

"Ahhhh…"

They fell limp in each other's arms, hearts pounding, skin hot, breathing heavy, but Lauren wasn't satisfied… not by a long shot. She pressed her thigh into Bo's center, straddling her leg and began to move.

"I'm so glad you want to go again. I was afraid to ask." Bo giggled.

"I'm afraid you'll have to beg me to stop because my body doesn't know the meaning of no right now."

Bo smiled, reaching down between Lauren's legs and entering her, "Then let me give you something to ride."

"Ahhhh… that feels so good. I've missed you so much."

"That feeling is mutual." Bo grinned, "Just curious… how long do we have before we get interrupted?"

Lauren looked up at the clock on the wall behind Elijah's desk, "About six hours."

"Okay. After this round, can we set an alarm on one of our phones?"

Lauren stopped, looking down at Bo, "You want to stop?"

Bo laughed, "Hell no, but I also don't want Elijah walking in on us in the middle of…"

Lauren could see the look on Bo's face, her shoulders slumping as she threw her head back in frustration, "Ugh! He told you he's in love with me, didn't he!"

Bo nodded.

"Asshole! He's angling to make you uncomfortable or to put a well-placed doorstop between us so he can always enter into our lives whenever he wants to." Lauren groaned her annoyance, "I love Eli dearly, but he is so insecure about our friendship." She sighed, "Although I suppose it's not entirely unwarranted."

"Let me guess – Nadia forbid you from seeing him?"

Lauren shrugged, "She didn't like it – well, she didn't like him – at all. She never trusted me alone with him, but Bo, honestly, I'm 100%…"

"… not looking for a man." Bo chuckled, "And believe me, if I had any doubts, the last thirty minutes have made me well aware of how you feel about me and I am 100% certain that what you feel for him cannot touch what you feel when I do this…"

Bo wiggled her fingers inside of Lauren causing her to thrust down hard, throwing her head back. When her fingers went still, Lauren looked down at her with a look of love that reassured Bo of all she needed to know, "What's wrong? Why did you stop?"

"I just want to say… it kind of creeps me out that he might have fantasies about you and if he were to actually see us together… see you like this… damn I love seeing you like this…" Bo took a breast in her mouth, reaching deeper into Lauren causing her to thrust down faster and harder on her fingers,

"We'll set an alarm, but first you need to make me come. I so want to come for you right now. Fuck, Bo you feel so good!"

Bo watched as her lover came hard, crying out her name. The vision of the blonde soaking up every ounce of pleasure, pushed Bo over the edge as well, her vision blurring under the rush of ecstasy that overcame her. Lauren fell limp snuggling into the crook of Bo's neck, breathless.

"I'll get my phone in a minute." Lauren said.

"Take your time." Bo said, gripping the blonde's sexy, plump ass while pressing her thigh into her heat.

"Bo…"

"You can get your phone after you come for me again."

"Mmmm… there are not enough hours until sunrise." Lauren replied.

Bo smiled, "Yea, but I have this room at this bed and breakfast where we can go when we dock."

"You do, huh?"

Bo giggled, "Yup. We may have to hole up there for the day."

Lauren smiled, "That sounds… magnificent."

"Perfect. Now get up here and sit on my face."

Lauren giggled, "With pleasure."

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **New Offices of Patrick Lloyd, Boston, Massachusetts**_

"Nice of you to join us." Patrick said with a chuckle as Lauren entered the room.

The blonde noticed the smiles on the faces of Penelope, Stephen and Betsy as she took a seat next to her attorney.

Lauren nodded, "Yea, well I left my phone on Elijah's ship and had to wait for them to return to port."

Stephen snickered, "So that's why you weren't answering my calls. I thought it might have been because of the extra curriculars going on at the Inn all morning."

"Extracurriculars?" Lauren asked, unaware of what he was talking about.

Betsy slapped his arm, "Stephen, leave the poor girl alone. I, for one, am happy that the woman is finally in love for the long haul. She's finally got a stable, healthy relationship… a somewhat noisy one for a public B&B, but healthy and apparently happy relationship."

"Oh. My. God." Lauren replied, dropping her head into her crossed arms as she finally realized what everyone already knew.

Patrick smiled, patting his friend's arm, "It's okay, Lauren. We've all had healthy recreational activity in our lives. There's nothing wrong with taking your turn. I'm just glad she makes you happy."

Lauren looked up at Patrick, "She truly does."

"Good. Now, let's see if we can't get you on your way to a happily ever after. Where is Bo? I have papers for her to sign as well."

"Oh. Sorry, I didn't know you needed her here." She turned to Betsy, "Can we talk outside for a moment?"

Betsy nodded, "Of course. Excuse us?"

Lauren stood, her eyes landing on Penelope, "I'm glad you're here, P."

"It's all good, Lauren. If you need a townie to help you show Bo around, just let me know."

Lauren smiled and gave the Boston native a nod. As they exited the room, she chuckled to herself thinking of Bo trying to understand anything Penelope said. Bostonians have a very distinct accent and a language all their own to go with it. Who knows… maybe they would hit it off.

"What's up, Lauren?"

The blonde paced the hallway for a few minutes as she spoke, "I didn't want to bring this up in a room full of people, but Bo had a panic attack the minute she heard we had to take a Ferry, Subway and walk a few blocks in the city. She doesn't do well around people, Bets… well, she's better than she was when we first met but large crowds of strangers would set her off. That's why I was so shocked to see her here at all. I mean… she actually went into a public airport? A major hub?"

Betsy tightened her lips and slowly tossed her head from side to side, "She went in, they flew her first class which – as you know – is very private and not very crowded. They had trouble getting her off the plane. She stuck to the walls and… she had a knife, Lauren… a knife!"

"Well, you can't say I didn't tell you that she was sort of a female version of Tarzan with a bit more knowledge of small cities."

Betsy nodded, "So where is she?"

"I left her tending the gardens with your staff. She was quiet, but smiling. She loves…"

"I know. It's the first thing she looked at when we arrived. She walked across the lawn, pulled off her shoes and plopped right down in the flower beds."

"She tended gardens with her Mom when she was a child. Gardening is a source of happiness for Bo because of the happy memories she associates with them. It helps relieve her anxiety when she's upset."

"Geez, Lauren. Have you fallen in love with a basket case?"

"Excuse me?" Lauren asked, her brow furrowing in anger.

"I'm sorry. That didn't come out like… I shouldn't have said that. It just seems that…"

"She has issues? Who doesn't, Betsy? I've just spent the last couple of weeks drunk off my ass. My boss is a controlling manipulative bitch! My ex-wife has joined forces with her to try to ruin me. Half the people I work with are choosing sides, not realizing this isn't a fucking reality show! They're messing with real people who are basically indentured servants to one woman's ego! Stephen won't leave Boston unless it's on a train to a specific destination – more specifically a city he's familiar with. You stay with him despite the fact that he is preventing you from following your dreams – dreams, if I'm being honest, you don't have that many more years to fulfill. So, before you judge Bo for taking issue with the massive population of our city, I'd say the fact that she got on the plane puts her heads and tails above my beloved mentor. She has issues? Who doesn't have issues, Betsy!"

Betsy had never seen Lauren so angry – especially not at her. The thing was, everything she had said was absolutely true, "You're right. I was out of line."

Lauren planted her hands firmly on her hips, "Ya think? Dammit, Betsy! If I can't count on you and Stephen to have my back in this, then I really should just throw away my damn license and join Bo in a life of raising dogs and racing them. I can become a paramedic and join the emergency crews that there aren't nearly enough of for the size and dangers of the Alaskan territories. I could be happy doing that just as easily as being in an operating room.

"I'm sorry, Lauren." Betsy said, watching the blonde pace the room, her anger still raging.

"I thought I could talk to you about this. I thought you might be able to help Bo ease into some of the things she'll have to do in this lawsuit with Evony, but apparently, I'm better off just talking to Patrick."

"I can prep her, Lauren. You know I'm the best person for the job."

"Do I?" Lauren asked, turning to face Betsy, her hands still on her hips.

"I was wrong, Lauren. I said I'm sorry. I had a lapse in judgement. I just keep forgetting how new Bo is to the city."

Lauren shook her head, "You'd better adjust your perception, Betsy. It's not about being new to the city, it's about having been alone most of the days of her life. Completely alone in wide open, empty space. Since her early teens, she was pursued by men who wanted to kill her. She has quite literally had to fight – and at times, kill – to stay alive. All she knows about Boston is what she read on the internet. That means, she knows about crime, gang violence, inequality and how crowded it is."

"That's what she thinks of Boston?" Betsy asked, shaking her head, "Do you realize that Anchorage, Alaska is ranked in the top ten for violent crime?"

Lauren again shook her head, "Most of their crime is because there aren't enough police to cover the populated areas because they are so far apart. Bo knows the rules in Alaska, so she handles her own problems in accordance with the native laws. She doesn't rely on government regulations. Here, she's at the mercy of our ways, our laws and our law enforcement. She's a fish out of water, Betsy."

The older woman laughed, "Actually, she's more a polar bear out of the snow."

"Whatever!" Lauren said, throwing her hands up, "Geez! Forget it! Forget I asked."

"Lauren, relax. I'll help you. I'll help Bo. I got her from the airport to my place. She'll be fine."

Lauren sighed, "This must be how she felt when I was in Alaska."

"What do you mean?"

"I dunno. I just feel this need to protect her."

"Then you will. And we'll all help you, Lauren. Now, come on. Let's get back into our little meeting so you can get home to her before she turns my property into a jungle."

The pair walked back into the meeting room where Stephen was reviewing documents with the other two. Each resumed their seats and began reading over the documents that Patrick had drawn up with his partner. After about an hour of reading, Lauren sat back in her chair, running her hands through her hair and tossing it back over her shoulders before she spoke,

"This intern of mine – Tara."

"Yes?" Patrick asked.

"She's legit?"

Patrick nodded, "As you read, she reported the incident and twelve interns, nurses and surgeons have come forwards thus far corroborating her story."

Lauren shook her head, "So they really have teamed up to ruin me."

"Looks that way. I'm sorry, Lauren. I really never thought that Nadia would…"

She waved him off, "Please spare me the platitudes, Patrick. This is all my fault. I should have known better than to sign that contract. I should have said no when Nadia asked me to marry her. Hell, for that matter, I should have said no to a first date. I thought she lacked integrity and honesty from the start. My gut is never wrong, and I didn't listen. I was chasing some stupid social standard about having to be part of a couple."

Patrick shook his head, "Really, Lauren, I shoulder much of the blame as well. I knew my law firm was engaging in ethically and morally questionable cases, but I still went along with them. I was making a ton of money and that was all that mattered. Once I started to realize that I had all of the material possessions a girl could possibly want, I was already sucked into their world."

Penelope closed the file she'd been reading, "Well, if the two of you are finished reviewing your past mistakes, can we get on with the future and how we're going to kick the shit out of these two no-good, lying, manipulative, greedy, controlling, obnoxious bitches because I haven't even begun to discuss their financial records and the laws Evony and her partners are breaking there."

Stephen laughed, "Why don't you tell us how you really feel, P?"

Betsy shook her head, "Geezus, Stephen, have you read this? I mean… all of it? In all my years practicing law, I have never seen a contract like the one Lauren entered into. Worse yet, every three years, the contracts became more and more restrictive."

Betsy opened a folder and threw a stack of packets on the table, "Each of these doctors have similar contracts and those are only the ones who have chosen to fight Evony on this. Serious, Patrick, how in the world did your firm get away with this?"

Patrick looked at Lauren who sighed and lowered her eyes to the table. Betsy's eyes remained focused on the man at the head of the table, but he did not seem to have an answer,

"Patrick?" Betsy urged, but it was Lauren who spoke,

"The truth is, my Father was the President of the hospital at the time. He handled all contracts through his team of attorneys. Patrick had no control of the situation. He just moved the papers from his bosses' hands to the client and back again."

Betsy shook her head, "Patrick you had to know…"

The lawyer slammed his fist down on the table as he shouted at Betsy, "Of course I knew!"

Stephen intervened, "Betsy, this is no time for finger pointing. Patrick has already admitted there is more he could have done."

"And he is doing something now." Lauren added, offering a smile to her lawyer and long-time friend, "And now, like me, he's leaving the lucrative contracts, paychecks, perks and elite party life behind for a downtown office with a very nice view of other brick buildings on all four sides." She looked at Patrick and laughed, "I thought you said there was a view?"

He smiled, "When you're on the ground floor in the east conference room, you can see a good chunk of the harbor."

"Well, if you can see a good chunk, it's well worth it." Lauren replied sarcastically with a laugh.

Patrick shrugged, "I'm following Penelope's business model to the penny. For now, this is all we can afford."

Lauren smiled, "Well, I think it's great. Seriously, I'm just happy you're choosing to go out on your own."

He took a deep breath and smiled awkwardly at Betsy who folded her hands and spoke,

"I'm sorry. I seem to be rubbing everyone the wrong way today. I'm jumping to conclusions, being a judgmental old biddy and… well, I'm just plain impatient. I just… I'm sick and tired of Evony's games and going after all these good people…" She sighed, "I had no idea that Evony was… I'm sorry I missed this, Lauren. I guess I'm just angry at myself. I should have offered to see your contracts and take a second look."

Lauren shrugged, "It wouldn't have done any good. Patrick's bosses would have rejected any changes that wouldn't have been of benefit to the hospital."

Betsy shook her head, her anger over the situation apparent, "It was a conflict of interest for them to represent both you and the hospital that employed you. Ethically, it was just…"

"Wrong." Lauren finished, "But my eyes are open to that fact now, Betsy. Still, if you had made recommendations for Patrick to suggest, they would have found an excuse not to use them." She took a deep breath and looked around the room, "Still, we have a future to build, so let's not dwell in the past. Let's move forward and help all of these people to get what they've deserved all along."

Patrick nodded, stacking up his file folders and pulling out a single page,

"Okay then. This is the list of suits and counter suits I've now officially filed." He pulled up another page, "This is the list of plaintiffs we've accumulated," He pulled out one more sheet, "And this is the list of Alaskan business contracts. We are suing to have all these contracts rewritten, with the permission of the business owners. It would go a long way in convincing them to participate if Bo would sign off on hers first."

Passing them to Lauren, the blonde shook her head as she read the list of surgeons first,

"Wow. These are some real power players at the hospital… and beyond…"

She searched each column's header, her eyes going wide,

"Geez, Patrick - you've got top surgeons from her hospitals in New York, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Chicago, Dallas, Pittsburgh and the list goes on from there… hell, you've even got Toronto." She looked up at Patrick, "I always thought this was personal – I mean, something that had only happened with Evony and me – largely because of my Father's involvement as the President of the Board of Directors."

She chuckled to herself, "I thought I was the only one. I felt so… used and… trapped. I had no idea how many doctors were working under the same conditions."

Penelope nodded, "She gets the best recruits straight out of their residency with a big salary and lots of benefits. They don't read the fine print. They're young, they have massive loans…"

Stephen nodded, "They see a way to bail out of their debt and they sign for the money without knowing what the long-term effects will be on their lives."

"Or their souls." Lauren said, speaking almost in a whisper. Her mind traveled back over the numerous battles she'd had with Evony over transplant patients or life-saving experimental procedures. Most ended with her boss refusing to back her because the "customer" couldn't pay.'

"Evony called my patients 'customers'… can you believe it?" Lauren said, looking up at Stephen.

He shrugged, "Sadly, I can. I remember you telling me…" He shuffled through a stack of folders. Finding what he was looking for, he slid he folder over to Patrick, "Her name was Gracie Lee. She was what, Lauren… seven?"

The blonde's shoulders slumped forward as she shook her head, "She was five when she came to me, six and a half years old when the heart and lungs of a matching donor became available. She had been on the transplant list for two and a half years before we met. When she finally needed to be on a machine to keep her heart beating, she was transferred to my hospital."

Stephen could see that Lauren was still visibly shaken by the memory, so he reached over to Patrick and flipped to the necessary page,

"Here are Lauren's notes from the meeting with the transplant team. The donor heart belonged to a young teen. It was slightly large for the child's chest, but Lauren knew she could make it work. Instead the team – led by Evony's voice - gave the heart to a sixty-year old congressman. She said according to 'her information', he was a better size match. When Lauren questioned where she got her information, Evony told her from a team of doctors she employs to help her make such decisions."

"I threatened to quit if my decisions were going to be governed by a group of doctors I didn't know or have a chance to discuss my cases with. She reminded me of my contract. I lost the argument right then and there because I didn't have the guts to challenge her."

Patrick whispered, "Oh God."

Lauren nodded, "The Congressman's body rejected the heart four months after his surgery. Gracie died six weeks before that, still waiting for a heart. She was just shy of her seventh birthday." She shook her head, "She put her bottom line before the life of a seven-year-old child who had a much better chance of surviving than did that old man. He had money, the kids' parents didn't. It's always about the money with her."

Lauren stared down at the list before looking up at Patrick "How did you get all of these doctors to take a stand?"

Patrick grinned, looking at Penelope, "I showed them all what a real contract for a doctor of their caliber should look like. I showed them the growing list of personnel who were joining the lawsuit… from there, it didn't take much."

"What do the asterisks next to some of the names mean?" Lauren asked, recognizing all of them.

Patrick smiled, "Those are the ones who signed as soon as they knew you were leading the charge. You're a highly respected professional, Lauren. They all spoke out when they heard that you were in the same situation as they were. Until now, they'd believed that their contracts were crappy so that she could afford to keep you on her payroll."

Lauren laughed, "I'm not sure whether to be happy or sad about that. I'm not gonna lie – it's a bit unsettling that my colleagues believe I would buy into a lucrative contract. It's an insult to think I would put money first."

Penelope redirected, "Look at all of the testimonies of the hospital personnel. It's amazing that this many people are coming forward. I didn't know this many people on staff were Team Lewis."

Lauren slowly turned her head towards Penelope, "And why is that such a surprise? I'm a very good doctor and a very nice person."

Penelope laughed, "Relax, Lauren. It wasn't a personal insult. It was just an observation. I mean, other than Stephen, would you honestly walk into a courtroom for many of your colleagues, nurses or friends? I mean, there are over a hundred names on this list!"

Off the top of her head, Lauren could think of about ten people she would go to court for, so she shrugged, "Okay. Point taken."

"Thought so." Penelope replied.

Patrick closed the folder, "So, we're moving forward?"

Lauren nodded, "As long as I can convince Bo, we'll move forward as you suggest. I can't imagine she won't want to stick it to Evony."

They all turned towards the door when they heard a commotion outside. Patrick stood and walked to the door, but his secretary stepped in just before he was able to open the barrier,

"Mr. Lloyd, there is a woman here who is demanding to see Dr. Lewis."

"Who?" Patrick asked.

"I don't know, Sir. She won't give me her name."

"Is it Evony?"

She shrugged, "Apologies, but I'm new here. I don't know who that is."

"Dark hair, attractive…" He looked over at Lauren and mouthed, _"Cast iron bitch."_

Lauren laughed as the secretary responded,

"I'd say she's both of those."

Patrick nodded, "Send her in."

He resumed his seat at the head of the table and slid the folders into his briefcase before closing and locking it. He slid it under the table between his feet just as the door opened.

Lauren's mouth dropped open as she looked up to see a disheveled Bo standing in the doorway.

"Geezus, Bo!" She stood and walked to her, checking her for injuries.

"I'm fine, Lauren. I had a scuffle with the big dudes at the door. He wouldn't let me in."

Patrick stood, "My security team?"

Bo stepped around Lauren and nodded, "You need a better team."

Patrick looked at Bo, then at Lauren in disbelief, "They're former Division I collegiate football players… of the big, strapping lineman variety."

Lauren laughed, "Could you be any gayer, Patrick?"

He chuckled, "Even lawyers are entitled to a little eye candy going to and from work."

Bo wasn't amused, "Have you heard the phrase the bigger they are the harder they fall?"

"That's really a thing?" Patrick asked.

"Big is usually slow. That's why a woman of my size can take down a bear."

Patrick's mouth dropped open, "You've taken down a bear?"

Bo shrugged, "Big and slow… if you have the right knife."

He looked at Lauren, "Knife?"

Lauren smiled, "Bo doesn't like guns."

"Oh, well in that case. I totally understand." He replied, shaking his head.

Lauren turned to Bo, "How on earth did you get here?"

Bo shrugged, "Uh… a boat… some cars… the back of a motorcycle… a really long walk… the back of a kids' motorized scooter and the darkest train I've ever been on in my life… I mean, other than when the train runs in winter and it's dark out."

"How… resourceful." Penelope stuttered out, looking at the very large knife in the woman's right hand.

Lauren followed Penelope's eyeline and noticed what was in her girlfriend's hand. She leaned into Bo's ear and whispered to her. The brunette looked down at her hand,

"Oops. Sorry. I was feeling rather…"

Lauren gave her free hand a squeeze, "It's okay. You're safe here, Bo. You can put that away."

"Safe? Lauren, I took down those goons at the door with the threat of shiny metal, a right cross and a left hook."

Lauren looked up at the group before stepping between them and Bo, "Bo, please. Put the knife away. You and I both know you're fast enough to pull it out and throw it at any threat before they could do us any harm. Please."

Bo peeked out from behind Lauren's head, eyeballing each of the occupants of the room before looking back at Lauren and putting the knife away in the sheath on her shin. She followed Lauren to the chair beside her,

"You remember Patrick, don't you?" Lauren asked.

Bo gave Patrick a nod and the lawyer responded in kind. Stephen and Betsy smiled at Bo before the brunette glanced at the woman across the table.

"Who's she?"

Lauren smiled, "This is Penelope. I told you about her, remember?"

"The money lady."

Lauren grinned, "That's right. And we're all actually quite happy to see you."

"Speak for yourself." Penelope mumbled.

"Excuse me?" Bo said, leaning forward in her chair, eyes on the woman.

Penelope raised her hands, "Lady, I'm not looking' for any trouble."

"Could have fooled me." Bo replied.

Penelope shook her head, looking around the room before her eyes settled on Lauren, "Seriously? This is the woman I've been reading contracts and crunching numbers for all this time? She walks in here, threatens us with a knife…"

"I didn't threaten! I pointed…" Bo looked at Lauren, "I just pointed."

Lauren put a hand on her shoulder, "I know, Bo. But you have to remember that things are different here. Just like I had to adjust to the lifestyle in Alaska, I would expect that you would be prepared to adjust to life here in my city."

Bo sighed, "Fine."

Lauren turned to the group, "If we could get to the part where we explain to Bo what we need from her, I think her trip will have been well worth it."

Lauren eyeballed Betsy, looking for her promised support and the older woman came through, "I agree. It took a lot of courage for Bo to travel here on her own. Let's show her what we've worked so hard to do for our Alaskan friends."

Lauren smiled and Bo visibly relaxed in her chair. Patrick began,

"Okay then." He pulled out his briefcase and opened the files again, passing copies of Bo's documents to everyone, "Let's get started then…"

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_


	17. Chapter 17: Bo Does Boston

_**A/N:**_ _Hi Everyone who's still reading LG fics! I hope this chapter finds you all well and coping with these strange times. Thanks for the DM's that reminded me I have something else to do other than cook, clean, stare at a screen and sleep! Went through a little writer's block – although I think figuring out this new normal was actually the block. So, let's get back to it! I'll try to keep the chapters coming more regularly with this so I can get back to the short sequel to FOW. Best wishes and good health to you all. Virtual hugs! Cuddles_

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **Chapter 17: Bo Does Boston**_

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **Boston Municipal Courthouse, Beacon Hill**_

The pair traveled in silence, Lauren glancing occasionally at Bo whose leg was bouncing nervously as they drove through South Boston.

"Why are we going this way? I checked the map. This is the worst way to get to Beacon Hill." Bo commented.

Lauren smiled, "It's okay, Bo. I know a lot of Southie's. I'm a doctor, remember?"

"At a rich lady's hospital."

"Bo, Southie's are not bad people."

Bo turned to Lauren, "Really? You know I saw the movie The Departed, Lauren."

"You went to a movie?" Lauren asked, a bit shocked considering how long ago that movie would have been in theatres."

Bo shrugged, "Warm theatre, I can sneak the dogs in through the doors closest to the screen and they have soft pretzels with warm cheese and hot chocolate with mini marshmallows."

Lauren chuckled, "Mini marshmallows, huh?"

"What? I like them. And the dogs like the pretzels and cheese. Well, Harper likes the cheese but the dogs like the pretzels."

Lauren grinned, "There is always another surprise around the corner with you, Bo Dennis. It's just another reason I love you." The doctor leaned over and gave Bo a kiss on the cheek, but the brunette wiped her cheek,

"I'm serious, Lauren. We shouldn't be here. Why in the world did your lawyer put his office here?"

"He's not a wealthy lawyer, Bo. He left a massive law practice and was in breach of contract by doing so… not to mention the riff he caused by taking me as a client. My Dad practically owned his old boss. It cost him… dearly." Lauren lowered her head, "It's called affordable rent, Bo. Plus, he wants to help clients who can't afford lawyers of his caliber. Clients like me and the other doctors will pay him a great salary and he'll be able to turn around and pass savings on to the 'little people' that men and women like Evony and my Dad take advantage of."

Bo sighed, "I guess that makes sense. But I hope he got better security people."

"His people are from here, Bo. There are none better to work in this neighborhood than native Southies."

Bo shook her head, "You do remember I made quick work of two guys that were at least twice my size… each?"

"I'm well aware, Bo. But I highly doubt they'll be taking on anyone with your skills. Please. Try to relax. It's just another mile."

Bo leaned against the door jamb, Lauren watching as she would catch occasional glimpses of the brunette checking for the knife beneath her dress slacks. The doctor sighed, recalling Bo's reading of the list of worst cities in Boston. They were going to pass through three of them, so Lauren was pretty sure Bo wouldn't be relaxing any time soon.

They'd had quite the shouting match when the brunette had strapped her knife to her leg before leaving. Lauren still wasn't sure how she would make sure Bo wasn't arrested at the security checkpoint at the courthouse. She had brought Bo's passport and driver's license, hopeful they would help to explain her paranoia… paranoia… hmmm... there's an idea. She pulled out her prescription pad and began to write while Bo kept vigil over their trip.

It was about thirty minutes and a whole lot of traffic later that Lauren looked up and finally recognized that they were on Columbia Avenue approaching Beacon Hill.

"Are you okay, Bo?"

The brunette glanced at Lauren, "I'm fine."

She turned back to the window before adding, "And you don't have to keep asking me if I'm okay. I feel fine. I feel… normal… which is strange because this place is anything but normal."

Lauren laughed, "Well, my first experience in Alaska was a run-in with a polar bear. I found that anything but normal as well."

Bo looked at Lauren, "Really? You're trying to compare intelligent beings who are taught right from wrong, but still do horrific things to a polar bear who is simply looking for food, so he doesn't starve to death? Never mind the fact that those intelligent beings taught right from wrong are the ones making it impossible for the polar bear to find the damn food to begin with."

Lauren nodded, sorry that she had used the comparison to begin with. She offered a tight smile and a nod, but decided that she would try again to distract her girlfriend,

"Would you like to go out to lunch after this meeting?"

Bo sat back in her seat, her eyes settling on the seatback in front of her, "I'd rather catch a plane after this meeting."

Lauren nodded, "Well, depending on the outcome of this meeting, we could do that if you'd like to."

Bo's head snapped towards Lauren's, "Really?"

Lauren smiled, "Really."

"We?" Bo asked.

Lauren shrugged, "I mean, I can fly back separately if you want me to, but whether or not the sale of the clinic is settled today, I have every intention of returning to Alaska, Bo. Losing my career in medicine is an acceptable loss in comparison to losing you and the family I've gained back in Talkeetna." She laughed, "Haven't you been paying attention?"

Bo sat still, staring at Lauren, "I have, but… well… I guess I'm still a little… I don't know…"

"I understand that you're still working on trusting me again, Bo. It's okay. We'll see how the meeting goes, okay?"

She nodded, "Okay."

A voice from the front of the car spoke, "We're here, Doctor Lewis."

Lauren nodded, "Thank you Henri. Give my love to Greta and the kids."

He smiled, "I always do."

Lauren smiled, handing him a lollipop. He grinned, "You never forget about Thea."

"She's my favorite patient." Lauren smiled.

"I'll bet you say that to all the Dads of little girls you save."

Lauren laughed, watching as Bo exited the vehicle, looking quite nervous. She stood by the door, looking right and left, making sure it was safe. Lauren turned back to Henri when she heard his voice,

"She'll be happy to know that you're back. I have to say, she's not a big fan of Doctor Anastas."

Lauren scowled, "Well, I can certainly refer you to other doctors."

"That would be fabulous. I know that Greta is not a big fan either."

Lauren nodded, "And you?"

He shrugged, "Well, we put our trust in you from the very beginning – even before the transplant. When we met before you left for Alaska, you recommended Anastas for follow up care. She may not have a great bedside manner, but if you recommended her, I trust that she's the right doctor for the job - that my daughter will be well-cared for… that she'll live."

Lauren offered a tight smile. Honestly, she was unsure if Thea would be well-cared for by Nadia. Recent information suggested that her ex was more interested in power, contracts and money than her patients. Of course, the money was incentive enough for her to work hard to save her. She wasn't always like that. After reading Nadia's statements in preparation for the mediation today, she had tried to go back and trace the specific moment that Nadia had become an elitist rather than a doctor. It bothered her that she couldn't pinpoint the time when everything had changed.

Lauren continued, "Still, I want you all to be comfortable. Thea will have to meet with a cardiologist for the rest of her life, Henri. Because at some point Thea will be older and responsible for her own care, you and Greta will no longer be making the decisions. For that reason, I really must insist that her doctor be someone smart, young and dedicated, as well as someone with whom Thea is comfortable."

Henri nodded, "Well, since you're back, can't we just see you again? I mean, you did the surgery."

Lauren exhaled, "You know that I would love nothing more than to have Thea as a patient again, but I'm afraid I'm only here for a short while. I'm going back to Alaska – permanently."

"Oh. I see." Henri replied, his eyes down and sadness in his voice.

Bo had been looking through the open door. She didn't like to eavesdrop on Lauren's professional conversations, but when she'd heard that Lauren had pawned off a young patient on Nadia, she couldn't help herself. She wondered if Lauren regretted it – if this patient might sway her decision to return to Alaska.

Bo watched the two reach out and shake hands, lingering a bit as Lauren placed her free hand on top of his. In that moment, her heart broke for the young father. It was obvious that her girlfriend had served a very special purpose in his daughter's life. How many other people was Lauren leaving to be with her in Alaska? Bo was starting to understand why Lauren had felt a pull to come back here. Bo now wondered if she was being selfish in her unwillingness to consider a life here in Boston? After all, why shouldn't she make the move for Lauren?

She sighed, looking up and down the streets again. There were very few situations in her life where Bo could say she had been afraid, but being here… being in this strange world, she had to admit… her fear was at a nine or ten most of the day, every day. But here, her fear was a bit less. They were in a completely different setting here in Beacon Hill among the wealthy. This was Lauren's neighborhood. Evony had bought her a house here as one of the perks of employment. Honestly, it gave her one reason to be grateful for Evony's bribes of the younger version of her girlfriend.

She looked at the young father whose eyes were tearing up as they said their goodbyes. Bo's eyes brimmed with tears as well. Maybe Lauren had been right not to return her calls. She could do so much good here. Maybe this is where she belonged. The question was, could Bo make a life for herself here if she stayed?

Lauren smiled, "If you're ever in Alaska, please look me up. I would love to show you my new world. I know Thea would love it and I'm sure you and Greta would as well."

He smiled, "Who knows – maybe Thea will be well enough to go to college one day. She can apply to University of Alaska so she'll have her favorite doctor nearby."

"I'll never reject her as a patient. I know it's no fun for her to be in the hospital, but it certainly makes my day brighter when she is." Lauren lowered her eyes, "I'll miss her… I miss all of you. Doctor's aren't supposed to get emotionally attached to their patients, but we'd be robots if we didn't get attached to some."

He nodded, "You know, the drive over here has been quiet, but you seem… I don't know… a bit sad, but still… somehow… lighter. You look like you're not carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders anymore."

Lauren laughed, "You mean I'm not carrying the weight of an entire cardiothoracic surgical department on my back. You're right. I'm not and honestly, it feels fantastic. I can refocus on my research and improve the procedures and techniques we use for transplants and cardiac patients everywhere. As much as I love my patients and saving young lives like Thea's, I've missed research and studying cutting edge methods to improve the care and longevity of all patients."

He shrugged, "Until now, I'd never thought about what it must be like to be you. To have to choose between your dreams and saving lives. It's a massive responsibility."

She smiled, "I guess I've never thought of it that way. Research is what I've always wanted to do, but my boss decided that saving lives was more important than conducting research. While the surgeries I perform can be stressful, saving a life is the greatest reward for a days' work that a person can experience… in my opinion. It's not for everyone, but I've certainly enjoyed it."

"Well, I'm sure I speak for many, many patients when I say that we've enjoyed having you care for our loved ones."

Lauren smiled, "Thank you, Henri. Now, we really have to be going or we'll be late."

"Sorry I can't drive you further, Doctor Lewis. I still can't believe the luck of running into you when you were heading down the street to the subway. I honestly thought I was seeing things."

Lauren smiled, "Well, I was actually concerned about my friend getting on the subway, so I appreciate the above ground ride."

"Not a fan of tight spaces?" He asked.

Smiling, the doctor explained, "Being from the wilderness areas of Alaska, this is all a bit unnerving for her."

Henri nodded, "She does look a bit… stiff." He replied, looking up at Bo as she stood gripping the door frame, her knuckles white.

Lauren smiled, "We'll be fine. We have enough time for a brisk walk, and it will do her good to get some of that nervous energy out. Now don't forget about that standing invitation. Alaska is probably the last place most people think to go for a vacation, but I'm telling you it's more beautiful than you could ever imagine."

"I'll make sure that Greta adds it to our list of vacation spots."

"Take care, Henri. Give my best to the family." She slid to the seat that Bo had now vacated and looked back at the driver, "And don't eat Thea's lolly."

He laughed as Lauren exited the vehicle where Bo was nervously waiting, "Ready?"

Bo nodded, her posture stiff. Lauren took the brunette's hand, steadying her nerves as they began to walk down the street towards the Boston Common,

"Breathe, Bo. It's just a walk down the street – just like in Talkeetna. There's just more people, more cars…"

"… more of everything." Bo finished, "This world of yours is… I don't know… I mean, I come from a place where there are creatures who could jump out and attack at any moment, but they're predictable. Here, the dangers hide in plain sight. I mean… is that guy there cold or is he about to rob a bank? That bulge at his hip tells me he's got something under his shirt."

Lauren smiled, "That small wire hanging from beneath his shirt tells me he's got an insulin pump."

"A what?"

Lauren chuckled, "It's a device that's implanted to provide a synthetic version of insulin – a chemical in our bodies that regulates the levels of sugar in our blood. Some people have too much sugar because their bodies either don't manufacture enough insulin or their body doesn't use it properly. That device fixes it. Knowing that he's an insulin dependent diabetic also tells me he's likely cold because they usually have circulatory issues."

"Okay, so now I feel bad for accusing a sick guy of being a bank robber." Bo frowned.

"It wasn't my intention that you feel bad. I just wanted you to realize that most people on this street are just going about their day… going to work, coming home from late shift work, going to a meeting, going to visit a friend, going to check on a sick parent or friend or maybe going to a romantic rendezvous." Lauren chuckled.

"Or they're a doctor hurrying to get to a sick patient who needs them right away." Bo suggested, her eyes set on the people in front of them.

"That may be true as well. Of course, some doctors are on their way to a court mediation."

Bo nodded, quiet for a long moment before she spoke what was on her mind, "I never thought about what might happen to all of your patients if you went back to Alaska. I guess I was being selfish."

Lauren smiled, "Bo, you saw the list of surgeons that Evony has access to - and that's just her hospital. There are many talented cardiothoracic surgeons in Boston and beyond. There are these things called medical helicopters that can move patients to the doctors if they can't come to them. They'll be fine without me."

Bo scowled, forcing Lauren onto the path that took them into the Common. Lauren looked at Bo,

"Sweetie, we don't have time for a recreational detour. We'll be late."

Bo nodded, "I know. I've gone over the route to the John Adams Courthouse in my head at least thirty times on my way here. Listen, Lauren… I want you to think about what you're giving up here. I don't want us to be in Alaska ten, twenty, thirty years from now and have you regret all you gave up for me."

Lauren pulled the brunette into the grass and gripped her shoulders so that she was facing her,

"Bo. Please listen to me, because no matter what else you hear, I promise you that this is the truth… my truth… one hundred percent."

Bo nodded, as Lauren released her, "Okay."

The blonde led her to a bench so the two could sit down. Lauren placed her hand on the top rail of the back support behind Bo, facing her,

"When I was an undergrad at Yale taking my first college biology class, I would beg my professor for lab time so that I could physically analyze the things we discussed in class. Eventually, he hired me on as a lab assistant when he realized I had a gift with a microscope."

Lauren smiled, "Over the years, I fell madly in love with the science of cells, pathogens, diseases and eventually, cellular anatomy and physiology of the human body. I used my early research of plants and other organisms to see if there were natural cures for diseases of human cells and tissues. I spent a summer with a professor who was in the Amazon on a research grant. It was one of the greatest educational experiences of my life. I was so happy while I was there."

Lauren looked down at her hands, "When I returned to campus that fall, one of my favorite professors fell ill in one of the hallways of the research building. I found her, did CPR and got her to a hospital where I met Doctor Stephen Archer for the first time."

She looked out across the Common, "I didn't realize I would have him later as a professor in medical school, but when he told me I saved her life by doing CPR, there was just this… I don't know… thrill of gratitude that I felt for having the basic skills to do something to help her. I felt lucky that I happened to have to pee and went into the hall and found her… and I felt a strong curiosity about the disease that had affected her heart."

She turned back to Bo, "She had cardiomyopathy and would eventually need a transplant. I went to see her regularly. It was a way for her to continue teaching during her extended stay in the hospital. She would give me lab assignments, quiz me on various pathogens and just… well, talk about life. She was my first mentor."

"It looks like you loved her very much."

Lauren looked up at Bo, "Well, not in the way you might think. I mean, I wasn't dating anyone officially back then. I knew Nadia and we hung out on occasion, but it wasn't serious. I was more interested in petri dishes than girl parts."

The pair shared a laugh as Lauren continued,

"I followed her case with Doctor Archer explaining things to me every step of the way. It was all so interesting, and I guess that's when I fell in love with the heart."

"Did she… did she make it?"

Lauren grinned, "Stephen wouldn't have had it any other way. That's when I learned my work ethic. Watching the master – the one, the only, Doctor Stephen Archer at work. He wouldn't give up on her. After the day I saved her, she almost died three other times before a donor heart was finally available."

"So your first mentor led you to your second mentor." Bo concluded.

Nodding, the blonde replied, "And my first love – research – was sacrificed for my second love – cardiothoracic surgery."

"Research was your first love?"

Lauren nodded, "You never forget your first. Especially when they're the one you love the most. I've never loved anything as much as I've loved doing research, curing diseases. Quiet nights in my lab – finding cures for diseases and solutions for debilitating conditions… it was my thing, Bo. My success as a heart surgeon thrust me into a world that I was ill-prepared for as a young, shy, socially awkward doctor. I was never comfortable in the limelight. Evony put me there to suit her purposes. I never asked to be there."

"But Lauren, think about the gift that you are to the world and what the world would be losing?"

"Bo, in my current role at this hospital, I'm one surgeon who barely has time to pee let alone develop and share new and improved techniques with other doctors who are working towards the same goals that I am. If I go back to research – even from Alaska – I can still do surgeries at any of their hospitals when I choose but spend most of my time doing research that I can share with residents and doctors alike. There are so many cardiothoracic conditions we can't cure or at least treat. Someone has to find a way to go beyond our current capabilities. I know what's missing, I know current limitations. I want to chase the next surgical techniques and treatments. Then, I can become a mentor and teacher to all of my colleagues, Bo. I can be the global surgeon. Yes, I'm trademarking that and making T-shirts."

The pair laughed, Bo falling silent first, "I just want you to be sure, Lauren. After listening to that Dad who drove us…"

"Bo, there are hundreds of Mom's and Dad's who are grateful to me and I love each and every one of their children. But there are also hundreds of patients we haven't saved because the doctors who were operating on them didn't have the best equipment and techniques. I can change that, Bo. Once I'm free of Evony, I can change that. I can live my lifelong dream and have you too. We can both live our dreams and we can do it together, Bo. Don't you want that for me? For us?"

"Yes, of course, Lauren. I just don't want you to have any regrets."

Lauren stood, extending her hand to Bo, "My only regret will be if we're late for this meeting and Evony decides to leave. She said this was our one and only chance to settle this out of court."

They began to walk at a brisk pace towards the courthouse, but Lauren knew it wasn't fast enough. Bo was dragging her feet. The doctor knew Bo didn't want to deal with Evony, but there were other incentives she was sure Bo hadn't thought of…

"Bo, Evony has the money to keep this tied up in red tape for a decade. If we're late, she'll drag this out, keeping me here as her employee. Do you really want to be apart for that long?"

"No, of course not." Bo replied, looking at her watch, "Maybe we'd better run?"

Lauren nodded, "Agreed."

They ran across the crosswalk, laughing as they chased the clock to their destination. 

_**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **John Adams Courthouse, Boston**_

Their rush down Beacon Street took about five minutes – a new record for Lauren Lewis. She supposed it was thanks to Bo practically dragging her half the distance due to her desire to be off the streets. It was still tourist season, after all and this area of Boston had a lot to see and do, so the crowds were big.

Lauren gave a great pull and heaved open the large wooden doors to one of her favorite historic buildings and headed inside. She smiled, looking up in awe at the grand entryway of The Great Hall. She took a moment, reminding herself that she was standing in a space built in 1894 at a cost of 3.8 million dollars. Lauren couldn't help but think it must have been considered a grand achievement for its day.

She looked up, gazing at the seal of the Commonwealth painted on the ceiling. She focused in on the image of the Native American at the center. He held an arrow pointed downward which her Mother had taught her was a gesture of peace. She went to explain the drawing to Bo when she realized she wasn't with her. She turned left, then right,

"Geezus. Where the hell is she?"

Lauren rushed to the door, throwing it open and rushing onto the sidewalk. Again she looked left, then right, before looking across the street. She pulled out her phone and turned back to the courthouse, glancing up for a moment to see Bo sitting on the concrete in the corner just to the left of the door. She was curled up like a freezing cold homeless person on a January night.

Lauren moved slowly to her and squatted down in front of her.

"Bo?"

"Too many people… too big… big… building… huge."

Lauren could see Bo's anxiety taking complete control. She was in the middle of a full-blown panic attack. She checked her watch. They had ten minutes to be in the conference room, but she couldn't leave Bo out here… not like this.

"Bo? Can you hear me?"

She gave a single nod, yielding some sense of relieve in Lauren. She pulled out her phone and dialed, hoping that despite the time difference, she was awake.

"Hello? Lauren? What's wrong?"

"Faith, hello. I'm sorry to call so early in the morning, but Bo and I were on our way to a court-ordered mediation with Evony…"

"I heard you're suing the pants off of that bitch on behalf of my neighbors. Thank you, Lauren."

Lauren nodded, "You're welcome, but if I don't have Bo inside this courthouse in nine minutes, that won't happen any time soon. She's in a full-blown panic attack, Faith. I don't know what to do."

"Put me on speaker, Lauren."

Lauren did as she was asked allowing Faith to work one-on-one with her client,

"Ysabeau? It's Dr. Gray. What's going on, child?"

"Too. Big."

"Okay then. Let's make it smaller. I want you to look at Lauren. Can you do that?"

Bo did as she was told. She looked away quickly, but Lauren placed two fingers beneath her chin and lifted her eyes back to her own. The blonde's heart broke at the sight of pure terror in her girlfriend's eyes.

"Now Bo, I want you to look at Lauren's right eye, then her left eye, going back and forth. Each time you switch eyes, count up by one until you reach fifteen."

Bo focused on Lauren's right eye, "One.", then her left eye, "Two.", then back to her right eye, "Three.", then back to her left eye, "Four.".

Lauren could see the expression on Bo's face change over the count of fifteen. Her eyes softer by the time she'd finished the count.

"Good, Bo. Now, I want you to tell me about five of Lauren's features… from the neck up, please… that are most familiar to you."

Bo smiled, "Big brown eyes. Broad smile. Beautiful blonde hair. Long slender neck. Little cleft in her chin. Tiny bump on her nose. Flawless, lightly tanned skin. Little tiny ears. Perfect lips… soft, very soft. Calming voice."

You could hear the smile in Dr. Gray's voice when she spoke, "That's a good many more than five. I think I get the picture. I suppose you love her very much, Bo?"

"More than anything." Bo said, a small smile breaking across her face.

"Take five deep breaths with Lauren. Let her guide you. Take a deep breath in, hold it for a moment, then exhale out fully before breathing in again. Focus all of your attention on Lauren, Bo. She breathes, you breathe. I'll hold."

Lauren did as Dr. Gray asked, leading Bo through the breathing exercises. As they did them, they drew closer to each other until, by the fifth breath, their foreheads met and Lauren felt Bo relax.

"We're finished, Dr. Gray."

"Good, Lauren. Now, how do you feel, Bo?"

"Better. Thank you. I don't know what happened." She spoke, her eyes set firmly on Lauren.

Dr. Gray replied, "Well, we've discussed these panic attacks, so I think you do know what happened. For now, we're going to put that in a box, lock it up and put the key in your pocket."

Lauren watched as Bo closed her eyes for a while. Dr. Gray did not speak. She guessed that this was a mental exercise that the doctor had created for Bo to stow away her triggers so that they couldn't disable Bo in the present and she could discuss them with her later.

Bo opened her eyes, "Done."

"Great. I'm going to need you to focus on Lauren's eyes for the rest of the day. When you get nervous, if you're able, take her hand and let her be your anchor to the very small space the two of you actually occupy. The space where you can feel her near you and nothing else. If you can't hold her hand, I want you to focus on some very small feature of hers. Stare at it, focus on it, remember who is attached to it and remember your love for her and her love for you. Okay, Ysabeau?"

"Yes." Bo replied.

"Okay then. How 'bout you go kick some Evony ass on behalf of everyone doing business with that bitch from here to Talkeetna and back."

Bo smiled, "Yes, Ma'am."

"Good luck, Lauren."

"Thank you, Faith. Appreciate the assist."

"Always here for you and Bo."

"Thank you." Bo said, taking Lauren's free hand as she helped her to a stand while putting her phone back in her pocket.

"You and me… together." Lauren said.

"Together." Bo replied with a nod.

They entered the building to the sound of Evony's voice yelling at Patrick. Something about being stood up and Lauren not taking this seriously enough to be on time – that she probably wasn't even sober. Lauren looked down at her watch. Feeling Bo's hand tighten in her own, she gave it a squeeze and moved to the stairway. She figured the four flights up would help, plus she could yell to Evony if she had to before she hopped the elevator to come down.

The two rushed up the steps, Lauren issuing a challenge to the top. The brunette released the blonde's hand, taking them two at a time,

"That's not fair! You're not in low heels!"

"I'm not the one who chose fashion over function!" Bo called back with a laugh, keeping her focus on the task so that she didn't notice the size of the building.

"Bo!" Stephen called out as he saw Bo's head just before she had made it to the top of the stairway.

The brunette looked up, out of breath, "Elevator wouldn't come down. Sorry we're a few minutes late."

Patrick grinned, looking at his watch, "You're actually thirty seconds early."

Lauren crested the steps behind Bo. She went to speak, but Stephen spoke first,

"Bo told us about the elevator not working. I'll call maintenance."

He waved the group back inside the fourth floor Social Law Library where they had everything laying out on a table. Evony glared at Bo and Lauren as they walked past her, Lauren offering,

"Good morning, Evony."

The blonde then saw Nadia and had to turn away to avoid throwing her fist into her jaw. Bo watched the brief interaction, pausing for a moment to take her eyes from Lauren's jaw, laying them firmly on Nadia's. She turned to face her, leaning in and whispering to her,

"You're on the wrong side of this. She would have stayed with you even though she didn't love you because of how you treated her. She never would have initiated a divorce. If you had done this the right way, you would still have the friend you had in Lauren from when you were young. Now, you'll be alone, and you won't even have her in your life. I'm guessing she was good for you… made you good… just by being in your life. That's what she does for me. Now, because of the choices you've made, you will lose the respect of every nurse, doctor and wanna-be-doctor in the hospital. You won't have anyone except Evony. Are you sure she's the horse you want to be stuck with in the end?"

Bo pulled back, smoothing some fuzz off of Nadia's shoulder, "Just sayin'."

She followed Lauren through the wood and glass entryway, across the yellow tiles spotted with brown diamonds, turning left onto the carpeted area that contained areas of tables amongst rows and rows of bookshelves. Finally, they arrived at a room in the back where Patrick invited Lauren to sit beside him and Bo beside her. Penelope took a seat on the other side of Patrick. Stephen sat beside Bo, and Betsy beside him.

On the other side of the table, sat six men in suits, three on one side of Evony and Nadia and three on the other side. Lauren immediately recognized the power play and the even bigger power play when six large boxes where placed on the end of the long table.

"Okay, let's cut right to the chase. You, Doctor Lewis, signed a contract that was legally binding."

Patrick shook his head, looking up at Evony's lead attorney, "John?"

"Evony, should we step outside?"

"No, we should not step outside. I'm going to have my say."

Lauren spoke, "Let her. I'd love to hear what she's learned."

"I've learned that you are an ungrateful, closet alcoholic who wouldn't know loyalty if it bit her in the left tit!"

Bo burst out laughing, but as her eyes traveled the expressions of the faces in the room, she took a deep breath, held it and said a quiet,

"Sorry."

"And you! If it weren't for you, we wouldn't be in here!" Evony spat, her glare focused on Bo.

"Me?"

"You sunk your claws into my doctor and…"

After the word you, Bo's temper skyrocketed and she cut Evony off,

"And what, Evony? Do you really think that a doctor as brilliant, self-confident, independent, hard-working, resilient and dedicated to her craft as Lauren didn't know that she was being taken advantage of by her boss? You were a means to an end, Evony – nothing more."

Bo took a deep breath, "Lauren wanted to save lives by giving people the best care. She thought that meant that she had to have the most money, so she took your shit so that she could have access to the best possible tools to give the best possible chance to do what she does best – save lives. It's you who took advantage of her. It's you who wasn't loyal to her and her cause. It's you who held no gratitude for what you had – the best cardiothoracic surgeon on the planet. Even Nadia has to admit that. Now, you've lost her and you want to sit here, blame me for that loss and cast stones at her?"

She shook her head, "I'm an Iditarod Champion… several times over. It's the hardest race in the world and I'd challenge anyone in your Boston Marathon to come out and try it if they don't believe me. In that race, I have a team of dogs and back up dogs that I rely on. My best dog is named Harper. She was the first dog that I raised on my own. I've always showed her love and respect. I've fed her before I've fed myself. She always had everything she needed, even if it meant I went without. Why? Because she was pulling the sled. I was just along for the ride to give orders. In that way, you and I are in the same jobs, Evony. The difference is – I prioritize my workers."

She stood, moving behind Patrick. She picked up the big bound document that she guessed was all of the lawsuits and tossed it in front of Evony,

"You want to cast stones? Call Lauren a drunk? Well, let me cast the next stone and many, many, many boulders. You want to hold every doctor hostage to your wants and needs, yet you have zero knowledge about how to stitch a cut let alone transplant a heart. Being an excellent physician and surgeon takes a compassion… heart. You are the complete and total opposite of that. You are an ice-cold bitch and medicine and unfortunately, you are leading Nadia down that same path. Doctor Lauren Lewis is the best because she has patience, caring, compassion, integrity, ethics and a desire to do what's best for a patient no matter what it takes from her… or your bank account."

She looked at Nadia, "I'm guessing you knew all of that at one time, otherwise, Lauren never would have been attracted to you much less loved you enough to marry you."

She turned back to Evony, "Lauren made you… she built your health care company. It was her qualities as a doctor combined with her skills and reputation as a surgeon that made you. She didn't care about the contract because in the end, her patients won. But now, she wants to make choices that have you worried about losing your golden fleece. So, rather than negotiate a fair agreement that gives her the freedom to choose, you tightened the noose and threatened her with loss of her medical license so that in the end, not only does she lose, but the patients lose as well. Guess what, Evony? You've pushed her too far this time and she's doing the only thing she can do to do right by her patients. She's making sure that you lose this time around."

She turned back to Nadia, "I met the father of a patient named Thea today. She doesn't like you. That poor little girl doesn't like the woman who is literally holding her heart in her hands. Her Mother, Greta doesn't like you and her Father, Henri doesn't like you either, but he trusts Lauren. Doctor Lewis told him you were the best for the job, so Thea became your patient in her absence. I would hope that as a doctor who cares for hearts that you would understand that very same necessary element to be Lauren's replacement. I'm not sure why or how it happened, but somewhere along the path of saving people's hearts, you sacrificed yours for money… for Evony."

Bo looked around the table at the faces of Evony's team, then her own team. Finally, her eyes found Lauren's. The blonde had a proud smile on her face.

Bo blushed, "Uh… sorry… I just… got caught up in the moment." She crouched down and hurried back to her seat, waving to the group, "Carry on."

Patrick grinned, tapping his pen on the empty space in front of him, "Well, I think Bo has pretty much summed up the crux of this meeting and my opening statement better than I could have. Apparently, she has a future in law. I would like to mention that the scope of Miss Fleurette-Marquis' transgressions extends to contracts across the scope of her company. We have contacted more than two hundred and sixty-seven employees of the over twelve-thousand people that Evony employs. Every contract has loopholes that permit… shall we say… indiscretions… on the part of the employer. There are eight federal laws in these United States that protect employees. We have found violations in seven of the eight laws among the existing documentation. Ms. Penelope Stackhouse is still reviewing financial statements to clear any issues with Social Security Act indiscretions."

Reaching across the table and opening to the purple bookmark in the document, he pointed to the page before folding his hands in front of him,

"Infractions thus far include, the 2009 Fair Labor and Standards Act that provides for minimum wage pay for all employees, The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 that minimizes dangers in the workplace, refusal to pay Unemployment Benefits to those unemployed for reasons outside of their control as required by law, violations of OSHA's Whistleblower Protection Program which allowed most of these complaints to pile up over the past decade, violations of the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, Violations of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title VII Act, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, the ADA or Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and – finally, the most ironic, is a Health Care Corporation violating the Affordable Care Act of 2010."

Evony began, "I would call into question…"

But Patrick cut her off, never lifting his head to acknowledge her voice,

"We are still looking into Social Security violations, but there are clear violations of contract law as well. One of many examples, is how you give fifteen personal days, ten sick days and three weeks' vacation per year. It looks like a perk – especially considering those personal and vacation days must be used for the required continuing education doctors and nurses are required to have to maintain a license to practice – yet, every single contract stipulates that taking said days is up to the discretion of the employer. Thus, Lauren has accumulated more than six months of personal and sick time in addition to almost a full year of vacation time."

He nodded towards the form Penelope was sliding across the table, "This is a log of all of the hours that seven different surgeons used during the early morning or late evening hours to complete online courses to maintain their license. Hours that should have been logged as sick or personal time, but you told them they had a job to do, so they should 'squeeze in their courses' on their free time as needed. You also reminded them that not doing so could cost them their license and therefore would void their contracts with you."

Penelope slid a stack of emails at least three inches thick to Evony as Patrick explained, "These are copies of the emails verifying your refusal to allow doctors to take personal time for course completion – a clear violation of their contracts and – if they were to lose their medical licenses – violation of the unemployment acts and grounds for legal action against you."

Evony crossed her legs, sat back and crossed her arms over her chest, "Also in their contract is a right to decide the time they could take off. By allowing them to do that, I've made sacrifices too, Sir. For example, having to block out three consecutive days on Doctor Lewis' schedule means three days that our operating room is open and not holding surgeries. Of course, more to Bo's opening statement and likely more important to a sappy soul like hers, it's three days where people are dying because Lauren's time isn't being spent saving those lives."

Bo leaned forward to speak, but Patrick held up a hand, and replied,

"We are all very much aware that you can twist an argument to meet your needs, Evony, but the point that your lawyers are painfully aware as they cringe beside you, is the ethical conflicts in these contracts. We are in a Social Law building for a reason, Evony. You are not doing right by your employees and if you are not willing to create fair agreements, three things are going to happen. First, they will unionize, and you will have employees punching a clock and largely unavailable to patients who walk in with needs the doctor on clock may or may not be able to handle. Your mortality rates will plummet, and you will be just another crappy hospital that no one wants to use unless they're on death's door outside of _your_ door. With the only patients coming to you being those who are likely to die even with intervention, your hospitals will be out of business in rapid succession."

He smirked, "Second, all of these lawsuits will begin, costing you billions of dollars. You will be forced into bankruptcy and your businesses will fold one after another – not just your hospitals. You will also be forced into foreclosure on your many properties as well as the buildings that currently hold the businesses of some of the top Fortune 500 companies in Boston. I'm sure they will not look kindly upon these foreclosures and sue you in kind or buy the property well under value."

He took a deep breath, "Finally, the two hundred plus employees will gossip… as is the environment you created within your businesses. It's unprofessional, unethical and falls under harassment laws if it is continuous and creates a volatile work atmosphere for the employee. Further, if gossip is incorrect and creates a negative image of the employee, it falls under the laws of slander. Under these laws, they may choose to sue you personally as well as professionally… something both Doctor Lewis and Miss Dennis have grounds and are prepared to do immediately."

He reached over and pulled the red tab of the large document in front of Evony, "Other examples of this are covered in the statements of the listed interns, residents, doctors, nurses, custodial staff, technicians, secretaries and volunteers provided. You spread rumors that Doctor Lewis was an alcoholic. You insinuated that she was behaving in an unethical manner. You also suggested that she was neglecting her surgical duties and set up sting operation to try to get her to bed one or more of your interns while drunk. Those statements stipulate that you were going to pass students regardless of performance if they could get dirt on Doctor Lewis – their attending physician. You should have read all of these documents – or at least your legal team has – and you should have been advised that all of these offenses can land you in jail for a very long time."

John spoke, "She has been so informed, and she has been advised to cooperate on all of your demands. However, she is refusing on two counts."

"And they are?" Patrick asked.

"She is not willing to bend on Bo's contract for the hospital in Alaska."

Patrick nodded, "Then Bo wishes to be released from her contract as do all of the other workers in Alaska."

Evony laughed, "You can't possibly know that, nor would they do that. They need those contracts. They need the money."

Lauren could see Bo's jaw clench as her eyes remained set on her hands in front of her. Lauren reached under the table and placed a hand on Bo's thigh, causing her to flinch before she looked up at her. Lauren closed her left eye, then her right, then her left, then her right as she whispered, "One, two, three, four…"

Bo placed a hand on Lauren's before she finished the count, leaning over to whisper, "Patrick does know that she's right, doesn't he? I need those contracts to make ends meet and I'm pretty sure everyone else does too."

Lauren whispered her response, "I know that he knows that. I'm guessing he's bluffing. He may be counting on your help."

Bo nodded, quietly turning her eyes back to Patrick, listening for a path into the conversation,

"You believe that the workers of Alaska will allow you to take advantage of them because you're paying them a salary that is well below their cost of living? It costs almost four dollars for a single bottle of water up there, over ninety dollars for a case. It costs thirty dollars for a bag of diapers, nine dollars for a box of cereal, forty dollars for a bottle of laundry detergent and over thirty dollars for a bundle of toilet paper. That doesn't even begin to cover the costs of food."

Evony laughed, "Are you trying to make my point for me? They need the money. They won't sacrifice the contracts."

Bo stepped in, "You're wrong, Evony. Release me from my contract. I don't need your money."

"Maybe not, but your employees certainly do."

Bo shook her head, "I have other contracts."

"Not for a building of this size that will make them as much money over this much time." She smirked, "I've got you, Bo and you know it. You WILL keep that contract and you WILL continue to work as I see fit until that hospital is fully built." She laughed, "And after that, I'll hand you a punch list a mile long, keeping you working for me – for free – for the next ten years!"

She sat back and laughed before Patrick looked up at John who shook his head. Patrick stood and moved to the end of the table, clicking the stop button on the recorder before pulling out the tape and loading another. He hit record and handed the tape to Penelope,

"Six copies, please."

"Right away, Patrick." Penelope smirked, exiting the room.

"At this time, I would like some time to confer with my client."

Patrick nodded, "How much time would you like?"

"Tomorrow morning? Same time, same place?"

Patrick picked up the phone to check in with the receptionist as to the availability of the room. Evony, looked around the room,

"Wait! We aren't done yet! You haven't gotten to the countersuit!"

"Evony! There is no countersuit!" John replied.

"I told you to find a way to countersue! Now get me my countersuit or you're all fired!" She yelled, waving her hand at the group.

"Evony, you could hire a million different attorneys, and no one would be able to find a way to sue any of your employees except possibly the interns who were willing to take your bribes! However, because they are not your employees, but students of an educational institution, their cases would be referred to said institutions for disciplinary action. They would likely be kicked out of medical school."

Lauren's ears perked up at the sound of that, "And I would write letters for each and every one of them telling them that you threatened them and gave them no choice but to accept what appeared to be a bribe…" she adjusted herself in her chair, leaning forward, "… because you and I both know that you would have strung each and every one of those kids over a barrel, making them your indentured servants for the rest of their careers."

Evony laughed, "Because I'm that good at holding on to employees."

"No. You're that good at trapping employees like you did me and countless others." Lauren replied.

Patrick turned back to the group, "We're a go for tomorrow morning."

"Thank you, Patrick. We'll be ready to settle at that time."

"Settle? We're not settling!" Evony yelled.

Patrick nodded to John, "You should know that I plan to have an officer of the court here to take your client into custody if she is not willing to settle."

"It is your right. We will not protest. We are simply looking for a fair and equitable settlement here."

"We are not looking to settle! You're fired! You're all fired!" Evony said, pushing back from the table so hard, that her chair tipped back, tossing her knees overhead onto the floor.

Bo and Lauren couldn't help but laugh and they only laughed harder when they heard Betsy snort. Evony stood, pulling down her short, tight skirt. She left with an exasperated groan as she put her phone to her ear and began calling for a new lawyer. John nodded to one of his partners to go after the brunette while he turned to Patrick,

"As I said, fair and equitable."

Penelope slid a document across the table, "Here is our settlement proposal… minus the new charges born of Evony's most recent threat against Miss Dennis that was just caught on tape. Here is your copy." Penelope slid a copy of the tape across the table.

John nodded, gulping down some water, "I'll have a look at this document tonight and try to reason with my client."

Patrick stood, shaking his hand, he nodded towards Bo and Lauren, "John, I'm guessing your contract is very similar to theirs."

He laughed, "One of my interns used a standard client agreement. Evony made some changes in writing and initialed each of them. The intern then put the contract in my 'reviewed, to be signed' tray. I signed it without reviewing it. Rookie mistake, huh?"

"Anything I can do?"

He smirked, "If she does fire me, I'll be sitting on your side of the table as a client tomorrow."

Patrick smiled, "I'll be happy to take you on as a client… all of you. You okay financially?"

"She has kept me so busy that I've been unable to take on additional clients. When she goes down… and you definitely have her by the thumbs… I won't have any clients and my resume will only include her – a crook. Of course, I drafted the contracts."

"You didn't do the write-ins that make the contracts unethical, immoral and legally questionable."

John nodded, "I didn't. But when I received the signed contracts back, I didn't review them. I didn't know any of this was happening. I just slid the contracts to interns when they were up and had them redraft the same thing and have them signed. At that point, the hand-written parts were typed write into the contracts. The interns didn't know any better and I thought they were using medical contracts. I just had no time to review every written agreement she created… none of us did."

Patrick nodded, "What were you doing if she was your only client and you weren't writing the contracts?"

He laughed, "Whatever that bitch told me to do. Getting coffee, scheduling manicures and pedis… I've been her damned personal assistant for over a decade and it sucks."

Patrick smiled, "Well, if you want to get back to being a lawyer, we may have an opening for you."

"And my team?"

He looked at the row of young suits, "I'm sure we can find work for them… if they're willing to actually read contracts before they actually present them or file them."

John nodded, "I think we've all learned that lesson."

Patrick smiled as the rest of his team nodded in unison. He shook John's hand once again, "We'll talk when this mess is over."

"Thanks, Patrick. I'd better go try to talk some sense into her… actually, I'm going to call Judge Waters and see if he can talk some sense into her. It's his case, after all."

"Good call. I'm pretty sure he doesn't want Evony in his courtroom again, so I'm pretty certain he'll do… whatever is necessary to… see the light." He replied, watching John and his team stand all smile as they exited the room. He reached across the table and picked up all of the documents left behind by the man's team and handed them to Betsy who carefully placed them back in the file boxes for tomorrow.

Bo turned to Lauren, "So, I guess we're not heading back to Alaska."

"I'm so sorry, Bo…"

"Lauren, it's okay." Bo said, placing a hand on Lauren's, "Actually, while we've been sitting here… well, you were sitting… me, disobeying all of Patrick's rules and shouting my guts out at the room…"

"I noticed." Lauren laughed, "What was that?"

"I have no idea. I'm sorry I embarrassed you."

"Embarrassed me? Bo, you made me proud." Lauren smiled.

"You made me look like an idiot. My opening statement wasn't anywhere near that good." Patrick smiled, placing a congratulatory hand on Bo's shoulder for a few seconds.

Lauren noticed that rather than flinch, Bo looked up at Patrick and smiled. Progress, she thought before the doctor asked, "So I take it what Evony said to Bo was bad?"

Patrick nodded, "Yes. Very bad."

"The rest of the copies, boss." Penelope said, handing a box of tapes to Patrick, "John has the one copy you saw me give him. I ran out to get a missing signature from him. Boy is Evony pissed."

"Because she's not getting her way." Betsy commented.

"What's going on?" Bo asked.

Patrick explained,

"She verbally blackmailed you right here in this conference room knowing the meeting was being recorded. There were seven attorneys, a licensed contract law accountant and a retired contract law attorney all present to witness the threat. She's not getting out of it. More importantly, you will be free of Evony. Of course, we'll have to find a new buyer for the hospital, but I'm pretty sure that there are plenty of people who will want to assume control of Evony's empire. We just have to make sure they're the right people. She's got people so far in her pockets they would be willing to be silent partners to help her rebuild her empire."

He shared a wink with Stephen and offered a smile to Betsy and Penelope before locking his briefcase,

"Well, that's it for today then. Tomorrow, same time, same place?" Patrick asked.

Lauren looked at Bo who took a deep breath and asked, "We have to come back even though she's caught?"

Betsy nodded, "There are a lot of forms that need to be signed in the presence of the attorneys, Bo. Sorry, but you'll have to come back if you and your town want to be free of Evony."

Bo lowered her eyes to her hands, took a deep breath and nodded, "Okay then. I'll be here."

Lauren took one of Bo's hands and gave it a squeeze, "And I'll be here with her. Together."

Bo looked at Lauren and smiled, "Together."

Patrick smiled at the couple, "So you two were on the late side today and I know the elevator was working. What happened?"

Lauren shrugged, "Bo said it. I ran into the Father of a former patient. We got held up."

"Lauren…" Bo said, her eyes still on the table, "That's not the whole truth. We were late because of me. I couldn't get on the subway, so we walked a while. Lauren's former patient's Dad happened to be near there and happens to be a driver. He brought us as far as The Common. We ran from there and – well, when Lauren opened the door and I saw the size of the building, I had a panic attack. They're really… well, I can't move when I have them. I got stuck outside the doors. Lauren had to call my doctor to lead me through an exercise to get me in here."

The room remained silent, all of the adults looking at each other until Penelope spoke up,

"Well, you recovered nicely with that speech you gave as an opening. It put the lawyers right back on their heels and really got Evony in the mood to serve herself up on a silver platter for the Alaska deal. You should have panic attacks more often, Bo."

Penelope laughed, giving Bo a thumbs up.

Bo smiled, but shook her head, "Actually, it was just dumb luck that she pissed me off enough for me to not give a single fuck about who I offended." She realized the language she used and cringed, "Sorry for my language. Anyway, I'd rather not have more panic attacks. They sort of suck." She cringed, "Sorry for my language again."

Penelope clicked her briefcase shut, "Trust me, honey, that language is nothing. You have to be around Betsy when she's reading Evony's contracts. The single most creative use of cuss words known to mankind. She can string them together like Christmas lights."

Lauren laughed, "Oh really now?"

"I have a gift." Betsy smiled.

Stephen clapped his hands together, "Okay. What next?"

Patrick sighed, "I hate to say it, but we'll need to adjust the Alaskan contracts based on Evony's rant. I need Betsy and Penelope."

Stephen nodded, "Okay. That gives me some time to stop by my office. How about dinner at the Oyster House? Say around six o'clock or so?"

"We've eaten there three days in a row, Stephen." Betsy sighed.

"I know, but Bo has never been there." He looked down at the brunette, "It's a historic restaurant that serves great oysters, Bo. You can't visit Boston and not eat there at least once. Lauren can keep you busy until then."

"Uh… okay?" Bo replied, looking up at Lauren as the group headed for the exit, "Is it… far?"

Lauren nodded, "Focus on me, okay? There are some things I'd really like to show you. Besides, you can't go home to Alaska without gifts for our friends, right?"

"Gifts?" Bo asked as she stood and took Lauren's hand.

"It's customary to bring loved ones gifts when you go away on a big trip."

"It is?"

Lauren smiled, "Yes, Bo. It is."

"I've never brought gifts back before."

Lauren laughed, "First, other than flying in and out of the airports in Seattle and Vancouver, you haven't traveled. Second, you've never had family and friends to buy for until now. Get in the giving spirit, Bo Dennis. I promise I'll teach you."

Bo smiled, "As long as you teach me that thing you do with your tongue later, I'll buy gifts."

Lauren slapped Bo on the ass, sending her through the exit. They headed towards the front of the library, through the doors to the elevators. The rest of the group had taken a previous ride,

"Stairs?" Lauren asked.

Bo nodded, "I'm not a big fan of elevators, so that would be great."

As they walked down the stairway, Bo held tight to Lauren's hand. The blonde pointed at the ceiling,

"This place dates back to 1894. That's the seal of the Commonwealth up there."

"I recognize that." Bo said, stopping on the staircase.

"You do?" Lauren asked.

Bo nodded, "My Mom had me study native cultures when we were growing up. She wanted to be sure that when we went into Canada, that I knew all of the clans, their history and their languages so that I would understand their customs."

"I didn't know you knew all of that." Lauren said.

Bo analyzed the drawing, "If memory serves, the Native Indians of this state were the Pequot, Mohican, Nauset, Nipmuc, Pocomtuc, Nauset, Wampanoag, and the Massachuset. From the markings on the guy's skin at the center, I'd say he's supposed to be Massachuset, but the artist had possibly just intended him to be a general representation of Native American Indians."

Lauren nodded, "Wow. I never knew all of that."

Bo smiled, "See how the arrow points downward in his hand?"

"I've got that part – it's a sign of peace, right?"

Bo grinned, "Yup. A+ Doctor Lewis! Do you see the blue ribbon surrounding the Native?"

Lauren nodded, "Yes. That phrase… I've always wondered what language it was. Is it from one of the tribes?"

Bo shook her head, "Nope. When the white man came to these lands, they brought their languages with them. Anything built or designed by them will likely carry a name derived from their language. The original names were likely lost to their cultures. They were many, we were few."

Lauren nodded, "Like your home village changed its name from Barrow back to Utqiaġvik."

"Yes. Now that phrase up there, I believe is Latin," She said, looking up at the ceiling.

"Of course! I didn't realize… human anatomical terms and medical terms are mostly derived from Latin. I should have recognized that long ago." Lauren said.

Bo smiled, "Come here that often, do you?"

Lauren chuckled, "Rarely." She replied, looking up at the ceiling, she attempted to read the phrase, _'Ense petit placidam sub libertate quietam'_ – what does it mean?" Lauren asked, "I mean… I wonder what it means. I don't expect you to know Latin. I only know Latin terms as they apply to science. I did take a basic…"

"By the sword we seek peace, but peace only under liberty." Bo replied casually,

"You know Latin?" Lauren asked, shocked.

Bo smiled, "I do. It was a required language in my school because so much of white man's culture was derived from the ancient language. That phrase, however, is not something a Native would say."

"Why not?"

"You cannot find peace at the tip of a sword and they weren't liberated. They were killed or forced to follow the white man's ways."

Lauren could see the anger boil up in her girlfriend, "I will always regret the action of my ancestors with regards to your people."

Bo nodded, "And I will never blame you for what happened to my people… and I'm sorry if my referring to Caucasians as white people is offensive to you."

Lauren shrugged, "It's a way to referring to all of the people who invaded your land and it's pretty accurate, so no, it doesn't offend me… the way my ancestors treated you, however, is quite offensive."

Bo nodded, "Well, there's not much we can do about them or the Evony's of the world. All we can do is take a stand when we can and move forward with our lives, right?"

Lauren nodded, "That's a very mature perspective, Miss Dennis."

"Why thank you, Doctor Lewis." Bo smiled when Lauren leaned in and kissed her cheek before she continued, "Just keep in mind that… well, I'm not a Native American. I'm a Native Alaskan. We were under the control of Russia before we were sold to your ancestors."

Lauren nodded, "True. But I dare say my ancestors didn't treat you any better."

They resumed their trip down the stairway and to the exit. Before Lauren opened the door, she turned to Bo,

"The noise is just cars and the collective voices of people on the street. So, do you think you can handle some sightseeing with me? I have three places I'd like us to go."

"Three places?"

Lauren nodded, "Well, three things I think you'll enjoy."

"Are these three things hard to get to and in crowded places?"

"No guarantees, Bo. This is Boston, it is tourist season and things are pretty crowded. I will promise to be by your side the entire time. If you're willing to gaze into my eyes and focus on just me, the rest of the world won't exist."

Bo smiled, "When I look in your eyes, Lauren Lewis, you are all that exists."

Staring into each other's eyes, they walked through the exit and out into the world.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **New England Aquarium, Boston Harbor Islands National and State Park**_

Lauren had been careful to watch for cues as to Bo's mental state as they made the trip to the Aquarium. After seeing Bo's reaction to the whales on the tour they'd done, she decided that the Aquarium might be a place the brunette would enjoy. Lauren wasn't particularly keen on these facilities, but the Boston Aquarium was more animal hospital and research center than public entertainment. The admissions fees paid the bills and most animals were sent back to sea after they were healed. Of course, that wasn't always the case, but there was always a good reason if they were retained.

They had taken an open-air trolley so that Bo wouldn't feel closed in. It seemed to work well with Lauren holding her hand the entire time. The blonde also took a page from Doctor Gray's book and kept Bo focused on one thing at time. She pointed out familiar shops or restaurants when the driver wasn't speaking about the historic stops along the way.

Bo was clearly a history buff. She seemed to enjoy the driver's tour, so Lauren was grateful for that. When they stepped off the trolley, Bo stopped short, causing Lauren to bump up against her. The brunette jumped, but Lauren was quick and wrapped her arms around her, whispering in her ear,

"It's just me, Sweetie. You stopped and I ran into you. Can you walk forward to the sidewalk for me?"

Bo nodded, doing as asked, reaching back for Lauren's hand. She wrapped her other hand around Lauren's arm as soon as the blonde was beside her.

"So the water over there is part of the harbor. There's a lot of good restaurants around here, so if you want some lunch, we can eat anywhere."

Bo nodded, her eyes focusing on the water rather than all of the activity around her. Lauren led her towards the large white building,

"Come on, Bo. We're going to go to a very special theatre and aquarium."

"You're taking me to a movie?" Bo asked.

Lauren grinned, "Not just any movie."

Approaching the ticket booth outside of the facility, they stood in line, Lauren pointing out the various things to see in the area. Luckily, the timing was perfect for the opening of the doors to the theatre. Lauren bought them some popcorn to share as well as two bottles of water before they entered. The blonde watched as Bo's mouth dropped open,

"What the…"

"This is an IMAX theatre, Bo. They'll tell you all about it before the movie starts. The best seats are in the middle, but we can sit on an aisle if you'll feel more comfortable. Because it's air conditioned, it's usually quite packed in here."

Bo nodded, "Can we sit down in the front near that railing so at least there's no one in front of us and we're near an exit in case I have to… you know…"

Lauren smiled, "Of course, Bo. Whatever you need. I want you to be comfortable enough to enjoy this."

"Right." Bo replied, though she had her doubts.

She followed Lauren down the stairs, past rows half occupied by visitors. When they reached the front, there were two seats available right at the bulkhead. Lauren had Bo sit at the end while Lauren took the seat next to the little girl who was happily eating a box of Swedish Fish.

"Okay, so when they tell you to, you have to put these glasses on." Lauren said, handing Bo the 3D glasses.

"Uh… no. Those things look ridiculous."

Lauren laughed, "Don't be a spoil sport, Bo. Everyone in the theatre will have them on. Just please – trust me? They'll make the movie more fun to watch."

Bo shrugged, "Fine."

"Here. Take this before I eat it all."

Bo looked into the container, "Geez, Lauren. You ate half of it already!"

Lauren threw a few more pieces of popcorn into her mouth, "Sorry. Besides, I only ate about a third."

"And you've only had it for about five minutes."

Lauren shrugged, "What can I say? I love popcorn and I just can't stop eating it once I have it. You can be the popcorn controller."

"Good call. You'll ruin your lunch and dinner."

"Trust me, I'll be fine with eating both. I pretty much starved myself since leaving Alaska, remember?"

"I remember and it was scary when I first saw you. So you are getting your appetite back?" Bo smiled.

"After watching Evony implode back there, yes. But honestly, knowing that I have you and will be free to do research is enough to make me feel like there's a bright future ahead."

"I'm glad to hear that." Bo replied.

A woman walked out onto the stage, "Hello everyone and welcome to our IMAX Theatre!"

The audience applauded politely, giving Bo cause to twitch. Lauren took her hand, giving it a squeeze as she leaned over and whispered,

"It's customary in the Lower Forty-Eight to applaud for a lot of reasons."

"Is she the entertainment?" Bo asked.

Lauren smiled, "No, Bo. She's just here to remind us of where the emergency exits are…"

"Why would we need to know that?"

Shrugging, Lauren replied, "If there were a fire or a storm or a power outage. It's just a precaution."

"Or one of those mass shootings I've read about since I've been here. I'm telling you. This place is crazy train."

Lauren shook her head, "Well, you see that bulkhead to your right? If anything like that were to happen, I'm sure we could get under cover quickly. She's also going to explain that when a signal comes onscreen, put on your glasses. The rest is just general information about the theatre, coming shows and then there's a preview."

"Preview of what?"

Lauren replied, "Of shows that people might like to see after the one we're seeing leaves the theatres."

"Oh. And what are we seeing?"

"It's a surprise."

"I don't like surprises. You know this."

"This is just a little surprise and I guarantee it's one you'll like."

"We'll leave if I don't like it?"

"Promise." Lauren replied, "But you'll love it."

"How do you know?"

"Because I know you."

"Oh." Bo replied.

"If you were going to take me to a movie, what would it be?" Lauren asked.

Bo laughed, "That's easy. Anything scientific. It could be about anything from two scientists falling in love over their microscopes to aliens invading from outer space. You've watched that Star Trek show about twenty times since you got to Alaska."

"Well, it's not like we had any sort of streaming or TV service. I had to go with what I had on my laptop. Besides, I've watched other shows."

"They were all space shows."

Lauren shrugged, "Science fiction or Sci-Fi and I suppose that's true."

The pair smiled, their eyes trained on each other until the lights went down in the theatre. Bo leaned over to Lauren,

"Do I put these on now?"

"No. I'll let you know when. This is just the preview."

Lauren turned her attention to the screen and Bo followed suit. After a few seconds, Lauren looked over to check on Bo. She could only smile seeing the look of amazement on Bo's face as the preview for a coming feature called _Amazon Adventure 3D_.

"Wow." Bo said aloud, "That's so cool."

Lauren couldn't help but laugh as several people commented on her speaking aloud. The doctor leaned over and quietly whispered,

"Bo, it's considered impolite to speak aloud during the show."

Bo turned to Lauren, "But it's just the preview."

Lauren grinned, "You're right, but people want to hear the preview as well."

"Okay. Sorry."

The preview finished and Lauren waited in anticipation of the start of the feature film… or more accurately, Bo's reaction to it. She truly hoped she would like it because Lauren was looking forward to it as well. Finally, the title appeared, causing Bo to sit up. She smiled in anticipation as the introductory credits rolled over a deep dive into the ocean. Finally, the signal to put on the glasses came on. Lauren nudged Bo, telling her to put on her glasses. The doctor could see her struggle to adjust at first, but when a whale appeared in the depths and began to climb towards the surface, Bo held onto the arm rests of the seat and – when the whale breeched and seemed to fly over their heads – Bo put her hands up and let out a loud,

"Whooohoooo!"

She wasn't alone as the children in the theatre all shouted as well. Bo leaned over to Lauren,

"You know me so well. This is going to be incredible!"

Lauren nodded, "It's awesome! Watch the screen! You don't want to miss anything."

Bo turned back to the screen while Lauren took a few moments to lower her glasses and watch her girlfriend. If this was the only experience that she loved while she was in the city, it would be well worth it. She was happy and that was all that Lauren ever wanted for Bo Dennis. The fact that she was the one who was able to put the smile there by bringing her to this theatre made it just a bit sweeter.

Slowly, she lowered her glasses to the bridge of her nose and turned her head to the screen. She felt a surge of warmth when Bo once again took her hand, interlocking their fingers and giving it a squeeze before leaning into her and relaxing back against the seat.

"Thanks, Lauren."

"You're welcome, Bo."

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

Outside the theatre, Bo couldn't say enough about the movie. She was so excited that she didn't even notice the crowd they were traipsing through as they walked towards the aquarium. Finally, Lauren took her hands to get her attention,

"So, you've seen Humpbacks and other little sea creatures on the biggest screen available. Now, you're going to see them in actual 3D real life."

"Huh?"

"Well, not the Humpbacks – they're too big for this and besides, you already saw those when we were on Elijah's ship. You ready?"

"Really? To see live sea life? Do I need a bathing suit?"

Lauren chuckled, "Nope. Come on."

Lauren led Bo through the crowd to the doors of the Aquarium. She paused for a moment, checking to be sure she was still okay, but Bo's eyes were locked on what was ahead, reading signs and searching for her sea creatures. As they entered the facility, they turned left and entered a dark corridor with tall and long tanks filled with glowing blue and purple jelly fish.

"What the… what are those?"

"Jelly fish. These are all different species of jelly fish illuminated by black lights."

Bo moved as close to the tank as her nose would allow, "None of our jellies in Alaska look like this. Well, at least I don't think they do. I haven't seen many of them since I don't spend a whole lot of time on the ocean anymore, but… wow… these are amazing."

"Yes, they are." Lauren said, watching Bo as she watched the creatures float up, then sink down.

They continued along through the tunnel, Bo stopping at each and every tank, moving right, then left and sometimes backwards when she realized that she'd missed a tank. Lauren watched as Bo regressed to a child-like state. She was giddy and curious, but most of all – again – she was happy.

They went through the small animal hospital where Bo asked a lot of questions. Bo placed her hand in the touch pool and handled starfish and sea urchins. She took a lot of pictures of penguins and gave Lauren a few lessons of her own on a species she was quite familiar with. They went outside to see the seals and walrus, then back inside to the large center tank surrounded by a spiral ramp. She noticed the small sharks almost immediately and was mesmerized by the fact that they didn't attack each other. They all got along which led Bo to comment on how she wished humans could be more like the fish in the tank.

Finally, they reached the top where Bo met Myrtle, the Aquarium's celebrity green sea turtle who has lived there since June of 1970. Bo learned that they estimate her age to be between 90 and 95, her weight more than 500 pounds. She eats lettuce, broccoli, brussel sprouts and the occasional squid with vitamins injected. She has two friends who are loggerhead turtles, named Retread and Carolina.

"So why has she never been released?" Bo asked Lauren, "I mean, they're sort of a rehab, so why not Myrtle?"

Lauren nodded, leaning over the rail of the tank, "They took possession of her from another aquarium that was closing. They apparently tried to get her ocean-ready, but they feared she would not survive in the wild. So, she's now their research subject. They should be able to learn how long a sea turtle survives which might help them to know how they're doing with measures they're using to save them."

"They need saving?"

Nodding, the doctor explained, "Each year, Cape Cod water temperatures drop in a very short period of time. If the turtles haven't gone south with the rest, they strand themselves. Hopefully, any number of wildlife rescue organizations are notified and are able to pick them up and return them to warmer waters or accommodate them until the spring warm up."

"Wow. I had no idea."

Lauren nodded, "It's very sad. They're such gentle giants. They don't deserve the oceans we're giving them. Many turtles mistake pieces of plastic for food when they're young and don't make it to adulthood. Still others get tangled up in fishing nets cut loose from boats and wrapped up in plastic fasteners for six packs. I just hate what we do to these adorable, sweet creatures."

"She is adorable. Should we be worried that she's going really deep? How long can she hold her breath?" Bo asked.

"Come on. I'll show you where she's probably going."

"So you come here a lot?"

Lauren nodded, "I'm a member… actually, a donor. I come here during my lunches a few times a month = sometimes more if I'm stressed. It's relaxing to watch these magnificent creatures floating in their silent world."

Arriving at a coral overhang, Lauren stopped, "I think she's coming down here. She naps a lot. I mean, she's old, so that would make sense. To answer your question, she can hold her breath for about two hours when she's at rest."

"Two hours?" Bo asked, shocked, "That's ridiculous!"

Lauren smiled, "Their bodies are amazing. Look up – here she comes."

The pair watched as the large turtle swam slowly down in a spiral circle, settling gently atop the coral shelf surrounded by long, flowing strands of seaweed. Lauren watched as Bo slowly raised her hand, measuring the size of her human limb against that of Myrtle's.

"She's magnificent, Lauren."

"She is."

Lauren smiled, her eyes set on Bo. Again, her girlfriend was happy and everything was right with the world.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **Boston Harbor**_

For a lunch activity, Lauren wanted some privacy with her girlfriend. To achieve that end, she had picked up some takeout and told Bo they were going to walk down to the harbor to have lunch. Bo was fully on board with the plan since her stomach had started to growl about an hour into their visit at the Aquarium.

When they arrived at the Harbor, Bo asked where they were going to sit, and Lauren motioned towards the large boat running at the dock.

"We're going to sit on that?"

"Yup."

"But, it looks like it's leaving."

"It is."

"Uh…"

"Come on, Bo. You've trusted me this far. Give it a go?"

Bo smiled, "Of course."

She took Lauren's hand and boarded the boat where a man named Carson introduced himself and led them to the tables at the rear of the boat.

"Do you need anything else, Doctor Lewis?"

"No, thank you very much, Carson. Are we waiting on other passengers?"

He shook his head, "Captain said he owes you one. You wanted privacy, so privacy you'll get. He said he was sure your boss was running you ragged since you returned from Alaska, so he asked that I do whatever it takes to help you and your guest have a relaxing trip."

"Thank you, Carson." Lauren smiled.

As he walked away, Bo turned to Lauren who was already unpacking their takeout, "You sure do know a lot of boat captains."

Lauren chuckled, popping a chip into her mouth before passing Bo's soup and sandwich to her, "I love the water. It's relaxing. Of course, my new favorite body of water is the river behind your house. I love the sound of the current and the backdrop is the ultimate scenery."

Bo grinned, "It is pretty special, isn't it?"

Lauren nodded, passing Bo her sunglasses, before putting on her own. The boat began to pull out and Lauren watched Bo's expression change. She decided Bo needed a bit more information,

"So, the harbor is one of the most relaxing spots in Boston. We won't leave the harbor on this ride, but it will be about a three-hour loop unless you want to go back sooner. If it's too hot, we can go below deck. He has a large screen TV with movie theatre seating. On the next level up, there's a lounge with sofa's and recliners as well as some tables. It's up to you how we spend the time. Apparently, we have the entire ship to ourselves other than the personnel running the boat. I suspect the Captain will stop by eventually. If not, we can go meet him if you'd like."

"For now, I'd just like to eat our lunch and then we'll play it by ear."

"That sounds perfect."

"This whole day has been perfect. I mean, I could have done without this morning's Evony drama, but you sure did make up for it with our three adventures."

Lauren nodded, "Actually, that was only two. The IMAX and the Aquarium were a single ticket purchase. We still have one more stop. I hope you still have some energy left in those fantastic legs of yours because we'll be doing some walking."

Bo smiled, "As long as I'm walking with you, I'll follow you anywhere."

"I was hoping you would say that." Lauren replied with a smile.

She watched as Bo took a spoonful of soup into her mouth, moaning at the goodness roaming over her taste buds. Lauren laughed, her eyes remaining on Bo's as she continued to enjoy her lunch. Maybe she was just overly hungry, maybe she truly loved the flavors… whatever the case, Lauren was just happy that again, Bo was happy.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **Faneuil Hall and Marketplace**_

It was just past four-thirty when Bo and Lauren arrived at the marketplace. Since it was late summer, the sun was hot, and the walk had turned into another trolley ride just to catch a bit of a breeze. Now that it was a bit later, it was cooler, and the marketplace was alive with performers… and people… lots and lots of people.

Lauren could see the nerves creeping back in as Bo clung to her hand. Lauren searched for a place they could sit down and watch a juggler. She spied an empty stairway and led Bo to it.

"There's some shade here. Does this work?"

Bo nodded, "It's pretty crowded."

Lauren nodded, "Everyone comes for the food, shopping and performers. Look over there."

Bo looked towards the circle of onlookers who were watching a man on a unicycle who was tossing objects in the air… many, many objects,

"How is he doing all of that?"

Lauren smiled, "He's a juggler. He practices a lot and that's how he's able to do all of that."

Bo nodded, "I would crack my skull."

She turned to Lauren, "Although I might be able to do it with axes. I flip them over in my hands all the time and I have handled two at once. I've never tried three."

"Well, how 'bout sticking with two? I'd rather not have to sew your hand back on. I rather enjoy your hands."

Bo looked at Lauren who was looking at her seductively. The brunette laughed, "I cannot wait to get you back to… well, wherever it is we're staying tonight."

"We could get a hotel if you'd like."

"We don't have any clothes."

"We need clothes?" Lauren asked.

Bo rolled her eyes, "For tomorrow, silly."

Lauren laughed, "I know. We can buy something new here."

Bo shrugged, "Are you anticipating coming into money?"

Lauren smiled, "I've already come into money, Bo. I can afford to buy us clothes."

"Right." Bo replied before looking at Lauren, "Am I going to be a kept woman?"

Lauren laughed, "Only when you want to be."

Bo smiled, "Maybe you can keep me on special occasions. It would be nice not to have to worry about being completely independent once in a while."

"Of course, you say that now, but then I actually try to do it and you get stubborn."

"Just slap me and remind me I said I wanted to be a kept woman on special occasions."

Lauren smiled, "Is this a special occasion?"

Bo nodded, "I'm in Boston and you love me. It's very special."

"It is." Lauren smiled, leaning over and giving Bo a chaste kiss on the mouth, "Shall we go pick up some clothes?

Bo looked at the juggler, "But he's just getting started."

Lauren shrugged, "Well, we have to be at the restaurant to meet the others for dinner in just over an hour. The Oyster House is just on the other side of the marketplace, so it's not far, but we really should get moving. Plus, you want to get some gifts for the family?"

Bo nodded, "Okay." She looked around, "Just… keep talking to me, right?"

"Together, Bo. You and me."

"Together."

Lauren was happy that Bo was able to walk the marketplace without incident. Of course, she stayed close to her girlfriend and at times, she pulled Lauren into open space just to 'catch her breath' for a moment. They found souvenir T-shirts at the indoor area where vendors sold their goods off of carts. They also got some toys for the three younger girls. It took a while, but they finally found something for Bo's main sled team and Lauren's three dogs.

After picking up some clothing for the next day as well as a suitcase to pack their gifts in, they headed to the Oyster House. They were going to be a bit late, but Lauren had sent a text to Patrick to let him know. As it turned out, he was running late as well, but had said he would call Betsy to let her know they were running late so they would take a seat at their booth.

When they finally arrived, Lauren introduced Bo to the history of yet another building before introducing her to the historic Oyster Bar. After a few lessons, the owner allowed Bo to shuck a few oysters, complimenting her knife skills. Lauren had wanted to tell the man he didn't know the half of it, but she didn't want to scare people if Bo decided to demonstrate her skills.

Bo had never had oysters before. She described them as salty and slimy, stating she preferred clams before whispering to Lauren,

"Your clam."

The blonde blushed, temporarily losing her ability to speak as memories of riding Bo's face on the tall ship filled her mind. In that moment, she decided she was going to make very quick work of dinner and get Bo back to a hotel as soon as possible.

While Bo used the bathroom, Lauren watched the suitcase of their new valuables and called her friend at the Seaport Hotel and World Trade Center to see if she had any rooms available. Of course, she would also ask for her discretion as they had met in somewhat unsavory conditions. A one-night stand that turned into a true friendship, Maddie was someone Lauren could always turn to when she wanted someone to be real with her. They had a lot in common despite the fact that they lived in very different worlds. Maddie didn't drink, so Lauren could always count on her for activities other than barhopping.

As it turned out, Maddie had a suite with a water view and told Lauren she would get it ready for her. When Maddie asked if she wanted to hang out, Lauren told her about Bo… that she'd finally found the one. Maddie's voice over the phone drew Bo's attention as she came out of the bathroom, so Lauren put Maddie on speaker phone so she could tell Bo herself how happy she was for them.

Bo grinned as Lauren's friend gushed over her, thanking her profusely for making the doctor so happy. They finished the call with Maddie promising to send a car to pick them up at precisely eight-thirty so that they had an excuse to leave in an hour and a half. Lauren was concerned that it would seem rude, but Maddie – as always – reminded Lauren that she had a right to be in love and want to enjoy her final nights in Boston with Bo. She also reminded her that she would see all of them bright and early in the morning so they could catch up before she had to leave. If they won the case, they would likely be celebrating with a big lunch anyway.

Bo and Lauren ended the call and headed upstairs to the Kennedy booth where Lauren suspected Stephen would already be waiting. Sure enough, he was there ready to greet them both. Betsy and Penelope had just arrived with Patrick who was parking the car.

They sat down and the mood was immediately light. Lauren was grateful they avoided talk about the legal battle ahead of them in the morning. Patrick did mention that John had called and said that Evony was still resistant, but he hoped that she would allow them to hold the meeting without her present so that she didn't get emotionally involved in the deal. As of that conversation, Evony was still considering her options while on a call with the judge. Apparently, he was working his magic.

The food came and was devoured by the hungry group. They shared stories about their youth, life in Boston for Bo's benefit and discussed potential visits to Alaska. When they parted ways, it sounded like Betsy would be dragging Penelope with her to the great northwest so that she didn't have to travel alone.

Finally, the call came that a car had arrived for Doctor Lewis and guest. After politely excusing themselves, the pair headed downstairs to the car and were off to the waterfront once again. The drive was quiet, both women tired from a busy day that had allowed little time for rest. When they pulled into the hotel, Bo's mouth dropped open,

"Uh… this is what it means to be a kept woman?"

Lauren smiled, "We're splurging. Special occasion, remember?"

"Damn, Lauren. This must cost a pretty penny."

Lauren smiled, "Actually, Maddie charges me the friends and family rate. That's why I called her."

"Oh. So you're going cheap on our date?"

"I assure you, despite what I'm paying, this place is top-o-the-line."

Bo laughed, "Okay, Doctor Lewis. Lead the way."

They entered the hotel to a smiling Maddie. She had arranged a perfect room for a perfect night for a perfect couple. Personally, Bo thought the woman was laying it on a bit thick, but Lauren seemed to appreciate her effort, so she thanked her and followed Lauren to the elevator.

When the bellhop opened the door, Lauren waved Bo in first. The brunette entered the room and immediately moved to the window to see the view of the water just a few floors below. Lauren had told Maddie that Bo wasn't a huge fan of heights, so she had gotten them a room on the third floor. It really was perfect.

The young man brought their suitcase inside, nodding politely as Lauren paid him a generous tip. He closed the door and Lauren locked it for the night. She walked over to Bo, wrapping her arms around her waist,

"Ready for bed?"

"I really am. I'm exhausted, but this is a beautiful view. It's strange to me – all of the lights, but they twinkle on the water and it's really cool. I didn't realize how much I missed having nighttime until just now."

Lauren nodded, "I forgot about that. You're in twenty-four hours of light right now."

"You did get a small taste of it." Bo reminded.

Lauren shrugged, "I suppose, but there were at least those sort of dusky evening hours."

The doctor wrapped her arms tighter around the doctor, placing light kisses on her girlfriend's neck. Bo leaned back, smiling before capturing Lauren's lips in a gentle kiss,

"I'm torn between going to bed or putting out the effort to move the bed over here so we can have this view."

Lauren shrugged, "Well, I would be a bit concerned about being in the bed with how close we are to the ground. People can see us through the window – especially with the bright lights on behind us in the room."

"Oh, shit." Bo said, fumbling with the rod that allowed her to slide the curtains in front of her. Lauren laughed, watching Bo shift from relaxed and confident to panicked and embarrassed.

The brunette turned to see her girlfriend laughing and picked her up, throwing her onto the bed. She pinned her arms down and straddled her trunk,

"You're laughing at me? Is that any way to show me you love me?" Bo asked.

"You're absolutely right. I've still got some work to do on making my 'radio silence' up to you, huh?"

Bo offered up a devious grin, "Mmmm… you're absolutely right. It's going to take at least a year for you to make that up to me."

"A year, huh? When you said I had some work to do, I didn't think you would be holding a grudge."

Bo chuckled, "I'm sorry, but you were a bad, bad girl, Doctor Lewis. I'm going to have to punish you."

Lauren tried not to laugh as she replied, "Do what you must, but I have to ask… will there be spanking?"

Bo laughed, "For sure."

"Well, first, I'm going to give you something I think you will really enjoy. I know how much you love good food, so I had something sent up for us." Lauren said, giving Bo a quick peck on the lips.

"Food?" Bo asked, suddenly hungry.

"Dessert, actually."

Bo grinned, rolling off of Lauren, "I was wondering why you wouldn't let me order the cheesecake. Incidentally, it's not polite to separate a Bo from a dessert."

Lauren chuckled, "I didn't separate the two of you. I just… delayed… your union. Have a look over at the table."

Bo hurried over and turned on the light in the kitchenette,

Lauren laughed, "I'm wondering if I should be hurt by the fact that you so easily left a bed with me in it at the mere mention of a dessert."

Bo giggled, "I'm sorry, my darling love but desserts are my first love and like you said earlier – you never forget your first."

Bo opened the lid, her eyes going wide when she saw the incredible display,

"Oh. My. Gawd. I've died and gone to heaven."

Lauren sauntered over to her girlfriend and trailed kisses down her neck before whispering seductively in her ear,

"No… that's later. For now, a bit of heaven right here on earth." Lauren replied, picking up one of fifteen small dessert plates stacked in a perfect pyramid, "Let me introduce you to the Global Desserts Pyramid, created by yours truly."

Bo sat down, nodding her head and motioning to the display, "Really? Please… I'm all ears."

Lauren grinned, picking up a fork. She sat down at the table, sliding the plate in front of Bo. On the plate was a tiny glass pitcher. She slowly poured it over a white chocolate ball. Bo watched as the white chocolate melted at the top causing the white shell to break, revealing a dark chocolate cake inside.

"This, my love, is my dear friend the white chocolate ball cake that I was introduced to while in Germany. I was there to teach a class on transplant techniques that rapidly increase blood flow to the heart when a chance meeting resulted in this now long-time friendship. I got the recipe for Maddie and she had her staff put it on the dessert menu."

Lauren carefully inserted two tongs of the small dessert fork into the moist, warm cake before swiping it through the warm strawberry and white chocolate sauce. She lifted it to Bo's lips, the brunette wrapping her mouth around it. Lauren watched as her tongue slipped from her mouth and over her lips, a moan emanating from her throat as the warm tasty treat caressed her taste buds,

"Oh, my. Maybe a flight to Germany wouldn't be so hard." Bo said, her eyes closing as she savored the glorious aftertaste left by the first bite.

Lauren smiled, "Now, I believe I deserve a good-dessert kiss, yes?"

Bo grinned, leaning over and kissing the blonde – at first gently… then deeper. When she heard a soft moan come from the blonde, she pulled back turning to face the remaining plates on the tower, "What's next?"

Lauren frowned, "Hey! You could at least give me a taste of what I gave you!"

Bo smiled, "Sharing, huh?" Bo took another bite of the chocolate ball, chewing and swallowing the treat before leaning in to capture Lauren's lips in a delectable kiss, the brunette offering her a taste of the remaining scents and flavors that remained from dessert number one. When the blonde pulled back, she smiled,

"Mmmm… that's much, much better." Lauren grinned, turning to the tower, "Okay. Now, dessert number two is from a trip to the Netherlands where I not only learned to grow a tulip from a bulb, but also learned how to grow a skin graft – one that could potentially be grown from cardiac tissue cells to replace damaged tissue caused by a myocardial infarction."

"A what now?" Bo asked, but Lauren laughed, instead pulling one of three plates from the top and placing it in front of Bo whose eyes were wide, "Wow. It's kind of… pretty."

Lauren smiled, "It is."

She lowered the small dessert fork, puncturing a half cherry, blueberry, a small bite of cake and a swipe of lime green sauce to build the perfect bite and offered it to Bo as she spoke,

"Het lekkerste recept voor Cherry Chapel."

Bo looked at Lauren as she chewed, catching a drip of sauce with her pinky finger and offering it to Lauren. The blonde accepted, taking more than just the tip of the finger and sucking it slowly clean. Bo watched, her gaze unwavering as the blonde licked her lips. Bo bit her own bottom lip before she asked,

"What did you say?"

"Well, my Dutch wasn't very good when I was there five years ago, so it's even worse now, but I hope I said something like – this is the best recipe for Cherry Chapel." Lauren picked up a cherry with her fingers and took a bite, "It's one of my favorite desserts from that trip."

Bo gazed across the room, "You know, there's a nice sized refrigerator over there."

Lauren looked over her shoulder, "You're right. There is."

"I'd think we could put these plates in there for a while, share the flavors of the first two desserts over there in that bed for a while and then come back to them."

"I think you're right… if that's what you want." Lauren replied, pulling another plate off of the tower, "Or you could try a bite of this red velvet bite-sized round, dusted with a light powdering of sugar. The sugar cane toothpick piercing the chocolate truffle over the cake is meant to be taken all in one bite, eating the toothpick and all. A bit of sweet crunch with a velvet sugary red cake climaxing in a soft bite of soft milk chocolate."

"I get a climax, huh?"

"Not as good as the ones I plan to give you until you fall asleep, but a climax nonetheless." Lauren smirked, holding the fragile toothpick in front of Bo's mouth. The brunette stared at the dessert longingly, taking only a short moment to take it into her mouth – all in one bite as Lauren had directed.

The blonde smiled victoriously as Bo groaned at the flavors swirling around her palate, "Oh my gawd! Lauren this is… oh gawd!"

"Better than sex?" Lauren chuckled.

"Yes!" Bo said, savoring the taste until she realized what Lauren said, "No! I mean… not sex with you! I mean…"

Lauren laughed, "Bo, I'm not offended. Relax, it's amazing, right?" She handed Bo the fork, the brunette immediately licking it clean,

"It is." Bo smiled, "Want a taste?"

"Right now, I want you in that bed." Lauren said, leaving Bo at the table with the desserts.

Bo stared at the tower, searching for another bite of the same dessert, but she saw only more and more variations of desserts… many delicious looking varieties. She stood, her eyes still on the desserts until she heard Lauren clear her throat. She turned, swallowing hard when she saw the blonde laying on her side, completely naked, a small strawberry shortcake in front of her with a can of whipped cream in hand,

"Want some?" Lauren asked, using her thumb to pop off the cap.

Bo licked her lips, swallowing hard, "Gods, yes."

"Don't be shy." Lauren said, "Come and get some."

Bo nodded, her head turning slightly sideways, then back to Lauren, "Shouldn't we put these in the fridge before…" she dropped the fork she was holding, "Oh, screw it."

She rushed towards the bed, stripping as she moved. A few awkward moments of her shorts stuck on her foot and top stuck on her earring had Lauren laughing until Bo finally arrived at the bed. She slowly moved around to the other side, sliding in behind the blonde. She slid her hand up Lauren's thigh, over her hip and around her waist while her lips trailed kisses along her shoulder,

"Can I have a taste?" She whispered.

Lauren smiled, rolling onto her back, "Of this?" Lauren asked, pointing at the small plate.

Bo pushed the plate from the bed, the can also rolling from Lauren's grasp, "Desserts be damned."

But the blonde was quick, snatching the can of whipped cream before it rolled from the mattress, "Except this… I have plans for this."

Lauren placed her finger on the white spout. Grinning, she pressed down and started a stream of cool, creamy ripples, moving in an arc from her left shoulder, down to the cavern of her breasts, back up to her right shoulder and down over her right nipple, continuing down to the spot just above the center of the neatly trimmed hairline above her legs. She then traced the path back over her left breast to her shoulder, finishing with a touch of cream in her mouth.

Bo grinned, watching Lauren toss the can off of the bed before capturing her mouth to share the taste of the fluffy treat. She then looked up at Lauren and smiled,

"For me?"

Lauren chuckled, "All for you."

Bo grinned, "Lucky, lucky me." 

_**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_


	18. Chapter 18: Choices

_**A/N:**_ _Thank you for the reviews and follows. Let's finish up in Boston and see where everyone ends up!_

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **CHAPTER 18: Free to Choose**_

 _ **Hotel – 2:00am**_

Lauren sat in front of the large glass wall that took up one full side of the room. She'd pulled back the curtains enough to see a view of the harbor. She loved coming here when she needed to get away. It was only blocks from the hospital, but she always felt like she was on a mini-vacation.

She heard movement coming from the bed and looked back over her shoulder. She smiled seeing Bo was now sprawled out across the entire bed, the sheet twisted around her body except for one shoulder that allowed her arm to be free to hug her pillow.

Lauren smiled thinking of Bo commenting on how much she loved the bed. Apparently, ' _she had never laid on anything so soft in all of her years'_ and _'she could get used to this'_. Lauren couldn't help but wonder… could she? Could Bo get used to being here in Boston?

She looked back out across the harbor. Did she really want to leave this place? There was a time when Lauren couldn't imagine being anywhere else. Had she made a rash decision in a moment where she felt hopeless under the threat of Evony's power? She had separated from Bo, she had learned of Evony's intention of keeping her under her thumb, under Nadia's supervision and on the staff at her hospital for the rest of her career.

She shook her head thinking of how she had accused Bo of being a runner, but here she was running just the same. She sighed, thinking of Bo's family and friends back in Alaska. They'd become her family and friends, too. She heard her phone vibrate on the table. She rushed across the room, hoping she could get to it before it woke Bo.

She pulled the phone from the bedside table and hurried back to the window, looking down at the screen. She saw Molly's number. Quickly she opened the call and rushed to the door. She carefully turned the lock, opening the door. She flipped the bar across so she wouldn't get locked out and took a look back to see that Bo was still sound asleep. Stepping into the hall, she finally held the phone to her ear and spoke in a soft voice,

"Hello?"

" _Lauren? It's me, Elise."_

"Elise? What's wrong, sweetie?"

" _Uh… nothing… I mean… well… I just… I mean… I couldn't sleep."_

"Bad dreams?" Lauren asked.

" _It didn't work."_

"Okay. How about this one…" Lauren walked to the end of the hallway and smiled as she looked out of the window, "…close your eyes…"

" _Okay. They're closed."_

Lauren could imagine the youngster with her eyes closed. She was such a kind soul, "Now, imagine you are here with me."

" _Is it warm?"_

Lauren smiled, "Yes, it's very warm."

" _Is the sun out?"_

"You tell me." Lauren chuckled.

" _Eleven o'clock plus three, right?"_

"Right."

" _Wait… you have dark now, right?"_

Lauren chuckled, "We talked about this, E! We always have night and day here. We have longer days like you, but we still have a long night."

" _So it's dark there, right?"_

"Right… for about three more hours."

" _Okay, so it's dark."_

Lauren smiled, "But your eyes are supposed to be closed, so it doesn't matter, right?"

" _Oops. I forgot."_

"Okay. Close those baby blue eyes, little girl."

Elise giggled. Lauren loved the sound of her giggle.

" _Okay, they're closed."_

Lauren smiled, "Now, imagine that the sky is full of stars just like in Alaska."

The doctor was quiet as she waited for a reply from her young friend.

" _Wow. It's beautiful. Where am I?"_

Lauren grinned, "You're on the front of a big sailboat. The ocean is calm and you're sleeping under the stars at the front of the ship. You can hear the soft sound of the water slapping against the outside of the boat as it gently bobs up and down in the water. When you look to your right, you can see the lights on land in the distance."

Lauren walked closer to the window, taking in the view herself, "There's lights all along the dock with a grand hotel behind them. There's flags outside waving softly in the breeze."

" _Are you there?"_

"Yup! I give you a wave and blow you a good night kiss."

 _Elise giggled, "I caught it!"_

Lauren smiled, "Good. You settle in to sleep and roll onto your left side because you like that side best."

She could hear the little girl's sheets brushing against the phone and envisioned the youngster sliding under the covers like she always did when she babysat Elise in Alaska.

" _It's comfortable."_

Lauren nodded, "Good. Facing in this direction, you've now passed the hotel, but I can still see our sailboat. There's only a few lights off in the distance. It's mostly water as far as you can see. The moon is high and it reflects in ripples across the water. It looks like it goes from the sky right to the bottom of your boat. You can feel the easy rise and fall of the boat… it's quiet, there's a cool breeze… it's relaxing and you're tired."

" _Very tired."_

Lauren smiled, "I love you, baby girl. I'll be with you in your dreams. Good night."

" _Say it again?" Elise asked._

Lauren chuckled at the sleepy voice of the little girl, "I love you. Good night."

" _I love you. Good night."_

Lauren smiled, listening as the little girls' breathing turned to soft snores. She leaned against the windowpane, crossing her arms as she listened to the relaxed sounds. It was comforting to know that she was with one of the most important pieces of Alaska even though she was thousands of miles away.

"Who is she?"

Lauren turned to see Bo wrapped in a sheet, tears falling down her face.

"Bo?"

"Who. Is. She?"

"Who is who, Bo?"

"I heard you say I love you on the phone. Who is she?"

Lauren laughed, walking towards the brunette, but Bo stepped back, "Don't laugh at me. Who is she?"

"Bo, I was talking to Elise."

Bo shook her head, "I'm not an idiot, Lauren. It's midnight in Alaska. No child is up at midnight. Molly wouldn't allow it."

"Bo…"

The brunette turned, walking back to the room. Lauren sighed, watching as the door slammed, bouncing off the bar she'd put in the gap to keep it open. She quietly walked into the room, folding the bar back and closing the door. She flipped the lock and turned to find Bo getting dressed.

"Don't bother locking it. I'm leaving. If you can't be honest with me… well, let's face it… we're over anyway."

"Bo, I'm not lying. You're being ridiculous."

"Great. Just keep insulting my intelligence, Lauren."

"Bo, stop."

But the brunette pulled on her shoes and headed for the door. The blonde stepped in front of her.

"Get out of my way."

"Not until you listen to me."

"Are you going to tell me the truth?"

"I already have. Maybe it's that we're in the middle of a court battle, so you need proof."

"Proof of your affair?" Bo spat.

"Proof of my innocence."

Bo laughed, "You really think I'm some kind of dumb hick, don't you?"

"No, Bo. Like I told you before we made love four times, I think you're smart and beautiful." She spoke, opening her phone to her recent calls. She handed it to Bo, "My recent calls. You can see that the last call was an incoming call and it happened at 12:03am. Look who it's from."

"Her name is Molly?" Bo asked, her eyes brimming with tears.

"Geezus, Bo! It's our Molly! Your niece-in-law!" Lauren reached over and hit the information button, revealing the actual phone number of the call, "Look at the number, Bo! You know my area code is 508! It's an Alaskan number, Bo! It's your Molly! The call was from Elise!"

Lauren grabbed the phone from Bo and went back to her recent calls screen. She held it in front of Bo, revealing what looked like multiple weeks of calls… all from Molly's number. Bo stood, staring at the screen, finally using her own finger to swipe up and down. Occasionally, she would see her own number, the area codes matching.

"I… uh… so… you've been talking to Molly but you couldn't call me?" Bo asked as Lauren took the phone and placed it on the nearby table.

Lauren shook her head, "I wasn't talking to Molly… well… I did, once… when she caught Elise on her cell phone late at night. She gave Elise permission to call me anytime when I agreed to take her calls."

"I don't understand."

Lauren took Bo's hand, leading her to the small loveseat in front of the window where she had been seated before the call. She held Bo's hand in her own, pulling it onto her lap,

"Since the… incident… at your homestead, Elise has been having nightmares… she can't sleep. She would scream, Molly would come running into her room and she would lay with her until she fell back to sleep. Some nights, she would wake up right when the dreams began, go into LJ's room and crawl into bed with him." Lauren smiled, "But if you've ever slept with a little kid, you know that the adult usually gets very little sleep."

"LJ wasn't sleeping?"

Lauren shook her head, "And working full time training and running the kennel…"

"I get it. I was wondering why he looked like shit all the time. He never told me."

Lauren nodded, "Apparently you weren't doing so well. He didn't want to bother you because you were so upset about things with me."

"He told you that?" Bo asked.

Lauren shook her head slowly, "Elise did… well, in her way."

"So she's been calling you?"

"Only when she has nightmares. That's our deal."

Bo nodded, "She misses you."

Lauren nodded, releasing Bo's hand to turn and look out the window. She wrapped her robe tighter, curling her arms over her chest and drawing her knees up onto the love seat and leaning into Bo,

"I hate that you didn't believe me… that you assumed that when I said I love you that it was to another woman. I need you to trust me, Bo. I need you to believe that my love is all and only for you. I won't live this way. Not like I had to live with Nadia. I won't live in a life where I constantly have to prove my undying love for you."

"What happened to spending the rest of your life convincing me?" Bo smirked.

Lauren slapped the brunette on the chest, "You know what I mean."

Bo nodded, "I do and you're absolutely right. It was rash, impulsive and immature of me."

"Thank you." Lauren replied.

The pair sat in silence, staring out at the harbor together. It took some time, but Bo finally spoke,

"I'm sorry."

"Let's make sure that's the last time either of us have to apologize for accusing one of us of cheating."

"Deal." Bo replied, "And I'm still sorry."

Bo wrapped her arms around the doctor, allowing her to get comfortable in her arms. They gazed out at the harbor lights for a while longer when Lauren broke the silence,

"Do you like it here?"

Bo smiled, "It's nice to be somewhere warm… where the weather is predictable. I opened that weather app you put on my phone the other day and – it was actually right all day long. It's never right in Alaska." Bo smiled, "I like that here the water is warm enough to go for a swim, even though it's not something I've done unless the ice broke very, very early in Spring… although even then, I hardly think what I do is called swimming… it's more along the lines of desperate flailing since the water is still too cold to stay in."

Lauren chuckled, "Hypothermia definitely makes swimming difficult."

The blonde sat up slightly, looking at Bo, "Before Elise called, I was sitting here thinking…"

"That's dangerous." Bo replied with a chuckle.

Lauren shook her head, "But sometimes when I think, brilliant things happen – lives are saved, new ideas come forth…"

"So are you saying you're going to save my life or did you have a new idea?"

"Well, it wasn't such a brilliant new idea, but… well… it is potentially lifesaving… I mean, not in the save a life, sort of way, but in a change a life for the better… possibly… sort of way."

Bo turned to face Lauren, "Okay. Let's hear it."

The blonde hesitated before asking, "What would you think of staying in Boston for a while? I mean… well, I was sitting here thinking that maybe my decision to move to Alaska was a bit rash? Maybe I was just running from the war that Evony had started, maybe I was just trying to run back to the comfort of you? I don't know. I just…"

"You don't want to move to Alaska?" Bo asked.

Lauren shrugged, "It is a big move."

Bo nodded, "For you, yes. For me, not so much."

"I know and… well, I appreciate that it's more going home for you than it is for me."

"You do have a home there… especially if Evony takes this deal. And I should remind you that if she does, you own a clinic and potentially a hospital."

Lauren nodded, "I know, but... well, I was sitting here looking out at the harbor and realized that… well, I love this view… I love this place. It's been my home for a very, very long time and… well…"

"Leaving will be really hard." Bo acknowledged Lauren's feelings, realizing she would feel the same if she was giving up the only home she had ever known.

"Yes." Lauren replied.

Bo reached into her back pocket and pulled out her phone. Opening it, she went to the pictures and went back to the day that Lauren had first showed her how to use the camera,

"Do you remember when you first bought me this phone?"

Lauren smiled, "I do. You didn't want it."

Bo nodded, "But when you left, I'd never been more attached to a material possession in my life."

She handed her phone to Lauren, "You scroll through those while I change into something more comfortable again. Then I'm going back to bed because we have to be up for real in another four hours for the room service you ordered. Now you can join me… you know, cuddle up and fall asleep in each other's arms until that nasty alarm goes off or you can sit here and scroll through my photos. Either way… I'll be over here, and I love you."

Bo kissed Lauren's cheek, leaving her to view the pictures while she walked to the bed and began to strip off her clothing. She knew that this is what she had to do. This was Lauren's decision, not hers. She had to let her make the choice. Maybe it was just courtroom jitters, maybe it was cold feet. She knew the blonde was struggling with the decision, but Bo wouldn't press… she couldn't. She had to know that if Lauren was going to move to Alaska for good, that it was what she truly wanted. Otherwise, at some point, she may come to resent Bo and the brunette didn't want that… she couldn't survive that.

Bo crawled into bed, looking over at Lauren who was smiling as she scrolled through the photos of their life in Alaska. Bo couldn't help but smile as well, her face turning serious when she considered that despite how the photos made Lauren feel, there must be thousands of photo memories in Lauren's head of Boston that were equally important to her.

She clicked off the light and thought of all of the people she had met here who were part of Lauren's daily life. She imagined there were still a hundred more who she hadn't met. Bo took a deep breath and relaxed into the pillow. There was nothing she could do at this point. With one last glance at Lauren, she closed her eyes and allowed sleep to claim her.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **John Adams Courthouse, Library**_

Lauren sat staring down at the thick agreement before her and she was exhausted. They had gone over the entire document. Lauren highlighted her key points of concern and the group had gone back through them… twice… making sure the language was perfect. All she had to do was sign it.

She looked up, checking again to make sure that Evony hadn't shown up. She looked at the door, then at the empty chair, then at Nadia, then at John. She knew that her entire team was staring at her and she was sure that Bo was wondering why she didn't just sign the damn document already. Honestly, Lauren didn't know why she didn't just sign it either. Finally, she put the pen down and looked up at John,

"I want her to donate thirty million dollars to the building of a new Pediatric Cardiothoracic Center for the hospital… my hospital. If we're permitting her to retain ten percent of her stock options in her company as a silent recipient of stipends for life, I want ten million upfront for those kids. It won't bring back the ones who died because she refused them care, but it will help those who are in the care of the hospital moving forward. She will make that money back in about ten years' time and she'll still have plenty to live on until then. If she doesn't, she can sell one of her thirty houses, two of her boats and one of her private jets for all I care."

John looked at his team, the men whispering amongst themselves while Nadia sat there, staring at Lauren. The blonde kept her eyes on John, though she could feel the eyes of her ex upon her. It was funny. Not long ago, when she felt her gaze, it was warm. Now it was cold and hard… more of a slap in the face than a caress.

"Done." John replied.

Lauren nodded, "The new center will be called Gracie's Place."

Everyone on Lauren's team lowered their eyes, but the doctor looked up, staring right at Nadia,

"It's only fitting that the facility memorialize what was lost by the decisions of a greedy few." The blonde turned to John, "Gracie Lee…"

"I know who she was to you, Lauren." John looked at Nadia, "Actually, it was Doctor Anastas who told me about the case."

Lauren nodded, "And did she admit that she was the one who told Evony that giving that young girl the heart was a bad business decision?"

"Lauren…" Nadia began, but the blonde's eyes were already filling with tears, her voice breaking as she spoke with a mix of passion, sadness, regret and fury,

"No, Nadia. Just… don't. It makes me sick to think that I ever married you. It makes me sick to think that I ever thought you were a surgeon who had integrity. It makes me sick to think that you will continue to serve any hospital in this country or the world as a surgeon." The blonde pointed across the table, her jaw clenched, "I should have demanded your license as well. Everything you've put me through… you make me sick! Siding with Evony to take my license? To ruin my reputation? Making deals with interns for passing grades even though they may not be qualified surgeons? Do you have any idea how many lives might have been lost? What in the world were you thinking?"

Nadia shook her head, "I was hurt."

"Do. No. Harm, Nadia. That's the oath we took."

"Well, you certainly did your share." Nadia spat at Lauren, "You broke my heart."

"How dare you defend your actions as a professional with an event that happened outside of your responsibilities as a surgeon! I may have broken your heart, but those patients did nothing to you! They deserved a compassionate physician and surgeon fighting for their right to live!"

Lauren shook her head, "As for our personal life, I said I was sorry, Nadia. But you were not the person I married. You became all about the power, prestige, fame and money. That's not me. It's never been me. You knew it wasn't me and you became the shallow, money-focused doctor we swore we would never become when we were in medical school!"

Nadia lowered her eyes, nodding, "You're right. I have no defense for my actions."

Lauren watched as her ex slid the folder she'd been holding to John, "Here it is."

The blonde looked at John who slid the folder to her without opening it, "What's this?" Lauren asked.

John replied, "It's Nadia's peace offering. No strings."

Lauren looked at him, then Nadia, "No strings?"

"John wrote the contract. Your lawyer checked it. No strings." Nadia replied as she watched Lauren open the folder and begin reading. Within the first few lines, she saw the blonde's expression change from anger to shock.

"You bought it." The blonde said, her eyes wide.

Nadia shook her head, "I emancipated it. They can no longer have their rent raised. They own the building."

Lauren looked at Stephen, "Nadia bought the E-Street clinic and gave Doctor Carter the deed… not just gave it to him, she signed the building over to him. It's his, outright."

Stephen's eyes went wide, his gaze moving to Nadia who waved him off, "You are still the benefactor, of the business Stephen. I didn't transfer ownership nor the dedication of the business itself. The difference is that when you and Lauren walk into that building to help out, you don't have to worry about how much money you're going to have to shell out of your own pockets for IV's, drugs, surgical tools or… hell, electricity. The annual donations, state and federal funding should handle all of that since they will have no rent to pay."

"That's quite generous." Stephen replied.

Nadia shrugged, "It's penance."

Lauren nodded, "Because this was your idea, thank you."

"You're welcome and I have withdrawn any and all lawsuits, including the demands in our divorce."

John slid another agreement across the table to Lauren, "Revised divorce documents. They release you of any financial burdens and give you half the profits from the sale of the shared home. A check is in the folder."

Nadia shrugged, "It sold last week."

Lauren nodded, "Thank you."

Patrick finally spoke, "So, if you sign everything, Lauren. We'll be done here. Bo, your signature carries for your full community in accordance with their wishes."

The brunette knew that she needed to sign the document on behalf of her and her community quickly. The vote by the townspeople had been unanimous, so she had no right to deny the document her signature. In the end, she had to vote with them or become an outcast once again. She had, after all, recommended that they follow Patrick and Penelope's recommendations. She sighed, putting the point to the signature line, but struggled to sign.

"Bo?" Penelope asked, "Is there something wrong?"

Bo kept her eyes on the document and whispered, "I… I know I have to sign this… I have everything to lose if I don't side with the vote from my town, but…"

Penelope nodded, "Back pay?"

Bo nodded, "She wasn't paying them minimum wage, Penelope. I feel like… I mean, Lauren and Stephen are talking about millions and millions of dollars for the hospitals and clinics and their staff where my people can't even get minimum wage? I know we aren't the glitz and glamour capital of the world. We're simple folk who are live with the bare necessities, but… well, I just…"

She looked up at the people gathered at the table,

"What about the workers in Talkeenta? They may not have been abused for as long, but they were working their butts off for pay that barely took care of the cost of a loaf of bread in an hour." Bo shrugged, "I feel like we're still taking a back seat to everyone and everything here in Boston. I feel like we're just getting the leftovers… the handouts, but Evony wronged my people as well."

"I see." Penelope pushed her chair back, taking the document from Bo. She walked to Patrick and asked him to step out of the room with her.

"Excuse me, folks. Sidebar. We'll be right back." Patrick said as he departed the room.

John nodded, but Lauren looked up, her face twisted with concern. Penelope nodded towards Bo and followed Patrick from the room.

The blonde looked over to see Bo staring down at the bare tabletop, her pen tip just above, "Bo?"

"I'm sorry, Lauren."

"Sorry for what?" The doctor asked.

"I think I messed up your deal."

Lauren chuckled, "Of course not, silly."

Bo turned to Lauren, "I just asked for back pay for the workers in my town. That will mean a million less for you." Bo chuckled, "Think you can spare it?"

Lauren paused, confused by what Bo was saying, "Do you think I'm being greedy?"

Bo scowled, "No. I mean, not you personally. I just think that the people in my town deserve the money they should have been paid under the laws we discussed yesterday and today - those minimum wages laws. Actually, even minimum wage in our state isn't enough to make a dent in their monthly bills, but at least they might not have to work a third job for a while. You live there, but you have made so much money as a doctor that I doubt you ever think twice about what it cost you to buy vegetables, juice, bottled water and that salmon you love so much."

Lauren took a breath, knowing that the first words entering her mind were 'how dare you', but the truth was, Bo was right. She never wanted for anything her entire life… except freedom from Nadia and Evony to do her job as she saw fit. The first patient she ever treated in Alaska couldn't afford to pay her – it's why he hadn't come in sooner. In payment, Lauren had her toilet fixed. She'd never thought about how poor people might have been in Talkeetna, but now that she did…

"You're right. I've never thought about it until you just mentioned it." She looked up at Bo, "I'm sorry. I should have bargained more strongly on the part of your citizens… and you."

Bo shrugged, "They're your citizens now too, Lauren. I guess that's my other concern. You say you're going back to Alaska with me, but you don't seem to think of it as your home." Lauren went to speak, but Bo waved her off, "I know. It's a change and it will take time. It's fine… really. Anyway, Penelope and Patrick may need to speak with you."

Lauren nodded, "This is an easy fix."

"How?"

"Don't worry. I've got this. I'll be back." Lauren said, standing to go in search of her legal team.

Bo's attention was drawn to a voice from across the table. It was Nadia,

"Bo, I just want to apologize for how I spoke to you and how I treated you. I was wrong… I was rude and I was wrong. You are good for Lauren… perfect for her, actually. I'm glad she has you. Honestly, you're much better for her than I ever was."

The musher simply nodded her reply, unsure of why the woman had made the comment. Waiting until she was about to lose everything to apologize would never make up for how she treated anyone – not Lauren, not the staff, not the people in her community and definitely not Bo. They sat in silence for a long while until the group finally re-entered the room, taking their seats. Bo turned her attention to Lauren whose hand was now hovering over a document as she scanned the content over and over again.

Bo shook her head. There was something that was making the doctor second guess her decision about Alaska… Bo was sure of it. She'd seen it in her eyes last night – she'd heard it in voice and her carefully chosen words. Of course Bo wanted Lauren to sign and come back with her, but it had to be because the doctor chose it. She didn't want someone who wasn't 100% sure. Alaska wasn't for the faint of heart and it was a sharp contrast to the life Lauren had here in Boston.

Bo stood, walking over to Patrick. She leaned down and whispered in his ear. He looked up at her, his face a mix of shock and concern, but Bo placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder before walking over to Lauren. She leaned down and whispered in her ear before taking the pen, signing the document and dropping the pen on top. She then pulled out Lauren's chair and offered her a hand. Lauren placed her hand in Bo's, her eyes brimming with tears as she walked with her from the room.

They walked quietly, Bo leading them down through the row of desks into the stack of books. She released Lauren's hand, walking up and down the aisle, suddenly noticing the age of the books on the shelves. Lauren spoke, her words barely audible,

"You're leaving… as in… for Alaska?"

Bo walked a bit further before she commented,

"It's strange to think of how long these books have been sitting here on these shelves. I mean, I'm sure most of them have been taken from their place to be read time and again, but still… this has been their home for a very, very long time."

Lauren nodded, still somewhat confused about why they were here and what Bo was planning. She watched as Bo smiled, lifting a book from its place and reading the title of the series, "The 1798 Collection."

She opened the first book, "This collection spans a twenty-eight-year period of Irish history from 1775-1803, concentrating on the Rebellion of 1798."

Lauren tried to muster a smile as she spoke, nervous about where this wa heading "No one does rebellion quite like the Irish."

Bo looked up, grateful for the smile on Lauren's face, no matter how distracted she appeared. The blonde continued,

"That particular period of their history is about the Irish Republican Movement which actually still dominates Irish politics to this day. We're in there, the French are in there… the age of Enlightenment, the Insurrection of 1803… gosh, I haven't thought about that part of history for quite some time."

"You think of the history of Ireland?"

Lauren shrugged, "Little fact… I was actually born there."

"Wow. I had no idea."

"We moved when I was still a baby. I've always been interested in Ireland, but strangely enough, I've never been. I don't know why. I've always wanted to go – I just… my parents discouraged travel… they said it was a frivolous use of money." Lauren laughed, "I'm starting to wonder what money is for if not to be spent to enjoy life and make life better for others. I'm just supposed to save it, invest it, grow it, spend it on cocktail parties and material possessions? Gawd my life seems so stupid now."

Bo scowled, "Lauren, you've led an amazing life. I mean… look at the countless lives you saved? Think of how many more you have yet to save?"

"In Alaska?" Lauren asked.

Bo shrugged, "If that's what you choose, yes. Lauren, you don't have to sign those papers today. I signed because I'm obligated to on behalf of my people. But you're signing for yourself – for your right to live your life your way. I don't think it would hurt to let Evony sweat while you figure things out. The court hearings will move forward whether you sign or not – at least that's what Patrick said. Your part of the legal stuff is just financial holdings. The judge has already ruled in favor of everything that is in that agreement based on the evidence Patrick and Penelope presented. You were listening when he reviewed all of this with us today?"

"Yes, of course I was." Lauren said, glancing at Bo before sitting on the floor and leaning back against the shelf behind them.

Bo replaced the book on the shelf before sitting across from her girlfriend, "Lauren, I don't know how to help you right now. I'm not sure what's going on in your big brain. I do know that last night it sounded like you were having second thoughts about living in Alaska… like you wanted me to stay here. Is that what this is about?"

Lauren shrugged, "I'm not sure. I mean… when I think about all of our family and friends in Alaska… about Elise and Rudy… I can't imagine not going back. But… this has been my home for so long."

"You don't know if you can leave it."

Lauren nodded, "I'm sorry, Bo. I just… you know how much I love you. I just… it's a big change."

"One that you adapted quite nicely to for almost a year."

Lauren smiled, "I did, didn't I?"

Bo nodded, "You did."

"Then why am I having so much trouble with this?"

Bo shrugged, offering a smile, "That's simple. You have a life here, Lauren. You have people here who love and care about you… and you love and care about them. Home is where you feel filled with love and happiness for the life you're living. Home makes you feel a sense of purpose. I never had the kind of love you have here until recently. It's why I was willing to lay down roots in Talkeetna instead of living off grid with the dogs and my sled. I never thought I'd have that and now that I do, I can't imagine not seeing them. I can't even imagine what that will be like for you. Sure, you have family and friends in Alaska, but the ones you have here have been with you all of your life."

Bo hung her head, a memory rushing forth, "After I won the Iditarod, we were at the awards ceremony. That night, I was in a bad head space and I wasn't really being very considerate, but I remember what you said."

Lauren shrugged, "I barely remember what I said that night. I just remember being hurt, but also grateful that we were all still alive."

"Well, once I was alone, I replayed my behavior over and over again. It's sort of stuck in there now. I treated you like crap and I never wanted to treat you that way again. Your voice… well, it sounds cheesy, but it echoed in my mind for weeks. I may not have heard everything you said that night, but my subconscious mind recorded it like your fancy TV at the beach house records your science fiction tv shows."

"Do not mock my DVR choices. They're classics and deserve the attention of the public."

"Not mocking. I love me some Jean-Luc Picard." Bo laughed as she took Lauren's hands in her own,

"I heard what you said that night about feeling like an outsider in Alaska and I get it now. Here, I'm the outsider. It's a hard position to be in. Sure, Stephen, Betsy, Patrick, Elijah, Tara – even Penelope, have all been nice to me, but they're not my friends and they're not my family. I could stay here for a decade and they would still be your friends and family, even though they would eventually get to know me better. I would have to make friends of my own besides Caroline, Shannon and Kelly… like you did with Kyle."

Lauren nodded, "You're right, Bo. It was hard and I did feel like an outsider. And believe me - I know that you're trying here, and I know that it's hard for you. You're like my very own Crocodile Dundee. This place doesn't feel right to you. Honestly, I think I adapted to Alaska much better than you would ever adapt to being here. I really shouldn't have asked that of you last night."

"Why not?" Bo asked, "If we're going to be together, we need to compromise."

She leaned forward, brushing the hair covering one side of Lauren's face behind her ear, "So, how do we compromise?"

Lauren shrugged, "The only thing I can think of is commuting, but it would be a lot of very long flights. I dread the thought of putting you through that. I heard how difficult flying was for you."

Bo shrugged, "I'm sure I'd get used to it over time."

Lauren could see the sadness in Bo's eyes, "Ask."

Bo looked up, "So are you saying you'd like for us to live apart and just visit each other on occasion?"

Lauren shook her head, "I'm thinking that we stay in Alaska during your season, then live here in the off season."

Bo breathed a heavy sigh, "I'd have to ask LJ about that. I mean… that's a long time to leave the load of the kennel business and caring for fifty dogs all on him… not to mention my construction business and… well, my trapping and fishing businesses… people rely on me to survive the winter. I just… I don't know."

"Rely on you?"

Bo smiled, "All of those deliveries I was doing during the summer and fall?"

"I thought they were sledding supplies."

Bo shook her head, "The dry cellar beneath the barn. Have you ever actually gone down there?"

Lauren shrugged, "I guess not. I know you told me to have a look, but I opened the door and… well, it was dark and…"

Bo giggled, "It's okay. That's where I put the fish that I cook and dry downstream at my fishwheel hut. I distribute bags of both dried and frozen salmon to families who order from me. Most natives fish for their own families but the elderly and people who are from the Lower Forty-Eight use my services to get about three months of fish for winter."

"Three months?"

Bo shrugged, "About a thousand salmon, cod and halibut."

"So that's what those men were doing in the barn all of those weeks when you were stuck in bed?"

Bo smiled, "They're good guys. A lot of my stock would have gone bad if they didn't step in to help. They're Tosh's friends from the docks." Bo shook her head, "They wouldn't take any money a month back when I stopped by their boat. Really good guys."

"I didn't realize people relied on you like that. I thought your trapping and fishing business was relatively small." Lauren replied.

Bo shrugged, "Compared to a commercial fishery, definitely. But still… well, I don't serve many, but those I do count on me." She hesitated, getting a bit choked up as she added, "Unlike most people, those people that used my trapping and fishing services were always kind to me. Always."

Lauren looked up at Bo, seeing a hint of the woman she'd first met when she arrived in Alaska – more wounded, untrusting animal than human.

Bo sighed, "Anyway, it would be hard for me to leave at any time of year. No matter when I go, I'll let someone down… someone who has never let me down. You're there when people have a failing heart. You would never consider letting them down. I feel the same with these people – it's no grand surgery, but their lives do depend on the food when winter hits in Alaska. I suppose I could take a few weeks here or there, but even that would be a long time to be away."

Lauren nodded, "I suppose it would be a long time for me to leave the clinic and hospital as well."

Bo shrugged, "I don't know much about how hospitals run – only what I read in the agreements – but isn't a hospital run by a Board of Directors, Board President and a Chief of Staff… and aren't there a whole lot of Nurses and Doctors and other staff that do patient care?"

"Sure, but if I'm handling the cardiothoracic wing and also have partnerships with other hospitals in Alaska and Seattle, it's not like I can just go jetting off to Boston to perform surgeries."

"Wait – you mean you want to stay on staff here in Boston?" Bo asked.

Lauren shrugged, "I love my job, Bo. I love the hospital where I work."

Bo nodded, "So you're really just buying the clinic and hospital in Alaska so that Evony and Nadia can't have them."

Lauren scowled, "No. I want to make them better."

"Pardon my honesty, but you sound sort of hypocritical right now, sweetie."

"What?"

"The hospital you love so much – that you want to remain attached to was built by Evony. It was standing and successful before you were brought on board, Lauren. It was very clear in the arguments from Evony's team. They were financially viable, and they were saving lives – a lot of lives under Stephen's tenure."

"Of course they were. He was excellent." Lauren replied.

"Well, why couldn't she recreate Boston in Alaska? Why do you doubt that she wouldn't be able to create a successful hospital? You can't deny that she has done wonders for every city where she has planted a hospital. You want to take her out of each of them and replace her with who? You? From what I can tell, you're building your first ever hospital in Alaska. She built the clinic."

"Are you actually defending her? And incidentally, I built that clinic, Bo."

The brunette chuckled, "Actually, I built the first one and the Amish built the second one. You built the business side with Evony's money."

Lauren dropped Bo's hands and stood, pacing the short length of the row of bookcases they occupied, "Are you saying I can't do it? That I don't have it in me to be as successful as Evony was?"

Bo smiled, "I'm not saying that at all, Lauren. I just find it interesting that Evony was set on domination of you and everyone else at that hospital. It was wrong, for sure, but it definitely guaranteed that the hospital would continue to be the top health care institution in the city. She also built the business that allowed you to do what you've been doing. Then, when you threatened to jump ship, she threatened to take you down. So, in response, you did unto her as she had threatened to do to you."

Bo shrugged, "I've just never known Lauren Lewis to be such a vengeful, spiteful person. It's not becoming."

"This is not about vengeance, Bo. It's about taking a vile woman out of power. She is disrespectful to her doctors and nurses. She belittles them, she's vindictive, spiteful and inconsiderate of other priorities they have in their lives. I cannot allow that to continue and she would build a healthcare institution in Alaska that would have the same environment. I have to stop it from happening again."

"And to do that, you have to take everything from her?"

Lauren spun around, fierce eyes landing on Bo's, "And you don't think she deserves it after what she did to me?"

She closed her eyes, "I mean… to all of the doctors and nurses."

Bo nodded, "Sounds a little like revenge to me." Bo waved as Lauren went to speak, "But that's for you to come to terms with. Believe me, I've sought revenge in my days as well. Still, I just think it's important that you think about what's ahead in your life if you sign those papers. You're taking everything from her, but you're also taking on her mantle as what sounds like the CEO of a company. You want to be a cardiothoracic surgeon – a job that already takes up most of your life according to what happened in your marriage with Nadia. You want to add to that, running a hospital in Boston, Alaska and Seattle in addition to a clinic. You want to then fly back and forth between the east and west coasts and what – every once in a while, squeeze in a roll in the hay with little old me?"

"Bo, it wouldn't be like that." Lauren began, but Bo cut her off,

"There are only twenty-four hours in a day, Lauren. Betsy told me you're in bed by eight on nights when you have a transplant the next day. She also said you spend a good hour or two each day studying a practicing various surgeries to keep up with your skills. Your life as a surgeon here would never allow for a personal life and for that, I can understand what Nadia must have felt as you pulled away from her in your marriage."

She shook her head, "I'm not trying too be hurtful, Lauren. I'm trying to be honest – realistic. You said it yourself – you didn't really want to marry Nadia. Surgery was your first love and you made no secret of that. Well, I've never known that Lauren. I know the Lauren who put her family and friends first unless there was an emergency at the clinic. You said you want to learn to drive a sled, raise a litter of pups, climb Denali… how will you ever find time to live life if you're always saving the lives of others?"

"Bo…"

"It's okay, Lauren. Like I said. You have some things to think about and I intend to give you the freedom to do just that." Bo turned and headed for the door, stopping when the blonde called to her,

"Bo."

"Lauren, I said it before, and I'll say it again. I can't help you with this one. You have to make this decision for yourself. If you want to live apart and continue to see each other, I'll do my best to make that happen, but I can't make any promises. I have a life in Alaska, and I made it very clear that I had every intention of staying there. Sure, I've thought about life here, but realistically speaking, it wouldn't be healthy for me. I can't have those anxiety attacks every day – I just can't. And having nowhere to drive a sled… well, it would be the equivalent of taking a scalpel from your hand for the rest of your life."

Bo took a breath, "The bottom line is, I have responsibilities to a lot of people in Alaska and my life is there just like yours is here. My training and the Iditarod is an eight month commitment every year. That leaves four months when I'm able to work full time at the Kennel and at my construction and trapping businesses. I have thirty-five dogs that are purely my responsibility and that doesn't count LJ's dogs, my promise to teach him or the breeding I'll start doing with Harper's kids next spring to continue the bloodline."

Bo shook her head, "My reality is weather-related. My finances require that I work several jobs to make ends meet. I don't have a fancy college degree. I'm not a doctor who can land a six-figure salary in a year just by doing surgeries a few times a week and office hours the other days. You know I work from sunrise to sunset and still have to take care of my dogs until they're settled. My life isn't for everyone, Lauren. I fully understand if you can't commit to it. Unfortunately, I won't have a lot of time to travel to Boston. I'm only here now because it was an emergency."

Bo paused for a long moment, shaking her head, "And I just got my Mom back… and I have a little sister and family for the first time since I was a kid… and… they actually care about me." She quickly wiped a tear that gave away the quake in her voice, "I have to go back, Lauren. I have to go back."

Lauren nodded as Bo closed the distance between them, her eyes down as she spoke, "I love you, Lauren Lewis. I'll love you no matter what you decide. You're my true north. You've helped me to find my way out of the darkness and I fully intend to show my appreciation for all you've brought to my life and my heart by being the best I can be for everyone in my life. I will devote any time I have to you and us, but I can't live in Boston, Lauren. I'm sorry. Maybe that is selfish of me that I'm not willing to drop everything and join you here where your whole life is, but let's be realistic. I'm not an educated woman and I would be forced to give up the only thing I truly love other than you."

She cocked her head, a tear falling again, "I guess I'm supposed to say something like – I love you more than mushing – and that's true but… what would my life be then? I sit around all day while you work a fourteen-hour day and wait for you to come home? I cook and clean and do the laundry like a housewife, then rub your feet and listen to you tell me all about your day hoping that maybe you won't be too exhausted to spend time with me or make love a few times a week?"

Bo finally looked up at Lauren, her eyes red and wet, "That's not a life, Lauren and if you think it is, then I'd like you to think long and hard about what you're being asked to give up if you move to Alaska. From the cheap seats where I am, it seems to me like you still get to practice medicine at the clinic and at a brand-new state-of-the-art hospital that includes surgical privileges in Anchorage. You gain a family who loves you – probably more than they love me."

She stepped back, shoving her hands into her pockets, "But you have to weigh the pros and cons just like I have since you left Alaska. I've thought about hopping a plane night and day, every day since you left. I just… I don't fit here, Lauren. I don't feel right. The air, the ground, the noise, the people… it's all just… wrong. But it works for you and it's just not fair for me to expect you to drop everything and join me where my whole life is.

Bo sighed, "It seems we've come back to the problem we knew was coming. You just needed some time to admit it to yourself."

Kissing Lauren on the cheek, she spoke softly, "I'll go back in and stall for time as long as I can."

Bo walked down the aisle and headed back to the conference room, leaving Lauren standing among the stacks, her arms folded around herself. As she walked, the carpet grew blurry, the tears falling freely down her cheeks. Bo hadn't expected this when she came here today. She had fully opened her heart and her hopes to Doctor Lauren Lewis and now she felt it breaking into a million pieces. Lauren wanted to stay… she wanted to stay here in Boston. This was it… this was the end.

Bo stopped at the door to the conference room. She could only imagine how red and swollen her eyes were and she couldn't bear to go in and sit across from Nadia. The bitch would probably have a smug little smile on her face and Bo would want to slap it off… badly. Instead, she wiped her cheeks and adjusted her clothing as she took two deep breaths.

"Fuck." She said, pulling out her phone sending Patrick a text…

" _Lauren's having second thoughts about leaving Boston. She's having second thoughts about signing the agreement. I signed before we left the room. I'm going back where I belong. Lauren will be in shortly or will text you if she wants to delay the signing. Thank you for everything, Patrick. Please thank the rest of the team as well."_

Bo headed down the hall to fix her face in the bathroom. She entered the restroom, heading directly into a stall when she saw another woman at the sink. She stood waiting until she left, then exited the stall and looked in the mirror. She sighed, getting to work on cleaning up the make-up she'd taken the time to wear for the meeting. Finally, she took a deep breath and steeled her emotions as she stared at her face in the mirror,

"You can do this by yourself. You can walk down the street and wave down a taxi or get on the trolley or… whatever. You can do this. You can get yourself home where you belong."

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **Lauren's Home, Beacon Hill**_

Lauren rushed to the door when she heard the rather insistent knock. She smiled, wiping away her tears,

"Bo!" She yelled as she opened the door and stepped towards the visitor but stopped short when she saw her legal team… her entire legal team.

"What happened, Lauren?" Patrick asked, but instead caught her in his arms as she collapsed.

He whisked her into his arms, carrying her over to the couch as she sobbed on his shoulder. He'd never seen her like this. She was the ever-strong, confident, Doctor Lauren Lewis. What happened to make her fall to pieces like this?

Betsy and Stephen entered, looking around the apartment before sharing a glance and a shake of their heads. They looked at Penelope who pulled out her phone, texting Bo. They waited and waited before she placed a call… still no answer.

She shrugged, Betsy whispering, "Well, this isn't good. What the hell happened?"

Stephen shrugged, "I have no idea."

Lauren finally spoke, "She's gone. She's gone and I let her go."

"Oh, Lauren..." Patrick said, sitting on the small space in front of his friend, using his hand on the back of the sofa for balance. He didn't think to tell Lauren about Bo's text. He never imagined she was going back to Alaska right away, "I'm so sorry."

Lauren closed her eyes, "She sent me a text that she was giving me the space I needed to figure things out."

"Wait… you mean she left for the airport?" Betsy asked.

Lauren nodded.

"Her plane couldn't have left yet, Lauren. Flights to Alaska don't happen like commuter flights."

Lauren shrugged, "There are plenty of connecting flights that could land her in a city that flies regularly to Alaska. She's been ready to go home since she got here. I'm sure she'll spend as much money as she has to so that she can get there sooner rather than later… especially since I didn't beg her to stay or offer to leave with her. I didn't say anything. It was like my mouth was sewed shut. I just… I didn't know what to say."

Patrick sighed, "Then maybe she's right, Lauren. Maybe you need time to figure out what it really is that you really want. You've just signed on as CEO of Lewis-Asher, Inc. and you've lost the top Cardiothoracic Surgeon at the hospital here in Boston. Granted, you still haven't signed a few other agreements, but all the more reason for me to remind you that you've got a lot to take care of right now. I few weeks to get things settled here and think about your next move isn't a bad thing. Bo isn't one to mince words. I believe she's sincere that she wants you to be sure, Lauren. Take the time she's giving you to figure out what you really want."

Lauren sat up, suddenly finding her voice, "I want her, Patrick! I want her so bad that I can't breathe right now. I can't believe I hesitated. I just… I was here and… we had such a good time in the city today and… it was comfortable for me but… oh, she was so terrified the entire time. I knew she could never live here. She'd die here. She thinks I expect her to give up her family, her construction company, her trapping business, her kennel, racing… her dogs – Harper! I could never ask her… I know how important all of those things are to her."

"And everything you have here is important to you, Lauren." Penelope reminded, "Why should you have to give up everything for her? Where's the compromise?"

"That's what you don't understand, Penelope. Bo has already given up the life she's always known. Talkeetna is a tiny corner compared to Boston, but it's a town with people and businesses and… she's part of that now. She built a house, she's in counseling to learn how to function around people. Don't you see? She gave up living off-grid for me. The Bo I met a year ago and the Bo I'm in love with now are two completely different people."

She shook her head, "I've known since I met her that adjusting to Talkeetna was a huge step for her. She could never adapt to Boston." Lauren shook her head, "I can't believe I let her leave."

Patrick brushed her hair back from her face, "You let her leave because you respect her need to live in Alaska, Lauren. She's not built for the city – you said it yourself. The only question now is, are you built for Alaska."

She looked up at Patrick, "She's my heart, Patrick. She's my soul. I don't know where to begin without her."

Patrick smiled, "Wow. The great Doctor Lauren Lewis, tough woman extraordinaire is smitten."

Lauren laughed, "You have no idea."

"Well, we'll take all of the alcohol with us so that you don't begin with downing a bottle of vodka." Betsy said, pulling bottles from Lauren's liquor cabinet while Stephen held the box.

Lauren rolled her eyes, looking back at Patrick, "Were they mad?"

"A little frustrated, maybe. I just told them that you were having second thoughts about a few of the conditions in the agreement. I told them I'd be in touch. Of course, they wanted a more definitive timeline, but when I reminded John that everything was already approved by the courts, they agreed time didn't matter at the moment."

Lauren nodded, "Evony has to appear on Tuesday?"

Patrick nodded, "Nadia as well."

"I couldn't believe she apologized to Bo."

He smiled, "From what John said, it didn't sound like Bo received the apology very well."

"Yea, well Nadia was a total shit. Actions speak louder than words in Bo's book." Lauren shook her head, "And my actions certainly just told her that I don't love her as much as I claim to."

Patrick sighed, "She may have gone back to Alaska, Lauren but it's not like she's going anywhere else. She's in love with you too. What did she say when she left?"

Lauren shrugged, "She was giving me space to make my decision."

"There, you see? She understands the dilemma. One of you is about to make a huge move in order to make the other happy."

"She won't live here." Lauren replied,

"Okay then, so it's up to you."

"Yup. She left it all in my lap. We succeed or fail as a couple because of what I decide."

"Lauren, that's not true. She made the decision not to move here. If you can't leave Boston, it's as much her fault as it is yours. She doesn't expect you to give up what you love if that's here. She wants it to be your choice to live in Alaska."

"Why couldn't I have met someone who lived here?"

Patrick shook his head, "You did. She sucked."

Lauren laughed.

"Lauren, I'm the last person to give you relationship advice. You didn't listen to me last time, but I'm going to try anyway." He took a breath, "You are never going to love anyone the way you love that woman and I can't believe anyone will ever love you the way she loves you."

He pulled out his phone and scrolled back to the text Lauren had sent him when she'd first landed in Alaska and smiled, showing it to her,

' _My adventure awaits. More snow than I thought.'_

He turned and showed Lauren the selfie she'd sent, then continued to scroll. Lauren smiled at the picture of the polar bear that LJ had saved them from. She smiled when she saw the picture of the outside of the General Store in Point Siku. She shook her head at the picture of Big Jim and the text,

' _This guy's a creep. Can feel it in my bones.'_

"I was right about him from the start." Lauren said.

Patrick nodded, "You always were a good judge of character."

He continued to scroll through pictures of Kenzi, Molly and Mark, the old clinic and the first picture of Bo,

' _She's a tough one. Gorgeous, but hardened by what I hear is a shit life. Feel sorry for her.'_

She smiled seeing Patrick's reply,

' _I suppose you'll try to save that one too.'_

' _Of course. It's what I do.'_

' _Don't go falling in love.'_

' _I'm done with love.'_

Lauren shook her head, "I never thought I'd fall in love. I definitely never thought I'd fall in love with someone who didn't seem capable of love."

"Well, that's not what you said a few months later."

Lauren smiled at the picture of Bo kissing her on the cheek before they left for a sled run together. Memories of the day came rushing back.

' _It was a good day… a very good day.'_

He scrolled on through pictures of Bo's sled team, Bo and Harper, Molly and Mark, LJ, Michael, Pops, her adorable, young three-dog team, Kyle, her sled and the dogs hooked up with her in the driver's seat, the rebuilt clinic, the new General Store, the Iditarod, Bo's awards ceremony, her Nursing Team, Kenzi, Vex, Tamsin, Bo's new home, Elise, Kurt, Pops and Bo with the puppies… there was even a picture of Acacia and Bo's Mom.

"I sure did a lot of living in a short amount of time."

"Those people are your family and friends, Lauren. As much as we are your family and friends, they are too. There's no reason you can't have it all. You don't mind flying. Any time you want to come back for a visit, you can. There's no law saying Bo has to come with you. Sure, we'd love to have her, but if she doesn't want to come, she doesn't have to."

Lauren shook her head, "I'm an idiot, aren't I."

Patrick shrugged, "I don't know about that. I think you're just… a little misguided in your thinking."

"You mean I overanalyze things." Lauren replied.

"I didn't say that." Patrick defended.

"No. Nadia did and she was right."

"I definitely didn't say that." Patrick smiled, "Let me ask you – did you miss the schedule and stress of doing cardiothoracic surgery?"

Lauren shrugged, "At times I missed the challenge of the surgeries – especially in the beginning. But then there was a plague and a need for an emergency team and… well, I suppose I found projects that kept me busy and… it was fun. I don't know that I've ever used that word in association with my job… I mean, I guess it's not supposed to be fun – people dying and all."

"Found her!" Penelope yelled.

Lauren sat up, pushing Patrick down onto the couch so she could see her friend, "Where?"

"She just bought a ticket. Flight 292 from Boston to Philly, Philly to Chicago, Chicago to Seattle, Seattle to Anchorage."

"Damn. She really wants to get home." Patrick said from beneath Lauren.

"If you hurry, you might be able to catch her while she's still here in Boston, Lauren." Betsy said, "The flight leaves in an hour."

"It could be delayed. You know how things are in airports these days." Stephen added.

Betsy laughed, adding a bit of sarcastic banter, "And world traveler that you are, you know about airports these days?"

"Oh, shush." Stephen said, flicking his hand at his partner.

Patrick sat up, straightening his tie, "I'll drive you."

Lauren stood, running around her apartment, "I'd rather live to see her again."

She paced back and forth, one hand on her hip, the other running across her lip, her brow and then through her hair before she stopped and looked up at the group,

"I love you all, but the love of my life lives in Alaska. I've got to go there and try to make a life with her."

"if it doesn't work, Boston will always welcome you back." Betsy smiled.

Lauren shook her head, "I know. It just took me a moment to get out of my own way and realize that I'm free to choose to do anything I want, when I want. Right now, I'm going to Alaska to be with my girl."

The group cheered as Lauren ran into her bedroom, pulled her suitcase from her closet and began throwing random items of clothing into the bag. Jackets, long underwear, long-sleeved tops, jeans, leggings, sweatshirts and sweaters, sweatpants, underwear, snow pants, all of her waterproof gear, scarves, hats, gloves, mittens and finally, her respirator and goggles. She had no idea how cold it would be now that it was the last week of August. It was still relatively warm here, but she was sure Alaska might be colder.

"Lauren, we can send all of your stuff." Penelope suggested.

She looked at her friend, "Box and send it all… everything. I'll sort through it there and give away what I don't want. Sell the house. Pay a college kid to drive my Jeep out when the weather allows and then pay for their airfare home. Of course, if you find a good hire for the Anchorage hospital, they can drive a very long one-way commute to work, right?"

They all laughed, as Lauren continued packing as she spoke, "Keep the beach house. You guys can take turns living there."

"I'll rent it from you. I'd love to open a branch office there." Patrick suggested.

"Deal!" Lauren replied, "Make sure the guest house is available for me when I come home. If you'd like to add an office, add it the main house. You can have Penelope hire the construction company, but make sure they do a good job, so it melds perfectly with the house."

"Will do." Patrick replied.

She pulled a painting from above the sofa and opened the wall safe behind it, pulling out all of her cash and credit cards. She grabbed her passport, her diplomas and licensing documents. She handed all of it to Patrick,

"Use that scanning app you have in your phone. Copy everything… just in case."

Patrick set to the assigned task while Lauren put everything into a backpack. She then grabbed her laptop, tablet and chargers before moving to the mantle above the fireplace. She stared at the picture of her Mom, Dad and brother, tracing her siblings' face before she grabbed the picture of her dogs and Bo. She turned to her suitcase and tossed the photo in under the protection of the clothing.

She ran back to her bedroom and grabbed a carry-on bag. Taking it to the bathroom, she opened her medicine cabinet and pulled each glass shelf from its rests, dumping the contents into the bag. She then threw in her make up bag, travel shampoo and a few other personal items. They had plenty of towels and linens at the homestead for now.

She took the bag to the living room with the rest of her belongings and looked around, "What am I forgetting?"

Stephen held out her medical bag, "You'll need this."

Lauren shook her head, "Part of me doesn't want to take that."

Stephen shrugged, "You don't have to if you don't want to." He walked to her, pulling her into a hug as he spoke quietly so nobody would hear, "You've worn the mantle of top cardiothoracic surgeon for a long time. Take it from someone who knows, it's weighs heavy on the shoulders. I could have had a life, Lauren… a wonderful life filled with love and adventures. Instead, I worked myself into old age. Don't make the same mistakes I've made, Lauren. You've followed in my footsteps for long enough. You don't want your life to be like mine."

He held her shoulders as he stepped back at arms' length,

"Go, Lauren. Do your research and take care of whatever comes up. No pressure to be anything. Just follow your gut and do what comes naturally in the moment… each moment. Build a great clinic… greater than it already is. Build a great hospital, but remember to build a great life, too."

Lauren's eyes teared up, "You said you would come when it opens… help me out. You promised."

Stephen nodded, "I've never broken a promise to you. I'm not about to start now. Besides, I'm President of the Board – it's not like I'll have much of a choice. I'll be there."

Patrick smiled, standing side by side with Betsy and Penelope, "We'll all be there, Lauren. We're your team and there's still a bunch of stuff you have to sign."

"Thank you all. I'll come home as soon as I can." Lauren smiled, hugging each of them one at a time.

Penelope grinned, "I'll invite the gals over. We'll pack up everything, call in a cleaning crew, paint and get this place sold or at least rented out as soon as possible. You know I won't sell her for less than she's worth."

Lauren nodded, "I know you'll do right by me, Penelope."

"Because that's why you pay me the big bucks." The woman laughed, "And a percentage of the sale?"

"Exactly." Lauren nodded with a smile. She hugged her friend and whispered, "Now, will you drive me to the airport because I really do want to make it there alive."

"Of course. I'll go pull my car up."

Penelope headed for the door while the others stood with Lauren as she closed her bags. She took one last look around the house while Stephen walked to her office printer. Grabbing the papers, he walked back to Lauren,

"Here are your plane tickets. Penelope got you on the same flight as Bo… the seat right next to hers. If you make the flight, it'll be one hell of a surprise. If not, the flight she booked is transferrable. Bo has three transfers, so if you can hop on the next available, you might be able to connect with her second flight. If not, maybe the third. If not, you'll be right behind her the whole way."

Lauren nodded, "I'll call LJ for a ride if I can't connect with her before the last leg. Thank you, Stephen."

"Always, Lauren." He leaned over and kissed her cheek.

"Okay then. See you all soon." Lauren replied, "I can't believe I'm doing this."

She stood looking around her home, "I'll miss this place… but I'll miss Bo too much to stay."

She turned to Patrick, "Got a pen?"

He grinned, pulling the agreement from behind his back and handing her a pen. She took the packet and paged through, signing each page that was marked with a post-it arrow. When finished, she lay the pen on top of the file,

"You'll send me a copy?"

Patrick nodded, "Of course."

He gave her a hug, "Follow your dreams, Lauren. You're free to live life on your terms. Live the hell out of it."

She pulled back, placing a hand on his cheek, "Take your own advice. Don't get stuck in that office all day and night. I know we're building a new business but do it right. Build a practice with boundaries that allow for a personal life. Hire a good team who can take care of business when you take a break – and make sure they all take breaks too."

He nodded, "I think I'll take a page out of the Lauren Lewis employee work-vacation adventure manual."

"Good man." She smiled, giving his face a playful smack before she turned back to her luggage,

"Take care everyone. Call or text anytime." Lauren smiled as she headed for the door. She stopped back, looking around her home for a brief moment knowing that she would welcome the big rafters, beautiful hearth and roaring fire… even if it meant having to read five bedtime stories to a certain little girl.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **Flight 292, Boston to Philly**_

As the plane taxied away from the gate, Bo looked around the plane. It was smaller and much more crowded than the first plane she'd flown on, but the flight attendant had explained she was likely on a larger plane in First Class before. There were no wide leather seats, but there were headphones. Unfortunately, she was listening to nothing because she couldn't figure out how to use the screen in front of her. This was just one of four planes she'd have to take. It was the fastest way home. Right now, she was wishing she wasn't so damn stubborn and impatient.

She gave up, deciding to stare out of the window. The two seats next to her were empty, so at least she could stretch out during the flight… yes, she would stretch out and sleep... for two hours. She hadn't had much sleep the night before. Her eyes teared up thinking of the fact that it might have been the last time she would ever share a bed with Lauren.

Bo had called ahead to Molly from the airport to ask if anyone could arrange for a pickup. She said that someone would be there tomorrow when she arrived. She was looking forward to getting back to familiar territory. She missed Harper and the other dogs. She couldn't wait to take them out on the dry-land sleds. She'd been away too long, and LJ was probably exhausted doing all of the runs.

Molly mentioned that he had hired a few young mushers to work in the store. One of them had a few years of mushing experience so he had him taking out some of the younger dogs that were used as backups, but Bo wasn't crazy about that idea. Being a musher and being a trainer were two different things. The young dogs needed an experienced trainer making sure they learned to follow instructions and didn't cause problems with the other dogs.

Still, Bo couldn't be angry or start placing blame. She was on the other side of the country and LJ was doing what he had to do to keep things running. She was grateful – especially since LJ was still recovering from his injury and would never be able to run every dog every day. He had just gotten back on a sled for his first full thirty-mile run last week, according to Molly, so Bo was lucky the dogs were being run at all.

When she got back home, she needed to make the business a priority. When LJ asked to go into business with Bo, he'd expected a teacher and partner, not a boss that would run off leaving him to run the entire operation by himself. She may not be a surgeon, but the business was hers and she loved it as much as Lauren loved her Boston hospital. Bo had worked all of her life to get to where she was, just like Lauren. She may not be a top doctor making six figures, but she was a three-time Iditarod Champion and in Alaska, that was a very big deal – not that she'd ever cared about being a big deal.

She sighed, feeling a sick sensation as the plane took flight. Her ears clogged up and a quick feeling of the plane dropping hit. She swallowed hard, trying to lay her head back and relax but she really hated flying. If man was meant to be in the sky, dogs would have been given wings.

She closed her eyes, thinking of her life back home… about how it used to be. Trap, trade, train, repeat – except for the odd meeting with 'civilized people' who wanted to hire her to build a home or an Inn… or lately… a clinic or hospital.

She shook her head cursing the day Evony Fleurette-Marquis entered her life. She would have continued living off grid, just her and the dogs. Honestly, she lived year-round for the races she entered but once race season was over, she would have rather picked up some supplies at the General Store and headed back out to the mountains with her dogs until the following October. She hated those post-race banquets when she was forced to socialize and pretend those people gave half a damn about her.

She looked out of the window, feeling the plane level off. The Captain turned off the seat belt sign and Bo didn't waste any time taking off the restraint, balling up her jacket to use as a pillow and laying down on the seat beside her. She couldn't help but think for a moment what it would have been like to have Lauren in the seat next to her… apparently, for now, life had other plans.

"Lauren." She whispered the name, her eyes welling with tears. On some level – and she hated like hell to admit it but she owed Evony for bringing the doctor into her life. Even if Lauren never came back to Alaska, she knew she would always be grateful for having loved her, but her heart would be forever broken. She worried about what would happen if she couldn't recover. She had a family now and they deserved her time and attention, but she had a feeling she was going to want to take the dogs and run.

The only reason she had put down roots and begun a regular commute to town was because of Lauren. Without her there, life off-grid seemed very appealing again. The idea of passing the clinic every day, seeing Belle, Anna and Elsa, the kids asking about Lauren… it would all just be… too much. If she went back to her old life, her Mom and Rudy could live at the homestead, she could sign over the Kennel to LJ and her family… and she had a feeling that Kyle wouldn't mind having a hand in the business as well. She would be a fine replacement teacher for LJ – especially with the business and technical side of things.

Yes, getting back to her old pre-Lauren life would be something that would help her to heal. Her mind wandered as she fell asleep…

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

" _HIKE! HIKE!" Bo called, her smile broad as her team cut through the snow, turning the corner at the pass and heading down the steep slope that would lead to the finish line. She could hear the other sled's musher just about fifty yards behind._

" _HIKE! HIKE!" Her opponent called, her dogs barking as they gave chase._

 _Bo knew she needed to run clean to the end or the other sled would overtake her. This rookie musher was improving more than she'd anticipated. She should have gone harder on the fifth mile instead of getting cocky and letting her back into the race._

 _This new home in the Yukon made for some of the most challenging trails she'd ever experienced, but it was fun out here… so much fun. She still couldn't believe that just over three years ago, she'd almost become a civilian. Life off-grid was perfect, especially now that she had a partner who loved off-grid living as much as she did._

 _She looked to her right, suddenly aware that the lead dog of the other sled was next to her,_

" _Crap! Let's go, Ladies! You're about to get beat by a team of rookies if you don't get it moving!" She looked down at Harper in her basket and laughed as the old girl barked commands at her former teammates, "You tell 'em coach! Get those girls movin' before we have to cook dinner and shovel the poop!"_

" _Hike! Hike!" Bo heard just over her shoulder as she hopped off rails and began to run – hard. She drove the sled like a champion, her muscles burning, her head down, keeping her focus on the heads of her two champion leads as they shifted into another gear,_

" _Good girls! Good girls! Go hard! Go hard!" Bo yelled, as the other musher called out to her team as well,_

" _That's it, little ones! You're gaining! Push it! Push it! You've got this!"_

 _Bo chuckled, yelling over her shoulder, "I don't think so."_

" _You'd better hope not!" The other musher called back, the laughter in her voice causing a smile to stretch across Bo's face._

" _Fifty yards, forty, thirty, twenty, ten and… YES! Still reigning champion! Way to go girls! Wahoooo!"_

" _You suck, Dennis!"_

 _Bo focused on the laughter over the statement as she pulled her team to a stop, dropping the anchor and driving it into the ground before running over to the other musher and tackling her into the snow,_

" _You promised!"_

" _I still can't believe you could have had anything and you chose snow sex for our bet! It's freezing out here, Bo!"_

" _Hey! You promised you'd try it. I'm telling you – you'll love it, Lauren."_

" _You do realize I still have practically zero body fat and am highly prone to hypothermia."_

 _Bo laughed, "But this will warm you right up. Besides, snow is an insulator."_

" _I'm never going to be one who doesn't make good on a bet, but you also promised me there would be fire with the sex."_

 _Bo slid her thigh into Lauren's core, "Oh, I'll light a fire alright."_

 _Lauren bit her bottom lip, "Mmmm… that's not exactly the kind of fire I had in mind…"_

" _Fine. Fire first."_

" _Come here." Lauren laughed, pulling Bo in for a deep kiss, their goggles banging together, "Get these off."_

 _Bo obliged, pulling of her own before taking Lauren's off as well. The blonde wasted no time locking lips again as she shoved her hand beneath the elastic of Bo's snow pants,_

" _Have I mentioned over the years how I've always found it super sexy that you don't wear any panties?" Lauren smiled, her fingers parting Bo's already swollen lips to find a very wet core, "Mmmm… how long have you been thinking about snow sex?"_

 _Bo groaned as she felt cool fingers enter her, "Since we left."_

 _Lauren giggled, thrusting in deeper, "Wow. That's one horny sled ride."_

 _Bo moaned, now meeting the blonde's rhythm as she rode strong fingers towards her climax, "Damn, Lauren! That feels so fucking good."_

" _Mmmm… I love that after all of these years I can still make you feel this way."_

 _Bo grinned, "No one will ever make me feel that way you do."_

 _They locked eyes, Lauren's hand moving to Bo's face as she watched her cheeks flush, her head tilt back slightly as she fell over the edge – a long, powerful orgasm pushing her towards oblivion._

 _Lauren smiled as the brunette finally fell limp onto her chest, the heat from her body warming her, chest as Bo had promised._

" _I love you, Lauren."_

" _I love you, Bo and I love this life you've made for us."_

 _Bo lifted her eyes to meet Lauren's, "You don't miss living back in Talkeetna? You don't miss doctoring every day?"_

 _Lauren smiled, "I love living off-grid with you. We have everything we could possibly want – a beautiful view, plenty of food and shelter and an incredible canine family. Most of all, I have you…"_

"Miss! Miss!"

Bo sat up straight, looking around until her eyes settled on a woman in a blue jacket. Her eyes traveled to the gold wings on her chest as she spoke,

"We're at the gate, Miss. It's time to depart the plane or you'll miss your connecting flight."

"Flight." Bo said, looking around and realizing where she was, "Dream. It was… it was just a dream."

"Excuse me?" The woman asked.

Bo looked up at her, brushing her hair back, "Nothing. It's… it's nothing."

SHe stood, hitting her head on the bulkhead above her, "Ow!"

"Oops. Uh… can I help?"

Bo shook her head, "No. No, I'm good."

She gripped her bag, throwing it over her shoulder and slipping into the aisle. She gave a polite smile to the flight crew before heading up the walkway to her civilization and her next flight,

"It was just a dream."

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **General Edward Lawrence Logan International Airport**_

"Yes, Sir. I'm a doctor – a cardiothoracic surgeon. I need to get to Anchorage Alaska as quickly as possible to perform a… heart transplant. The heart isn't viable forever. The patient has been waiting years for this heart."

Lauren watched, biting her nail as the receptionist searched for a flight for the doctor. Part of her felt guilty for lying, but on the other hand, it wasn't a complete lie. She was a transplanted Alaskan and her heart had been waiting for years to find Bo's heart, so… well, okay… it was a stretch, but it was necessary.

"Okay. We have a private airliner set to take off and travel through Chicago to Seattle where we have several flights to Anchorage in the morning. We also have a commercial flight that's flying out in just a few minutes through Toronto."

Lauren considered her options for a moment, "What time would I arrive in Seattle?" Lauren asked.

"Nine o'clock tonight."

Lauren nodded, "I'm wondering if either flight has my patient on it by any chance?"

"What is the patient's name?"

"Bo Dennis. They're flying her from Philly to Seattle."

Lauren's foot tapped beneath the counter as she continued to gnaw nervously on her nail, hoping that she could surprise Bo on the plane.

The woman finally nodded, "Um… I don't see a Bo Dennis on a flight from Philly to Seattle."

Lauren looked down at her phone, checking to be sure she had the same airline Penelope had used on the way. She can't imagine Bo changing anything about her reservations other than the date and time. She had no flying experience and from what Kenzi had told her – had barely survived being in the airport. She would definitely choose something familiar.

"Nope. No Bo Dennis on any of our flights. They took a plane out of service earlier, so they've been rearranging flights all day."

Lauren nodded, finding it strange, but deciding she might be able to catch Bo in Seattle, "They must have found an earlier flight for her. Book me on the private flight, please?"

The flight attendant did as asked. Lauren's heart sunk. She thought for a while about the best course of action, then it hit her. She had the perfect plan. She picked up the phone and called Molly. She might need a bit of help to pull this off.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **Seattle, Washington**_

Bo's first flight was bumped because of mechanical failure, but the detour actually saved her time in the air, so that was a good thing. Her second flight had been filled with turbulence, so had almost rented a car to drive the rest of the way. Her third flight had been delayed due to air traffic and weather. When the announcement had come over the intercom that they had to circle, she'd immediately called the flight attendant to ask what it meant. The woman explained in a hurry, not at all interested in tending to Bo's nervous needs. It was right then and there that Bo had decided she would fly First Class or nothing if she ever had to board an airplane again. They were mean in coach and considering all the money she'd dumped into these flights; they could have at least smiled when they all but dismissed her questions.

Still, it turns out the flight attendant wasn't actually as big a bitch as Bo thought. As a matter of fact, she might have even apologized if the woman hadn't practically shoved her off the plane into a waiting tin can that sort of resembled those four-wheeled things she'd seen when she was in Sitka once. A bunch of drunk old men rode around hitting a tiny ball all over the grass with these long metal sticks. It was just another reason Bo found civilian life strange.

So now she was racing through the airport. The driver, Artie, looked barely sixteen. She hoped he knew where they were going. If not, Bo would definitely miss her last flight. The kid hadn't spoken to her since she boarded the cart. Of course, he'd had to tell her she was late for her flight three times, then had to ask her five times to get in the cart before he finally grabbed her bags, threw them in the back of the cart and told her that if she wanted her bags, she'd better get in the cart because they were leaving without her. Bo had taken a moment to try to decide whether to deck the kid for touching her or get in cart, but a nod from the flight attendant got her ass in the seat.

The sound of the horn on their go-cart thingy drew her attention. Artie was going to get them killed – she was sure of it. If they weren't killed, one of the pedestrians would be. She wasn't sure who would win in a collision with one of these carts. They could hit a piece of luggage causing them to flip. Or, they could hit a little old lady. Bo wouldn't want to feel that 'bump, bump' when they ran her over with their front, then rear wheels. That would just be gross… and horrifying… and terrible… and sad… very sad. Little old ladies deserved to die with dignity. Not at the hand of a cart driver who looked barely old enough to shave let alone drive through a crowded airport.

"Head to that desk. They'll get you on your flight." Artie said, pulling up to the gate and grabbing Bo's carryon, "Here you are, Miss."

"But where's my luggage?" Bo asked.

Artie gripped both of Bo's shoulders and turned her to the gate, "I told you. It will follow you. Just worry about making the flight."

"The flight. Right. Thanks." Bo said, staring at yet another open door that would lead to another ramp and her fourth plane, "Last one."

Artie nodded, putting her bag over her shoulder, "Last one."

She looked between the two, "Thanks."

She watched as Artie boarded his vehicle and drove away before turning to the counter to show her ID and ticket. She was then hurried to the exit to board her plane. Taking the long lonely walk to the plane, Bo struggled, trying not to think of what she had left behind. For a brief moment, she considered hopping a flight back to Boston, but again reminded herself that Lauren needed the space to decide what she really wanted for her own life.

No, Bo wouldn't get between the blonde and her dreams. Everyone should have a chance to live the life they choose. Bo had chosen her life long ago – it was a life without Lauren. Granted, she wouldn't choose to live life without Lauren now, but she wouldn't try to force her into a life in Alaska, either.

Bo took her seat, finding herself the only passenger in the row once again. She looked out of the window, wondering what time it was… hell, at this point, she wasn't even sure what day it was. As the crew started the pre-flight routine was watching for the fourth time now, Bo's thoughts again drifted to Lauren. Her heart ached more now than ever at the thought of never seeing the blonde again. She hoped Lauren knew how much she loved her and how hard it had been to walk away. Still, she had to give the doctor a chance to re-think her choice. She never wanted Lauren to feel cornered, trapped or controlled. The blonde had already lived that life with Nadia and Evony both personally and professionally.

As the last plane taxied down the runway, Bo was confident that she had done the right thing. It hurt like hell, but she was doing the right thing. Lauren Lewis had finally won the final battle in earning her personal and professional freedom from Nadia and Evony. Now, she would be able to choose how she would spend the rest of her life and Bo was going to give her the time and space to do just that… no matter what it cost her.

For now, she would look forward to seeing Rudy, her Mom, her dogs, her river and her mountain.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_


	19. Chapter 19: Homecoming

_**A/N:**_ _Thank you for all of the reviews and messages. You're the best! I'm happy to supply reading material while we all sit anxiously at home awaiting our "release". Until then, I'll continue to work, clean, cook, clean and write! How about we try this – if you post a review, share what you've been doing while in staying safe at home. Maybe you'll share an idea of something we haven't thought to do yet! No pressure, share if you'd like. I know I'd love to know how people are passing the time. Best wishes to you, your families and friends. Be well and push onward!_

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **CHAPTER 19: Homecoming**_

 _ **Talkeetna, 2am**_

"Bo! Bo!" Rudy came running down the stairs, "My big sister is home! She's home!"

She leapt into Bo's arms, the brunette barely able to drop her bags to catch her safely. Bo couldn't help the broad smile that stretched across her face. The youngster was warm, and her hug was tight. It felt so good to be wanted and loved after the day she'd had.

Rudy pulled back, looking at Bo, "You look sad. Did you miss me?"

Bo smiled, "Of course I did. I missed you my whole life! Going away after I just got to meet you was one of the hardest things I'd ever had to do!"

"Well you can smile now because the Dennis Sisters are back again! Double trouble!" She giggled, "Did you bring me a present from the big city? Were there a lot of lights? And people? I looked at the globe Lauren bought me. Boston is in the ocean! Did you see the ocean? I love the ocean!"

Honestly, Bo's heart was like butter right now. Rudy could ask for the moon and she would board a rocket to get it for her. She chuckled her reply,

"Slow down, kiddo! I'll tell you all about Boston. For now, let's start with that present."

"Yes!" Rudy smiled with a fist pump added for emphasis as Bo gently returned her to the floor.

The elder sister grabbed the big suitcase full of gifts. As she reached for the zipper, her tears filled her eyes at the memory of Lauren buying the big piece of luggage so that they could pick the perfect gift for each of their loved one. Bo lowered her head as the tears trailed down her cheeks and the memories surged forth of a perfect day in the Marketplace buying presents and making plans for a life together in Alaska. She dug through the bag to the box on the bottom, wiping her cheeks dry with her sleeves as she removed the gift and turned towards her little sister. Plastering a smile on her face, she handed Rudy the box,

"Lauren and I picked this for you together."

"I know. She told me!"

Bo's brow furrowed, "You talked to Lauren?"

"Of course I did, silly." She pulled on the bow and flipped open the lid, "Wow!"

Bo watched as the youngster pulled out the bracelet she'd purchased. They had spent more time picking the charms than the bracelet.

"It's so pretty!" she looked at the charms, "It's a charm bracelet?"

Bo nodded, "It was Lauren's idea to get the bracelet. She thought you could use it as a sort of travel diary – get a charm for every place you go. I picked out a starfish for Hawaii and Lauren picked that one for Alaska."

"It's a snowflake!"

Bo smiled, "Yup. So it's representative of Alaska and Boston. They get a lot of snow in Boston, so if you go visit Lauren there, you have a charm already. Or, you can get a new one." Bo's throat tightened as tears threatened to fall once again. She would have to take Rudy to visit Lauren. They would want to see each other."

"Can you put it on me?" Rudy asked, drawing Bo's attention.

The brunette forced a smile once again and knelt down in front of the youngster to help her with the bracelet,

"Okay, so there's a couple more things in the box."

Bo watched as an excited Rudy dug through the tissue paper, to find her new Red Sox T-shirt and hat. She pulled the shirt on right over her clothes with some difficulty and then added the hat before turning to Bo,

"How do I look, Sister?"

Bo smiled, "Like a true Boston fan! Lauren would love it. Do you like everything?"

Rudy wrapped her arms around Bo's neck, "I love it all. Thank you, Bo! I love you."

Bo held the little girl tightly, fighting the tears as she whispered, "I love you, Roo. I missed you… so much."

"I missed you too. Can you not go away again?"

Bo smiled, "Not without you."

"Good." Rudy smiled before breaking out of Bo's arms. Her eyes were wide with excitement, her smile bright as she gripped Bo's cheeks in her hand and said, "I wanna go show Lauren!"

"Oh, Rudy… she's not…" Bo watched as Rudy disappeared through a door that had not been a part of her house when she had left, "What the… an addition?"

She looked out the window towards the side of the house and noticed that a room – maybe two – had been added to her house. She could still hear Rudy running from where she stood in the living room. How would she tell her that Lauren wasn't coming back to Alaska?

"Lauren! Lauren! Look! Bo's here and she brought my presents! I love them just like you said I would!"

Bo sighed, knowing the youngster would see soon enough that Lauren wasn't with her. She walked to the large window, noting they had all been replaced… some of the window frames as well. They had been shot up pretty good in the battle against Big Jim's last men. They replaced the broken ones with screens since it was summer. Of course, she couldn't get upset that her Mom had gotten the work done without her permission. It was getting colder and screens would not do for winter.

She looked out at her mountain, smiling at the sight of the full moon hovering in the sky over her mountain. It had been almost two full days of travel and Bo was most definitely happy to be home. She moved closer to the window, looking at the colors in the sky. It was always strange to see the moon this time of year. It wasn't as bright against the dim light that remained at night against the white and gray mountain. But still, the reflection of the light glistening across the water had a calming effect on Bo. She actually looked forward to the coming endless nights of winter when the evening sky would put on a brilliant light show.

Her eyes traveled down to the riverbank where her Mother stood, arms outstretched to the heavens. Bo smiled. She knew that pose. Her Mom was no doubt reciting Athabascan poetry… usually in song. She smiled, opening the door and heading outside. She could hear the familiar words before she reached the riverside, the words ringing true in the moment…

'… _Problems pale to wide open spaces, clarity and peace rule the day, you slow down a thousand paces, happiness can be found in a sun ray. This is the real world you desire, hope fills your heart, life doesn't seem as dire, you're ready for a fresh start. You go back home, remembering the sites, bottling that feeling with a poem, your dreams reach new heights…'_

"You still remember the songs of your native tongue." Bo commented.

Her Mom turned, smiling. She held out her hand, knowing her daughter might not take it, but she did. As a matter of fact, her daughter moved to her side and laid her head on her shoulder just before soft sobs came from deep in her chest,

"Child. What could you possibly have to cry about? Look at the beauty that surrounds you. Do you not love this place? Did you not listen to the poem? Problems pale to wide open spaces…"

"I love these wide-open spaces… I had just hoped that Lauren would be here to share this night with me. She didn't come back, Mom. She loves her life there too much to give it up for me. I left without her, leaving her the time and space to be in the city she loves. I couldn't take her away from there. I just couldn't."

Bo shook her head, wiping her tears, but never lifted her head, "I now understand that Boston means as much to her as this place means to me. There's just no way for us to be together unless I'm willing to give up Alaska… give up my Kennel, my dogs, my family and racing. It's give it up or lose Lauren. I thought that living in Talkeetna… moving into town and laying down roots… that it might be a big enough step for her to see me as more than the animal she'd met a year ago, but I… I can't compete, Mom. I didn't even graduate high school. Her friends are lawyers and doctors… smart people… civilized people. I don't fit in there, Mom. I love her so much. I miss her, Mom. I miss her so badly."

"Oh, Ysabeau…"

"I should have known. I should have known that I wasn't enough…"

"Ysabeau…" Mary said more firmly this time, stepping away from Bo and wiping her cheeks, "Child, you're wrong. Look, child… look…"

Mary turned towards the house and nodded for Bo to do the same. The brunette looked at her Mom, confused, but did as she suggested. She turned to see Rudy standing in front of a tall, thin person standing in the shadow of the porch. Rudy's tiny hand gripped one of the two adult hands that that lay upon her shoulders.

The pair moved forward, the dim light of the moon shining down upon them until it revealed a face Bo had thought she would never see again,

"Lauren?" Bo asked, her voice quaking with disbelief. She lowered her eyes, "I'm losing my mind… I'm seeing things…" She looked up again, this time taking a few steps towards the house. Rudy and Lauren continuing down the walk, through the front gate until they stood in front of Bo,

"See, Sis? She's here." Rudy smiled.

"She… she's here." Bo said, her hand reaching out hesitantly to take a few strands of hair. She felt them, making sure that it was real.

Mary whispered to Rudy, calling her to her side to give the two women a moment. Lauren stepped to Bo, placing a gentle hand on her cheek,

"It took me about an hour after I realized you had left to know that I had been a total idiot. I was overthinking things, as usual. I tried to get on your plane in Philly. When I missed it, I hopped a flight Seattle, but it wasn't going to cross paths with your plane again unless I waited. I figured I'd come on ahead and wait for you."

Bo's eyes were filled with tears, "But the flights… there were no other flights. How did you…"

Lauren shrugged, "I lied." She shook her head, "I told a really big lie. I said I was on my way to a heart transplant surgery in Anchorage and I had to meet up with my patient in Philly. I told them that I was responsible for your heart and needed to get there for the surgery."

"It's a good thing you're here because my heart was breaking into a million pieces."

Lauren nodded, "I took a private jet – it's how I beat you home."

"Yea, well I didn't fly first class this time around and it sucked. Four flights. Four flights. Serves me right. They were really crowded… except the seat next to me on two of them."

Lauren smiled, "That was supposed to be my seat if I made the flight."

Bo chuckled, "You were late. That's so unlike you. And if you had made the flight, I would have been laying on your lap."

"I would have been fine with that."

Bo cupped the blonde's face, "I can't believe you're here. But, Lauren… are you sure? I mean… I could try Boston for a year. I mean… how bad could it be? Or we could fly back and forth. I mean… it couldn't hurt to try it before you go moving your whole life."

"I would never ask you to give up racing or the dogs, Bo. Your jobs are the kind you simply can't do in Boston. There isn't much of a market for dog sleds, large kennels filled with dogs are called shelters or dog pounds and the snow wouldn't allow you to train even if you did fly back to Alaska for the Iditarod. My job, on the other hand… well, you were right. I can practice medicine anywhere and hell, I'm about to own the hospital and clinic here."

Lauren smiled, "Honestly, once I was in the air, I couldn't think of anything except how happy I was living here. I haven't been in court once. I haven't had to spend hours and hours studying for surgeries. There's no traffic, no crowded bars – well, usually. Here, I actually have a life outside of my job… a great life among great people who do a lot of things that I've become quite interested in. If I had any doubts, they were gone the moment that plane landed. This is where I'm meant to be, Bo. I'm sorry I doubted living here… doubted us."

Bo shrugged, "As long as you're sure now. I don't think I can take another separation – I couldn't even handle a day away from you."

Lauren shook her head, "You won't have to." She reached into her pocket before lowering herself to one knee in the grass. She took Bo's hand, her eyes glassy,

"Ysabeau Dennis, my heart has been wandering aimlessly through this life, hopeless to ever meet the one who was meant to care for it. My hands have held many a heart, but until now, none have beat as strong as yours and none have been as precious to me. Yours is the heart these hands were meant to hold for the rest of my life. I know you are a free-spirit who has chosen the land of her birth above all others, but if your land would be willing – and I know that your Mom and Sister are – would you be willing to share your life with me? To bind your life to mine in marriage for as long as we wander this earth together?"

Bo's cheeks glistened with rows of tears as a smile stretched across her face. Lauren opened the small box in her hand, revealing a ring that she held out towards Bo,

"You gave me a necklace and bracelet given to me by your Mom. You told me that when she gave it to you, she said it would protect you until her return. By my count, it's saved your life – and mine – at least ten times by now, so I thought that we should each have a part of it…" Lauren looked up at Mary and smiled, "…and your Mom and Rudy agree."

She turned her attention back to Bo, her heart racing as she spoke, "You told me that this gold nugget was the first gold you had ever mined as a child… that you carried it your entire life in its natural form until the day when you could find a special use for it. I hope you don't mind that I had it melted and formed into two thin bands while we were in Boston. The rest was used to make this for you. The diamond on top was given to me as a child by my grandmother. Together, the two – gold band and gemstone - bring together a lifetime of memories from opposite sides of our country to this land… in this moment. You said the gold symbolized the patience you possess, never rushing to mold it or sell it for over twenty years. For me, this small diamond symbolizes unconditional love – love given to me by my grandmother – love that I now pass on to you. Together, we will have all the patience we'll ever need for each other and love for all the years of our lives."

Lauren looked down at the ring, "The two tiny stones on either side of the diamond you'll recognize as the Gold Quartz that was embedded in your nugget." She looked up at Bo, offering a chuckle, "Do you know that Alaska is one of the few places in the world where you can find it? It's left in its natural state – just as it should be – just as I plan to love and live my life with you. Each of us taking the other just as we are – just as we promised our first night together."

Tears fell easily as Lauren recited the rest of the words Bo had spoken to her on the day she had given her the necklace and bracelet set passed on from Mother to Daughter,

"I don't want to change you, Bo. I don't want you to change for me. I want you to live your best life while walking beside me. And if we must part for a short while, I want this ring to serve as a reminder of the woman who will always come back to you – no matter how long she might have to travel to save the heart of another."

Bo smiled, "So that the person you save can give their heart to another."

Lauren's tears fell harder, "Bo Dennis, will you marry me?"

There was no hesitation as Bo replied firmly, "Yes."

"Yes?" Lauren asked, standing.

Bo smiled, "Yes."

Lauren slid the ring onto Bo's finger before taking her into her arms. She never wanted to let go… ever. This is where she belonged. This is where she wanted to be… where her heart longed to be. The rest of life would work itself out. She pulled back, placing a gentle kiss on the brunette's lips,

"I love you." She whispered, "I love you so much."

Bo smiled, "And I love you. I promise to take very good care of your heart, Doctor."

Lauren smiled, "And I will treasure, cherish and care for your heart, Bo. You will never have to worry about me doubting us again."

The two were broken apart by a youngster plowing into them. She hugged Bo, then turned and hugged Lauren,

"You're gonna be my…" she looked at her Mom, "What's it called?"

"Your sister in law." Mary smiled, "Congratulations to both of you."

Lauren smiled, "Thank you again, Mary. It means the world to me to have your blessing."

"You asked for my Mom's blessing?" Bo asked.

Lauren nodded, "I told you I called her… both your Mom and Rudy… they just got you back. I wanted to be sure they didn't need more time with you before I became a permanent fixture in the house."

Bo smiled, looking at her Mom, "Speaking of permanent fixtures, I noticed the addition."

Mary nodded, "Your foreman showed up one day to repair the windows. He asked where everyone was sleeping, and I told him that Rudy and I were sleeping in the guest room."

Bo frowned, "The two of you were sharing that bed? Mom, there's barely enough room for one adult to be comfortable let alone you and a child. Why didn't you use our bed?"

Their conversation was interrupted by dogs barking.

"Mommy." Rudy said, quickly sliding behind Mary as her eyes searched the property.

Bo looked at her Mom who was wrapping her arms around her daughter, "Since the… incident… she's been having nightmares and she's exceptionally sensitive to the sounds of the dogs since they tend to give warning."

Bo nodded, kneeling down in front of her little sister, "Why don't we go check on the dogs?"

She whimpered, holding tighter to her Mother's leg as she shook her head no.

Bo smiled, "You know that dogs have super hearing, right?"

Rudy nodded.

"Well, what you may not know is that they taught me super hearing too."

"They did?" Rudy asked, stepping slightly forward, her small hands still clinging to Mary's leg.

"Yup and I don't hear anything out here accept my usual friends in nature, the three of us and my dogs."

"What friends?"

Bo stepped forward, her eyes keyed on a spot across the river, "Come here and I'll show you."

The dogs barked again, causing Rudy to look towards the garage. She then flinched at the sound of Bo's voice, but after a moment, took the hand her sister offered,

"Look…" Bo nodded across the river once more, turning Rudy so that she was in front of her and looking out across the water. Pointing, she explained, "See that cluster of three tall trees with small bushes in front of the big rock?"

"Uh-huh," She nodded, her eyes focused on the area.

"Watch and listen for the big trees to move and you can just make out a small black bear."

Rudy focused her vision, waiting for the trees to move. When there was finally a rustle of branches, she jumped up and down as she pointed and shouted, "There!"

Bo grinned, "Yup! There he is! So, what will you name him?"

"I get to name him?"

"Of course. I'm sure his Momma has a name for him, but he needs an Athabascan name."

Bo felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to see her Mom smiling down at her. She knew with just a glance that Mary Dennis appreciated the gesture, but the truth was, Bo wasn't doing it for her Mom. She was doing it because despite her parents, she was proud of her Athabascan heritage and wanted Rudy to know about their traditions and customs… no matter how long Mary planned to stay in Alaska.

Rudy shrugged, "But I don't know any Athabascan names."

Bo smiled, "Well, let's start with a little language lesson. Did Mom teach you any Athabascan?"

Rudy looked up at Mary, then at Bo, "No. She said I didn't need it."

Bo's jaw clenched, something Lauren couldn't help but notice before she recognized the cleansing breath her fiancé usually used when working hard to keep her temper in check.

"Well, the Athabascan word for bear is s'eek."

"S'eek?"

Bo smiled, "Close enough for now."

Rudy smiled, looking up at Mary, "Mom, did you hear me? I spoke Alabascar!" She looked at Bo, "What's Alabascar?"

Mary grinned, "The term is Athabascan, child and it's what we are… except Lauren. I'm sorry I haven't taught you as I should have. I'll leave it to your big sister to pass on the lessons of our language and our ways."

"What we are?" Rudy asked, her confused gaze looking between Bo and Lauren before she turned to Mary once again, "You won't teach me?" Rudy asked, her bottom lip quivering.

Bo's jaw clenched again as she moved to kneel on one knee, her other serving as a seat for Rudy as she explained,

"Of course she will, Rudy. She's just having me pass the torch." She said, ignoring Mary's presence as anger over the subject filled her to her native core, "It's a… family tradition that younger siblings learn from their older siblings."

"And Lauren isn't Atha-ba-scan because she's not our sister?"

Lauren smiled, "My family is from Ireland, so I'm Irish."

Bo nodded, "Our Mom was born to Athabascan native parents, so you're part Athabascan."

"What's the other part?" Rudy asked, looking at Bo who was looking at Mary.

Mary smiled, "Your other part is Hawaiian."

Rudy turned back to Bo, "So I'm like that dog at your kennel that no one wants?"

"What?" Bo asked.

"The dog that LJ found when he was training the dogs. He said she's not from Harper's line so you wouldn't want to keep her." Rudy explained.

Bo looked up at Mary who explained, "I explained to LJ that we can't take in every stray he finds. You're running a kennel, not a shelter."

She turned back to Rudy who now had tears in her eyes, "Am I.. a mutt? Will no one want me either?"

Bo stood, stepping between Rudy and her Mom, quietly speaking, "For your information, all dogs have worth… every single one of them. If LJ found a stray he wants to keep, then we'll keep her. If she earns her place on a competing sled, then she'll race. If she doesn't, she'll do training runs if she enjoys running. If not, maybe she can be part of Lauren's new search and rescue group if she has the nose for it. You never know what a dog can do until you teach them."

Bo smiled as she continued, "You're a mutt just like me and you see that being a champion is in our blood, right? That's because we're proud mutts because we were raised by a woman who was once a strong leader of the Athabascan people."

Rudy nodded, but her eyes told Bo she wasn't convinced. With some hesitation, she asked, "Our Mom was a leader?"

Bo nodded, "When I was little, Mom was in line to be an elder of our village. If she had stayed, she would be an elder today."

Rudy looked at Mary, "Really?"

Mary hesitated before she nodded, offering her simply reply, "Really."

"Are you still proud to be a native?" Rudy asked.

Bo could see the doubt in her Mothers' eyes as she replied, "I'm afraid my choices led me down a path that caused me to stray from my roots, child… a path that endangered your sister and then you. I forgot who I was and the two of you paid the price."

Rudy wiggled around Bo, standing toe to toe with her Mother who said, "I'm afraid I've lost my way, Rudy."

The young girl shrugged, "When your lost, you can always be found. Bo taught me to stay low and hug a tree and she will come and find me. If she can find me, I'm sure she can find you too, right Bo?"

The hopeful eyes of her younger sibling melted Bo's heart, "Of course I can."

Rudy nodded, "So you'll teach me about being a native Abassy, Bo? You said it's a family tradition."

Bo smiled, "Of course. My brothers taught me, now I teach you – starting with how to say Athabascan."

Rudy giggled, "It's a very hard word."

She thought for a moment before she looked to Mary and asked, "I have brothers too?"

Mary softly gripped her daughter's chin, "They've passed on, child, but yes, there was a time you might have met your three brothers. One day, Bo will tell you of the good times she had with them when they were young."

Bo recognized the carefully chosen words of her mother. She wanted Rudy to know the good, but none of the bad. In that moment, Bo found another thing she and Mary Dennis had in common. Maybe if she stuck around long enough, they could repair the damage done by the past… Bo just didn't know.

"Bo?"

"Wh-what?" She looked up to see Rudy staring at her,

"Where'd you go, silly?" Rudy asked.

Bo smiled, "Back in time, kiddo. Back in time."

"Teach me another word!"

"I'll teach you many words, but now we have to come up with a name for the bear."

Rudy giggled, "Right! I forgot!"

"Okay, so look at the bear and describe him to me."

"It's a boy?"

Bo shrugged, "I'm not really sure, but his head looks pretty broad and thick, so it's my best guess. It could also be an older female."

"Well, how am I supposed to name the bear if I don't know if it's a girl bear or a boy bear?"

Lauren saw Bo struggle with the question, so jumped in with a suggestion, "Is Kyle a boys' name or a girls' name?"

Rudy smiled up at Lauren, "It's a boys' name."

"Really? Then how is it that Bo and I have a friend named Kyle who is a girl? For that matter, your sister's name could be considered a boys' name too."

"So names don't matter?" Rudy asked.

Lauren shrugged, "Names definitely matter, but they should be chosen by what they mean to the person choosing the name. Why don't you try doing what your sister asked you to do? Describe what you see in the bear."

Rudy turned leaning back against Lauren as she looked at the bear across the river, "It's curious. I bet they got into a lot of trouble when they were little." She giggled watching the bear roll on the ground batting at the tree branches, "And it really likes to play, but it looks clumsy like me on ice skates last week."

Bo smiled, "You went ice skating?"

Rudy nodded, "We went to an ice hockey game and when it was over they had this thing called free skate where anyone can use the ice. Elise helped me. She's really good at skating."

Bo smiled, happy that Rudy and Elise had continued to spend time together. They really were like sisters even though they shared no blood.

"So how do I name the bear?"

"Well, now we take the words and combine them to give the bear a name." Bo smiled, "You know the Athabascan word for bear. Now, since nature is his playground, we might use the word ash kadulyát yé."

"Huh?" Rudy asked, causing the adults to laugh. Bo repeated and Rudy struggled to mimic the word before the older sister moved on,

"You said you thought the bear definitely liked trouble, so we could also use the word adawóotl."

"I like that word." Rudy said, repeating it over and over again, "How about we call him an English word and an Athabascan word so he's a mutt like us?"

Bo smiled, "I think that's a fine idea."

"Okay, so let's call him Little Woot!"

Grinning, the older sister nodded, "I think that's a fine name since the person naming him is also Little Trouble!"

Rudy laughed, "And you're Big Trouble! Together we're…"

"Double Trouble!" The sisters yelled in unison, high fiving each other while Mary and Lauren laughed at the pair.

Bo tickled her little sister who giggled and giggled before yelling to Lauren for help from the tickle monster. Naturally, the blonde stepped in, rescuing the little one by lifting her up and throwing her over her shoulder. She ran for the house until she felt Rudy stiffen at the sound of the dogs. The youngster wrapped her arms around Lauren's head, covering her eyes. Luckily, Bo saw her fiancé stumble and was able to steady her, pulling Rudy down to the ground before they could fall.

She knelt down, checking first on Lauren to be sure she was okay before she turned her attention to Rudy,

"Hey. What happened?"

"The dogs are barking again. They can't see the bear." Rudy said, her head turning rapidly left and right as she searched the property.

"Rudy, you do realize that it's been a long time since they've seen Lauren and I, right?"

Rudy nodded.

"Well, my guess is that they heard us and are curious as to why we haven't come to see them yet. I think we should let them all out. What do you think?"

Rudy seemed unsure, so Bo continued.

"You know, if there are any bad people out there, the dogs will chase them away. I don't think there is anyone out there, but I'd still like to let them out. I miss them."

Rudy placed both hands on Bo's chest, playing with the strings on her hoodie, "You missed Harper?"

"Almost as much as I missed you." Bo smiled.

"You missed me more than your favorite dog?"

Bo shrugged, "What can I say? We're sisters and that's a pretty big deal."

"Okay."

"Okay?" Bo asked.

Rudy nodded, taking Bo's hand as she stood and walked to the garage. Lauren and Mary followed Bo and Rudy from the river inside the fence, closing the gate tightly and awaiting the onslaught. They heard the barks get louder as the pair approached the side door,

"Those dogs sure did miss you two." Mary said.

Lauren smiled, "They missed Bo."

Mary shrugged, "She may have raised them, but they have a special place in their hearts for their doctor just like my daughter."

"That's nice of you to say." Lauren replied, feeling awkward in light of the tension that had been renewed between Mary and Bo.

"I only speak the truth." Mary replied, "And the truth is, I have to thank you for opening up my daughter's heart. I had a sit down with Molly while you two were gone. She told me all about the Bo Dennis this community once knew in contrast to the woman she has become since you came to town. I'm afraid Ysabeau's parents changed her for the worse by allowing her to get caught in the crossfire of their personal war. Thankfully, the spirits saw fit to put you in her path, allowing you to change her for the better."

Lauren smiled, "Well, that's nice of Molly to say, but she's forgetting how much she did to help… how much Bo's whole family did to help." Lauren shook her head, "Just… I had a lot of help."

The dogs came rushing into the yard, a welcome distraction to the doctor as most of them headed straight for her, jumping up until she was on the ground. She tried to give each of them some love before all, except her team, ran back to Bo when she called.

Lauren smiled at her fiancé who was clearly happy to see all of her friends. She turned her attention back to her dogs,

"I know, my babies. I missed you too. I love you all. I love you so much. I'm never leaving you again."

Lauren looked up, once again smiling at Bo who was laying on the ground with dogs all over her. Harper sat nearby, keeping vigil over the group, patiently awaiting her turn. Sure enough, minutes later the younger dogs started to play with each other leaving Bo to reunite with Harper.

Lauren's eyes teared up as she watched Bo wrap her arms around the older dog, the canine laying its head on Bo's shoulder before she lowered herself to her master's lap. Lauren could see Bo wiping her face as tears fell. She stroked the fur of her best friend, whispering things that only the two of them could hear.

Lauren's eyes then moved to Rudy who was playing with the puppies. They'd grown so much since she'd last seen them and Rudy had clearly been working with them. They obeyed her every command as she ran around the yard, making sharp turns every few feet,

"Haw! Haw!" followed by, "Gee! Gee!" and finally, "Good girls! Good girls!"

Finally, Mary interrupted with a loud whistle. All of the dogs looked up, "Bedtime, ladies! Let's go! Rudy has to get some sleep."

Lauren laughed at the look of shock on Bo's face as the dogs… her dogs… obeyed her mother's command and ran for the garage… all except Harper, Elsa, Anna and Belle… they all remained with Bo and Lauren.

Bo stood and walked to her Mom, "It looks like someone has been working with my dogs."

Mary shrugged, "Someone had to do it. LJ's got his hands full over at the Kennel with the rest, so I told him I could handle your first and second teams… and your pups. Rudy has been learning with them. Lauren's dogs have helped. They're very well trained."

"Thank you." Bo replied, though she wasn't sure why she was so short in her reply.

"Now that you're home, they're all yours again… unless you'd like me to help out."

Bo nodded, "Well, that would depend on your plan. Can you follow my rules?"

Mary nodded, "You mean respect the boundaries of what is yours and yes, LJ has already been giving me the lay of the land."

"Well, apparently you're not getting the full message if you were willing to deal a stray to the discard pile. You have to think about how the things you say might hurt your daughter, Mom."

Mary shrugged, "My mistake. It won't happen again."

Bo shrugged, "You'll pardon my skepticism, but I'm more concerned about all of the other ways you might hurt her. I know you've done a few grand things that saved lives since you got here, but the little things matter too, Mom. The little things matter."

"I'm learning that." Mary admitted.

"My other concern is Rudy getting comfortable with a life here and you ripping her away to follow some surfer boy back to Hawaii or some Native boy to another part of Alaska. I intend to have a relationship with my sister. I plan to offer her a life and a family… some stability. Now, is that your intention or are you going back to where you came from?"

"I wouldn't have allowed them to build the extra room if I didn't plan to stay." Mary replied, but Bo shook her head,

"If I remember correctly, your plans always seem to change."

Mary nodded, "That's why I want to sign legal custody of your sister over to you."

"What?" Bo asked, shocked.

"Rudy doesn't have to know… nothing would change as far as she knows. It's just that… I don't want to hurt her, Bo… not like I hurt you… not like I hurt my sons. I should have stayed involved in their lives. I could have stopped them from becoming… like him. I didn't and I regret what happened to them as much as I regret what happened to you."

Mary sighed, watching her daughter with the pups, Lauren and her team, "If you have legal custody of Rudy, it would give her a real chance if I screw up again. It would give you grounds to file a restraining order or whatever it would take for you to make sure she's safe and has a grounded life."

The woman chuckled, shaking her head, "You're already teaching her things that I should have… would have taught her long ago if I was a good parent."

Bo shrugged, "Well, you've obviously done some things right, Mom. She's a great kid. I mean… just look at her."

The pair smiled as the little girl wagged a finger at Snow who had Rudy's shoe in her mouth. Bo sighed,

"She's a natural with the dogs. Maybe one day she'll be the next champion in the family."

Mary smiled, "Not if LJ has anything to say about it."

"Don't worry about him. I'll force him into retirement when it's Rudy's turn." Bo grinned, turning to her Mom to see a broad smile on her face as she watched Rudy play with the pups.

"She loves this life, Ysabeau. She's so much like you. I knew this was where she needed to be. You'll be a good influence on her."

"Sounds like parting words." Bo cautioned.

Mary shook her head, "I really do want to stay, Bo. I need to be here again. I need to reconnect with my roots." She looked up at the homestead, "I was happy here… all of my life, I was happy here. Leaving was the biggest mistake I've ever made… for you and for me."

Bo shrugged, "Well, if you hadn't left, we wouldn't have Rudy, so let's chalk it up to the past and move forward. You want to get back into training dogs?"

"If you'll have me, yes. I was once very good at it… and I have enjoyed being around dogs again." Mary admitted.

Bo sighed, "Mom, if you're going to jump back into the sledding world, you know that you have to commit to this fully. Like I said, I won't have you get cozy with my family and friends only to take off if you get an itch to be out on your own or chase after some man who's going to treat you like crap."

Mary nodded, "I won't leave, Bo. I have no reason to run anymore. Your Federal Agent friends have taken down everyone associated with your Father and… well… while you were gone… he had a heart attack… he's dead, Bo."

Mary's declaration was met with silence. Even Lauren heard the news, causing her to stop playing with her team and turn to Bo. She stood, walking the distance to the brunette, awaiting some words of acknowledgement, but none came giving Lauren cause for concern.

Bo wasn't sure why… she should have been glad… but somehow, in that moment, Bo felt a need to grieve for the loss of the man who had made the worst contributions to her life. Maybe she was mourning the loss of the man she had dreamed might be her Father for all of those years she searched. Maybe she was mourning the loss of the father never knew but desperately wanted. Either way, she was sad.

Mary added, "I know. I was confused by my feelings as well. I hated that man for all he did to our family, but at some point, I think I had love for him."

"Okay then. We'll talk about your role in the morning." Bo said as she turned to walk away, but she stopped short, turning back to her Mom, "I've worked all of my life to have what I have now. You taught me much of what I know about training dogs and I'm sure there are lessons I can still learn from you. That said, I've created a system of my own, too. I'm a three-time Iditarod Champion and I'm hoping that earns me some respect in your eyes. I just don't want to get into a battle with you over how to raise the kids, because honestly, I have almost no respect for you as a parent given the choices you've made with your own children… except for Rudy."

Bo sighed, "If you try to take over my dogs, control my business, turn my friends or family against me or in any way, shape or form contribute to a negative environment in my life or that of Lauren or Rudy's, you will not be welcome here."

Mary nodded, "Understood. Know my boundaries. I still have a place to earn. You're the boss. I'm here on probation so be on my best behavior."

"Your probation as you call it, is for life, Mom. I will never accept mistakes from you because you've already made a lifetime of them."

"Screw up, I'm gone." Mary nodded.

"Exactly." Bo replied, "I'm home and I'm never leaving again unless Rudy is with me. I won't let what happened to me happen to her. Not ever."

Bo turned to walk away, but stopped again, walking back to Mary so that she could keep her voice down, "And while I still have to talk to Lauren about it, with her blessing, I will accept your proposal about legal custody. Not because I'd make a good parent, but because I know that the good doctor would never allow me to do anything to hurt my little sister. She'll be a good parent… not a screw up."

This time, the brunette did walk away, leaving Mary to walk back to the river to think about their conversation. Bo knew her last statement was unnecessary… maybe even uncalled for, but she just couldn't let it be. Sure, her Mom had played a big role in saving the homestead, her friends… maybe even Bo herself, but she also needed to be sure her Mom knew that things hadn't changed because of one or two acts of bravery. Mary Dennis had left her behind for over a decade and in Bo's mind, she still had trust to earn and Bo wasn't giving in to forgiveness too easily on that front. Honestly, she was unsure if she would ever forgive Mary Dennis… or trust her to stay.

"Come on, Rudy. Lauren and I will tuck you in with stories of Boston." Bo smiled as Rudy ran to her side, taking her hand.

Lauren followed behind, but Rudy stopped, reaching back for her, "Come on, Lauren! I wanna learn about Boston!"

The blonde smiled, taking the little girls' hand with a smile, "Okay, but let's get you tucked in first."

"Wait!" Rudy said, turning towards the river, "Goodnight Little Woot!"

Lauren and Bo laughed, but Rudy took a few steps towards the river, "What's my Mom doing?"

Bo looked up to see her Mom and smiled, "She's praying."

"She prays by singing?" Rudy asked, "I've never seen her do that before."

"You've never seen her in Alaska before. That's another Athabascan lesson. We'll learn tomorrow." Bo smiled, "So, Boston stories?" Bo asked.

Rudy turned to the couple with an excited smile, "I'm gonna hurry up! I can't wait to hear about the big city!"

Bo and Lauren laughed as she ran off to get herself ready for bed.

"Well, there are definitely differences between Bo and Rudy Dennis." Bo chuckled.

"Really? How's that?" Lauren asked.

Bo chuckled, "I would never have asked about a big city let alone get that excited over hearing about one."

"Oh?" Lauren smiled, taking Bo's hand, "And what stories would have gotten a young Ysabeau excited in her childhood?"

Bo smiled, closing her eyes as she leaned into Lauren, "Tales of Denali, Togo - the true hero of the Balto story… that sort of thing." She stared out at her Mom, memories rushing forward, "Any Athabascan tale."

Bo paused, nodding towards her Mom, "You know, she would sing to me like that every night."

Lauren wrapped her arm under Bo's elbow, "So there are good memories of Ysabeau and Mary Dennis."

Bo nodded, "There are. They're just buried under the bad." She smiled, "I loved being in her presence. She taught me how to hunt, fish, sled – she taught me everything. I loved being with her whether we were racing across the tundra or roaming through the backcountry in the Yukon checking traps. I loved climbing with her, ice fishing with her. I loved my Mom so much."

Lauren smiled, "Sounds like you were two adventuring peas in a pod."

Bo nodded, "We really were."

"Well, I'm glad my girlfriend had a happy childhood with one of her parents."

Bo nodded, "I know that's more than you got. I suppose I should be grateful I had a Mom who showed that she loved me every day."

Lauren shrugged, "I had my Nanny and Grandmother. I had a lot of love from them."

Bo was quite for a moment before turning them back towards the house to head inside, "By the way – you called me your girlfriend. Unless you've forgotten or changed your mind, I'm your fiancé, yes?"

Lauren laughed, raising Bo's hand to her lips and kissing the ring on her finger, "Yes and I can't wait until I'm bound to you in every way humanly possible."

Bo grinned, kissing Lauren on the cheek before looking back to her Mom one last time, "I know with how things are right now this might be hard to believe, but… she was my world when I was Rudy's age and beyond." She lowered her eyes, shaking her head, "And that world crashed down around me when she was suddenly gone, Lauren. I just don't know how to forgive her for that."

"Give it time, Bo… a lot of time. At some point, new memories will replace the old and hopefully your heart will find its way… maybe not. In the end, you have a lot of people in your life that you can love and trust who also love and trust you – starting with that little girl inside."

Bo nodded, giving her fiancé a small peck on the lips before they both turned to the sound of the youngest Dennis' voice coming from the back door,

"Sister! Lauren! Hurry up! I'm in my pajamas!"

Bo laughed, "Don't forget to brush your teeth!"

"Oops!" She said, running back inside.

Bo shook her head, smiling at Lauren, "My little sister is a handful… but she's adorable."

Lauren nodded, "That she is."

Bo kissed her hand as they headed up the steps to the back porch. She stopped, looking at the house, "I missed this place."

"Me too." She smiled, "I didn't realize it until I pulled into the driveway."

Bo smiled, "I'm glad you're happy to be here." She took a deep breath taking one last look back at her mountain hovering over the river, "It's good to be home, Lauren."

Lauren smiled, "It certainly is."

"I really don't want to talk about it right now, but – well, we promised no secrets. Apparently, you have something to think about. It's a pretty big ask and my Mom just dropped it on me while you were playing with Rudy and the pups."

"Oh?" Lauren asked.

Bo nodded, "I can hold onto it if you'd rather not carry another heavy thing to bed."

"Your weight is my weight. Lay it on me." Lauren smiled.

"And that's why I love you so much." Bo smiled, "My Mom wants to sign over legal custody of Rudy to me so that if she does something stupid, I have the power to do right by Rudy."

"Wow. That's really… wow." Lauren said, fumbling to find the words Bo might want to hear, but the brunette reassured her,

"Lauren, we're going to talk about this. I'm not going to take on custody of a child if you're not on board with it."

Lauren shook her head, "Don't misunderstand, Bo. I'm completely on board if that's what you want. I'm just surprised that Mary would allow that to happen let alone offer it to you."

"You think I should do it? I mean… if my Mom screws up, it means we would have a kid… possibly a teenager which, by the way, may make me want to poke my own eyes out."

Lauren smiled, "Maybe, but at least Rudy would have her sister-in-law to confide in. I'll always be the cool one when you're playing the heavy."

"Great. I get to be bad cop to your good cop?" Bo asked.

Lauren snickered, "Well, we could always bring Dyson in to play bad cop."

Bo laughed, "See? You already have great parenting advice for me."

"Come on. Let's not keep the little sister waiting." Lauren smiled, pulling Bo along to the house, "We'll talk more about this later."

When they reached the door, Bo turned, looking back at her Mom one last time, the sound of her voice carrying on the wind. She smiled, closing her eyes as the soothing sounds took her back to her childhood. She translated the words in her mind, mouthing them quietly to herself,

"Sleep my beautiful child, I will protect you. Sleep my beautiful child, the spirits will guide your dreams. Sleep my beautiful child, my love surrounds you. Sleep my beautiful child, you are safe, I am here, you are loved."

Bo opened her eyes, "Too bad it was only temporary."

She turned and walked inside.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **Talkeetna, Grand Re-Opening of Lauren's Clinic**_

"…and so, it is with great pride, that I announce, on behalf of Mayor Stubbs, the Ruby Clinic of Talkeetna, Alaska, is officially re-opened for business!"

The crowd erupted with applause, while the dogs both in and outside of the kennel barked in support of the declaration as well. Lauren waved, stepping to the microphone,

"Thank you, Mayor Stubbs and may I wish you a very happy retirement as you ride off into the sunset… what little sun there is… with your feline companion, Miss Tootsie."

Again, the crowd applauded as Lauren watched her fiancé laugh while she shook the front paw of the elected Mayor of Talkeetna. The doctor then ceremoniously opened the front door of the clinic before raising the microphone to her mouth once more,

"Now, I turn your attention to the first emergency medical helicopters servicing the Anchorage-Talkeetna line, courtesy of Lewis-Archer Medical Associates. We promise to provide full time services to our region as long as these vehicles are able to fly. We expect response times to be much faster as we incorporate the new ambulatory services that will service not only our local area but provide support for all of our business ventures inclusive of additional support to existing park rescue services on Denali."

Approval was again reflected in the cheers of the crowd as the choppers lifted off the ground from their landing pads adjacent to the clinic. Everyone held onto their hats and covered their ears, though their eyes remained trained on the grand sight. Once the aircraft were gone, Lauren continued,

"We have all sat through days and days of meetings that have led to this occasion and I'd like to thank each and every one of you for helping us to decide on exactly what support we needed. We hope that by filling the gaps in the previous care provided that we will all live happier and healthier lives."

With a wave, Lauren left the makeshift stage to yet another round of cheers before heading to where Bo and the rest of their family stood. There were hugs and congratulations as people made their way to her before she noticed Stephen, Betsy, Patrick and Penelope having what appeared to be a very serious conversation on the front porch of the clinic with Rudy and Elise.

She got Bo's attention before nodding towards the group. The pair met each other in the open space away from the crowd, Bo speaking first,

"What's that all about?"

Lauren shrugged, "I have no idea."

They walked to the gathering, listening to catch a hint of the topic before arriving at the porch. Bo had decided that the clinic needed a porch so that there was a place for people to leave their boots in the winter or to hang out if they were waiting in the summer.

"This is quite the meeting of the minds." Lauren smiled.

Stephen nodded, "And these two young minds are quite intelligent. Why didn't you tell me there were young children who were ready for University in this town?"

"Really? We can skip the rest of school and go to college?" Elise asked as Rudy nodded her agreement with the idea.

Bo smiled, "Sadly, no. You will both have to report to Mrs. Collier's fourth grade classroom on Monday. Once you finish elementary school, middle school and then high school. I promise that you will both be able to go to any university you choose… if you want to go to… university."

She looked at Lauren who frowned. Clearly, they would have a philosophical difference on the college front.

"So what were we all talking about?" Lauren asked, directing her question towards Stephen.

He smiled, "They were asking about Boston and what it's like to live in the big city."

Lauren could see Bo's shoulders slump, so she gave her a reassuring nudge, "And what did you learn?"

Rudy shrugged, "That it might be a nice place to visit, but here is way more fun. I don't like a lot of crowds and noise and it sounds like there wouldn't be anywhere for my dogs to run unless we drove a long time to the woods."

Elise added, "And they only have snow for a couple of months and it actually melts in the winter. Here it never melts until spring. And did you know that in the summer it can be over a hundred degrees? That's really, really hot! I don't think I could breathe!"

Lauren laughed, "It does get pretty hot there."

Bo frowned as she replied, "But there are beaches where you can cool off if you really want to be there."

Lauren leaned over to her fiancé, "What are you doing?"

"The choice should be theirs." Bo shrugged.

"Well that's very big of you." Lauren replied.

"Believe me, it pains me to say anything encouraging about the big city. I'm terrified they'll want to leave here one day."

Lauren nodded, "Me too, but you're right. They have to live their lives."

Rudy suddenly looked up, gripping Elise's arm. Her friend followed suit before the pair started jumping up and down. It took a few moments for the adults to catch on, but when they began to yell, it became clear,

"Snow! Snow! It's snowing!" Rudy yelled!

Elise smiled, "We're gonna have so much fun! I'm gonna show you all the great stuff we can do in snow!"

Rudy turned to her big sister, "And my dogs can pull a sled, right?"

Bo shook her head, "A little plastic sled, yes, but just the sled, Rudy. They're too young to pull you too. They'll get hurt."

"I know, I know but I just want them to feel like real sled dogs. I think they'll be proud!" Rudy smiled.

Bo nodded, "They'll be just as happy pulling a stick around… probably happier, actually. I don't know that they're mature enough to pull together as a team. Give them time to grow up. For now, they're going to be very distracted by the snow, so you'll be fighting their instincts to get them to do things they usually do without question."

"That's what Mom told me too."

"Well, Mom is right, so don't push them too hard." Bo cautioned.

"Or I'll ruin them forever. I know." Rudy sighed, tired of being reminded about things over and over, "I heard you the first time."

Bo cocked her head as she warned, "Careful there, Little Miss Attitude. I hope you know because I'd hate to see all of their training go to waste. One of them is going to be your Harper one day."

"And I'll be a champion?" Rudy's eyes went wide, her smile beaming.

Elise elbowed her friend, grinning, "Only if you can beat me!"

Rudy laughed, "We should take turns winning!"

"Okay. Deal!" Elise nodded.

They friends shook on their deal and turned their attention back to the snowflakes that were quickly sticking to the ground around them. Bo looked up at the sky, noting the start of sundown would soon be approaching. The light was beginning to fade closer to darkness, something Bo welcomed. She hated the endless hours of daylight that took over from late spring to early fall… always had. It sounded depressing to some, but Bo enjoyed the change from light to dark and back again. She also never minded the endless hours of darkness in the winter. The glow of the white snow under the moon was plenty of light for her taste. Besides, the dogs knew the way even when she couldn't see where she was going.

Stephen slapped his hands on his lap, "Well, I think it's time we head inside. My old bones can feel the temperature dropping."

Lauren smiled, "Do you need anything in the apartment?"

Betsy shook her head, "The place is great, Lauren. Really."

The doctor turned to her other friends, "Patrick? Penelope? Is Kenzi taking good care of you at the hotel?"

Penelope smiled, "She's the best. We're actually going out in Anchorage tonight."

"You are?" Lauren asked.

Penelope nodded, "Your Nurse friends, Kenzi, Vex, Tamsin, Kyle and Kurt are all going with us."

Bo and Lauren looked at each other before Bo replied, "Oh. Well… have a good time then."

Penelope held out a hand, "Wait… you two aren't coming?"

"Are we invited?" Bo asked.

Penelope nodded, "Kenzi was going to text you, Bo."

The brunette pulled out her phone and smiled at the five texts her best friend had sent. She scrolled through smiling until laughter struck on the last few texts. She handed her phone to Lauren who grinned,

"Apparently, Bo is a…" she looked at the young girls who were tuned in on their conversation, "… thing I can't mention, and she needs to stop putting her phone on silent so Kenzi can get hold of her in an emergency."

Penelope asked, "A night out is an emergency?"

"Bo being at Kenzi's beckoned call is a basic food group with Kenzi." Lauren laughed, "And booze is – by definition – an emergency in Kenzi's book."

"What about Hale?" Bo asked, "He's not going?"

Penelope shook her head, "Apparently Hale has to work because that Sherriff Dyson guy is going to be here for the weekend."

"Here?" Bo asked.

Stephen replied, "He's guarding the mayor."

Betsy laughed, "How in the world did a cat get elected mayor of your town?"

Bo shrugged, "The town voted him in and when the town votes on something, it stands. Besides, Stubbs has been a great mayor. He always calls for a full town vote on all matters which makes everyone feel a sense of ownership. People are more involved in the decisions, so everyone just seems happier."

"Let's face it. Everyone is happier without Dad making the decisions."

Bo and Lauren turned to see Tosh walking towards them. Bo smiled, walking to her big brother and giving him a hug,

"You're late."

Tosh smiled, hugging Lauren, "Sorry I missed your big opening, Doc."

"I'll forgive you this time, but don't let it happen again." Lauren smiled.

Bo loved the relationship that had been growing between her fiancé and brother. The two were spending more time together when the family came to the homestead and they'd both found common interests in breeding and raising puppies. In fact, they were planning on a new litter in spring if all went well.

Tosh gave a nod towards Mayor Stubbs and Dyson, "I'm so glad I got to see Sheriff Thornwood guarding the Mayor, though. Did anyone get any pictures of that?"

Everyone laughed as Tosh continued, "Big bad Dyson's big security detail is guarding a cat against would-be assassins. Poor bastard. As if getting rejected by my sister wasn't bad enough, he's reduced to cat-guard."

The whole group laughed until Tosh added,

"Okay, people. That's enough gloating. I probably should be more grateful to the man. We should all remember that our Bo would be dead now if Dyson hadn't intervened when she was in prison all of those years ago."

Bo's mind was instantly thrown back to the cold cell where she was left wet and bloodied by Big Jim after her dogs had been shot to death in front of her. Just as an image of Dyson stepping in came to her, she felt a warm hand on her neck and looked up to see Lauren's kind and caring eyes firmly set on her own. The blonde smiled as Molly's voice filled the air,

"What do you say we all head down to the hotel for Kenzi's big brunch? This is supposed to be a celebration, remember?"

Tosh grinned, "Yea, I hear my little sister's getting hitched! From misfit to married in a year, huh?"

Bo shrugged, "What can I say? I mean, have you seen my fiancé? How could I say no?"

"Hey!" Lauren protested, but Tosh wrapped an arm over her shoulder, replying in a sarcastic tone,

"Don't worry, Lauren. We all know she really loves you for your mad dog sledding skills."

The blonde slapped her future brother-in-law in the gut, "I'm laying down the challenge, big brother. When that snow is deep enough, it'll be you, me and a three-dog team from the clinic to our homestead. Loser cooks dinner for the whole family."

"Speaking of food, can we go? I'm starving!" LJ insisted, leading the way down Main Street.

Bo and Lauren followed, the blonde snuggling into Bo's arm, "It's chilly out here."

Bo nodded, "Did you want to run into the clinic and get something to wear before we go?"

Shaking her head, the blonde smiled, "You'll keep me warm. You okay?"

Bo nodded, "I'm okay as long as I have you to anchor me to the present."

"Always." Lauren smiled.

"Okay then, let's get these dogs back to the kennel so we can go eat."

Lauren noticed the two little girls following the larger group and yelled to them, "Rudy! Elise! You've got to feed your pups before you feed yourselves!"

The pair came running back to Bo and Lauren, calling out to the puppies and the other dogs. They all came running when Bo gave a whistle to help the pair with getting the dogs to obey. Looking up once more, Bo turned to Lauren,

"I should have checked the weather. This looks like it could get bad, Lauren."

"I thought you said the snow in September was usually just flurries."

"Flurries for Alaska, but a normal amount for the first snow back east for you." Bo replied.

"Let's grab some coats from the kennel. I have a feeling a lot of people will need them." Lauren suggested, "I'd rather not start flu season any earlier than we have to. I do not want a repeat of last year."

Bo nodded, "Me either and I'm sure Kurt would agree as well. At least no one will be poisoning the water."

Lauren smiled, "Do you think Kurt is happy with his new job?"

"Haven't you heard him? He can't stop talking about being the Chief Engineer of The Lewis-Asher Sky Rescue Team!" Bo laughed, "Now that Kyle's getting around better, he's free to do what really makes him happy and flying… well, he's just in his element when he's in the air."

Lauren nodded, "We really have to come up with a better name for the team. I hate having Lewis-Archer slapped on the side of everything."

Bo shrugged, "I'd say you two have more than earned it after putting up with Evony for all of those years."

"I suppose." Lauren said with a shiver.

Bo took Lauren's hand spinning her back to pull her close, "Let me give you a hug… warm you up a bit."

Lauren didn't question the gesture, immediately tucking her head into the crook of Bo's neck as the brunette spoke softly,

"Lauren, I just want to thank you for… well… you and Stephen… you've injected life into this town by bringing the clinic, the hospital and now the Sky Rescue team to us. I guess I just want you to know that, personally, I'm grateful for what you've done for Kurt. I've never seen him so happy. Of course, before I really wasn't paying much attention to him because I was stuck in my own shit. But since our friendship has grown, he's become very important to me and to my family and friends. I just… thank you."

"Bo…" Lauren smiled, cupping her face, "You never have to thank me for what I do here. This is my home now, too and what's good for them is good for me and my family… and for you. I guess what I'm trying to say is that my motives are purely selfish." Lauren laughed.

"Aha. The ulterior motive is finally revealed." Bo smiled, "But I don't ever want you to think I'm taking what you offer… all you gave up… for granted. Bringing in that specialist for Kyle has made all the difference."

Lauren smiled, "She's my friend too, Bo. I want only the best for everyone here and if using my former title and connections helps me to achieve that, then so be it."

Bo nodded, pulling Lauren's hood up on her jacket, "I know you're cold, so let's get moving."

Smiling, the doctor nodded, "Just so you know, I really like Kurt and… well, all the volunteer work he did last flu season getting me to patients who were out of reach… he's such a good man and… well, I want him to be happy and proud of the work he's doing. While it's noble that he volunteered his time, his plane and all of the fuel, I also knew that he couldn't continue to fund his own charitable work. I'm happy that I could employ someone with his work ethic to teach the emergency personnel that applied to work for the rescue service."

Bo smiled, "Happy employees are the best employees. I speak from experience. There's an energy that's been injected into this town with Evony expelled and Lewis-Asher, Inc. taking over. You two know how to run a company and achieve all of the goals. Happy employees, happy customers, happy community, great products. Mostly, I just think everyone is glad that bitch-from-hell is gone."

"Well, any step away from Evony was bound to be a step towards happiness." Lauren commented as they entered the kennel.

Bo nodded, "Amen. You grab a pull cart of coats and I'll settle the dogs in with the girls – then, we'll get to the party."

"Okay. Meet you back here in fifteen." Lauren smiled.

"See you soon." Bo winked.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **The Dal Riata, later that evening…**_

"It's so good to get out of that hotel and into my happy place." Kenzi commented as she and her friends sidled up to the bar, waving for a round of beers, "Granted, it's a lady lovin' kind of establishment, but since Hale had to work tonight, I can just get smashed and watch all of you ladies dust off your muffs."

Bo cocked her head, "For your information, my muff is very well dusted now that we're back in Alaska."

Kenzi closed her eyes, "Eeewww. I do not need the details of you and the Doc, thank you very much."

"No details. I just wanted you to know that everything in that department is a-okay. Exceptional, in fact. With my Mom and Rudy moved into that outer room, the loft is a-rockin'!"

"Again. Eeewww!" Kenzi said, lifting her beer and taking a long, long swig.

"Geez, Kenz. Pace yourself." Bo said, watching her friend wave down the bartender for another beer.

"There will be no pacing tonight. Maria is covering the hotel and I intend to live life to the fullest. You never know when Momma's gonna get another free night."

Bo shrugged, "I told you to hire a manager, Kenzi. If you did that, you wouldn't have to work every damn day."

"What? And give up the one place where I can drink all day for free?" Kenzi asked.

Bo shook her head, "Your liver is on a one-way trip to…"

"Oblivion. Now go. Have fun with your lady love. The dance floor awaits." Kenzi said, turning around and spotting Lauren, "And it looks like she's started the first dance without you. Better go stake your claim, BoBo or that chick is gonna try to step in on your woman."

"What?" Bo asked, immediately withdrawing the mug from her lips, swiping her mouth dry and turning to face the dance floor. It took a moment to find her, but when she did, her jaw dropped open at the sight of her fiancé, arms overhead, eyes closed and hips swaying in perfect rhythm to the music. Bo was mesmerized, her body completely aroused by the sight before her. They should have come out dancing long ago. Bo wasn't particularly into dancing. She didn't really know how to dance… publicly… but when she was a kid, she would dance with her friends at school dances on weekends… native dance.

The sound of the music was replaced by the silent screams of anger in her mind when she saw a woman come up behind Lauren, her body meeting the blonde's. Lauren's eyes remained closed until a hand wrapped around her waist. Her eyes flew open, her face covered in shock as she quickly pulled the woman's hand away and stepped back.

The woman said something to Lauren. Bo didn't have to hear anything to know that Lauren wasn't happy with the comment. She went to move forward but was shocked to see Lauren shove the woman back. The blonde spat out a reply, a firm finger wagging in the other woman's face, but apparently the offender hadn't learned her lesson. She smiled, offered the blonde a laugh and then moved towards her again.

Vex spoke, leaning into Bo's ear from behind, "You going to step in there, Bo? That woman is hitting on your hot, hot lady love, Dearie."

The brunette kept her eyes on Lauren, not turning towards Vex's voice, "Lauren can take care of herself. She doesn't need anyone to rescue her."

"You sure about that Lovie?" He asked.

But Bo was already watching the fingers of her fiancé's right-hand curl into a fist before she cocked her elbow back and let the hammer fly. The woman fell back into her friends, gripping her jaw, a mix of pain and shock on her face. Lauren was immediately flanked by Penelope, Caroline, Shannon and Kelly who held the blonde back as her finger once again wagged at the woman while she shouted something Bo couldn't hear over the music.

When the altercation was over, the crowd was cheering Lauren's right hook and the ladies were dragging the blonde over to Bo. The brunette welcomed the blonde into her arms, whispering,

"That was hot!"

Lauren laid her head on Bo's chest, "I think I broke my hand on her face."

"I know a doctor." Bo smiled.

"Seriously. That was stupid. My hands are my job. I need ice." Lauren frowned, showing Bo her hand.

The brunette took the pained limb into her hand and kissed the reddened knuckles, "Was it worth it?"

Lauren looked back over her shoulder where the woman was being shoved into a booth, "Absolutely."

"What on earth did she say to you?"

Kelly couldn't help herself, "She said Doc looked like a top-notch fuck."

Bo looked at Kelly, "She said what?"

Kenzi spit out her beer, angry eyes landing on Kelly before she grabbed Bo's arm, "Easy there, killer. Doc already handled it."

"No. She really didn't." Bo said, taking two steps forward, but Kenzi's grip was persistent,

"Bo, don't go starting anything. We're just here for a good time."

Bo turned to the bar, "Shirley?"

"Yea, Bo?"

"Did you see that woman that hit on my fiancé?"

Shirley nodded, "Sure did. Nice move by the Doc. Notice she stood up for herself and _didn't_ break any furniture, Bo? Then again, not the type of words I like to hear thrown around in my bar."

"Yea, well I didn't like what she said to her much either. Do you know her?"

Shirley shrugged, "Tourist, far as I know."

"So you wouldn't mind if I took out the trash?"

Shirley shrugged again, "Not as long as you and your friends make up the difference in my pocket."

Bo patted Kenzi on the back, "That's why we brought Kenzi."

The brunette smiled, but the younger raven-haired patron's mouth dropped open, "Are you paying my tab?"

"Drinks are on me tonight, Kenzi." Bo replied.

"Really?" Kenzi asked, a big grin stretching across her face.

Bo nodded, "No top shelf."

Kenzi released her friend, clapping her hands together, "Do your worst, BoBo… but don't break Shirley's furniture. Kurt has a new job so he doesn't have time to fix it."

Kenzi paused, gripping Bo's upper arm before the brunette could take a step, "And don't kill her Bo."

Bo nodded, "Leave the humans alive. Got it."

Kenzi turned to Shirley who grinned down at the young hotel owner from the elevated bar, "Vodka?"

"Shirls, you know me too well."

The bartender winked, "Not well enough."

"You know I don't swing that way, Shirls."

"Too bad." She smiled, setting the glass in front of Kenzi and giving her a long pour.

"Come to Momma!" Kenzi said, squealing with excitement.

Bo smiled at Shirley, "Take care of her."

"I've got her, Bo. Long pours until she's slurring, watered-down short pours until her head hits the bar."

"Thanks, Shirley. I'll just be a minute. No charge for the trash removal."

Shirley nodded, "I don't want Dyson down here, Bo."

"No worries. He won't be needed." Bo smiled, taking her coat in hand, "Besides, he's on the Mayor's detail right now. Hales in charge down here as far as I know."

Shirley watched as the brunette gave a confused Lauren a kiss on the cheek before exiting through the rear of the bar.

"Where is she going?" Lauren asked Shirley.

"Oh, I think you'll recognize her when she comes back in through the front door." Shirley smiled, "Then again, you mostly know the new Bo Dennis, so you might not recognize her when she comes back in."

Shirley gave a nod to the door as it flew open, slamming back against the wall. A dark figure entered, snow dusting over the a tanned, fur-lined hood and black leather gloves. The person looked left, then right as the mumbles started to rush through the crowd,

" _That's Bo Dennis."_

" _She looks pissed."_

" _I thought she was nice now."_

" _After she killed all Big Jim's men for what he did, I wouldn't count on it."_

They watched as Bo turned to the woman in the booth who was holding a glass to her jaw. Bo took several steps in the woman's direction, the crowd continuing to whisper,

" _That was the woman the Doc punched."_

" _Oh, man. She hit on Bo's girl. She's a dead woman."_

" _Didn't your hear Kenzi? They're engaged. She hit on Bo's wife-to-be. Definitely a dead woman."_

Another client called out to Shirley who smiled and waved her off. Lauren saw Shirley smile, her eyes moving to Kenzi who was buried in a drink and then to Bo. She watched as her fiancé moved to the end of the table before quickly covering the distance across the now-still dance floor. The music was silenced as all eyes turned to the scene before them.

Lauren moved to Bo's side, reaching into the hood and lifting the brunette's chin so that her eyes met her own,

"Bo, it's okay." Lauren said, worried. She hadn't seen Bo's eyes like this since the first day they'd met… the day of the strangers going toe-to-toe with Bo in Tosh's store.

"Nah. It's really not. A woman shouldn't treat any woman like." She turned back to the woman in question who was looking at the worried faces around the bar. She straightened up in the seat, turning slightly towards Bo as whispers of the 'dangerous woman' filtered through her ears.

Bo pulled her hood back, her steely black eyes glaring down at the woman. She opened her coat and shrugged it off of her shoulders, revealing her muscled frame.

"Whoa." The woman said, her eyes roaming over Bo's body.

"If I were you, I'd keep your eyes on mine or the lady next to me… my fiancé… will likely hit you with another right hook."

The woman's eyes darted around, unsure of where to go before they finally landed on Bo's, "Uh… I…"

"Don't speak. Just listen. You do know what listening is, don't you?"

"Uh… yes… I mean…"

"You see, you're not listening. You're speaking. I told you not to speak."

Bo pulled a knife from the sheath on the back of her waist. As much as she tried, she still had not abandoned carrying a weapon with her wherever she went. Right now, she was grateful she hadn't stopped carrying. She had no intention of actually using it on the woman, but she certainly appreciated the intimidation factor it was in this moment. She grinned as she leaned in towards the woman, thrusting the knife into the table between the woman's first and middle digit.

"You know, I knew a beautiful, blue-eyed auburn-haired woman like yourself one time, but she was never so disrespectful as to put her hands on someone without an invitation first."

"I… uh…"

Bo lifted the knife and thrust it down between the woman's middle and fourth finger this time, "You're speaking again…"

"Uh… sorry. I…"

Bo lifted the knife and thrust it down between the woman's thumb and index finger. The woman opened her mouth to speak, but closed it,

"Good. You know how to listen. You know, I really should write a book about my teaching methods." Bo smirked, "Now… where was I before you interrupted me."

Kenzi had strolled over to where Bo was holding court. She folded an arm across her body, her other arm waving her drink as she spoke,

"She had no invitation."

"Right. Thanks, Kenz."

"No problem, BoBo. I'm always gonna be the Robin to your Batman… the sidekick to your superhero… your bestie… your confidant…"

"Kenzi…" Lauren cautioned.

The younger woman quietly faked a zipper closing over her lips before tossing an imaginary key over her shoulder and taking a swig of her drink.

"The woman you laid your hands on is my fiancé. She proposed to me and I accepted. Now, unless I'm imagining things, you're not a part of that… not a part of my world… as a matter of fact, I've never seen you in these parts which tells me you're an outsider."

The woman opened her mouth, but Bo pulled her knife from the table and laid the cool steel over the woman's lips before she could speak,

"Now, as a guest in our community, I would hope that you wouldn't come in here thinking that Alaskan women are easy prey for the likes of you. There's no code here… none of that…"

She turned to Kenzi, "What's that saying, Kenz?"

"What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas?"

"Right. That's the one." She turned back to the woman, "There's no what happens in Alaska stays in Alaska thing here. There's Alaskans and outsiders. Now… which one are you?"

The woman did not speak.

"Oh, for crying out loud! Speak!"

"Outsider."

"And how long are you here?" Bo asked.

"Three days."

Bo nodded, "So you thought you would come here, bed some of our women and run back to the Lower forty-eight to tell all of your friends back home about your wild Alaskan adventure with the wild women of our state?"

"Uh… I…"

Bo laughed, "Well, you're right. Alaskan women are a wild bunch between the sheets. Too wild for the likes of you. There is, however, plenty of other wild things for you to do while you're here. I mean, this is Alaska after all. It's the wildest wild country in all fifty states. Come on. I'll show you."

Bo donned her coat and pulled up her hood, stepping towards the exit. When the woman remained seated, the brunette turned back to her,

"That wasn't a polite invitation. That was a request. Now, you can either come with me or I'll drag your ass out of that booth."

"Listen, lady. I don't know who you are, but we're not about to let you take our friend…"

A woman from the crowd that Bo recognized as a local spoke up, "That's Bo Dennis and if I were you, I'd do as she asks, sweetie."

The woman turned to the stranger in the crowd, "Well, you're not me and I don't care who she is."

Bo flipped her knife over in her hand, catching the point and throwing it just past the woman's nose into the wall at the center of the booth, taking the napkin from her hand with it,

"You were saying?" The woman in the crowd asked.

"Amelia, come on. Let's just go."

The women all nodded, standing from the booth. Bo smiled, "Great! A group experience. I love it!"

"Bo…" Lauren cautioned.

The brunette turned and smiled at her fiancé, "It's okay, Lauren. I promise. I won't hurt them."

"Hurt us?" Amelia asked, "As if you could take us all?"

"Oh boy." Kenzi laughed, "You ladies just don't know when to quit, do you."

The second woman looked at Kenzi as she pulled on her coat, "I hardly doubt that you can help her."

Kenzi turned to Lauren, "Hold my drink."

Bo put up a hand, "I've got this, Kenzi. Come on, Ladies."

Kenzi looked at Lauren, rolling her eyes, "They're so lucky Bo called me off. I would have taken those women to church! You know what I mean, right Vex?"

Vex patted Kenzi on the back, "Sure, Kenz. We know what you mean."

The brunette opened the door for the three women, following them through the exit after a quick glance to Lauren. They headed outside where the snow was falling much heavier. Bo was grateful they had stopped for their winter gear before heading to dinner. They would have been barhopping in short sleeves and Lauren would be dealing with hypothermia again.

"Now what, bad-ass?" The woman asked, hands on hips.

"Now, you three ladies walk away. Head to some other bar in some other town or better yet – go catch an early flight back to wherever you came from. You're not wanted here."

"Says who?"

"Says me."

Bo turned to see Vex standing next her, his knife at his side.

"And me."

Bo looked to her other side to see a woman she recognized from the jewelry store down the street from the Kennel.

"And us."

Bo turned, seeing Lauren's nurses. She smiled, earning a smile in response. She looked beyond them and say the bar emptying out as more and more of her townspeople came to her side. Finally, Lauren came to stand beside her,

"You put your hands on me without my permission. You were vulgar in your approach to a woman who was a total stranger… an engaged total stranger. I can't imagine that's okay anywhere, but if it is, you now know that it's not a welcome behavior here."

The stranger laughed, "Dang! You guys are totally blowing this out of proportion! I didn't mean anything by it. Geez, I'm sorry. She's a beautiful woman and I was just telling her how hot she was! As if none of you ever told a girl she was hot and desirable. It was a compliment!"

Bo stepped towards the woman, "What you said to my fiancé was not a compliment! It was crude and disgusting – especially coming from you, a total stranger! Then you put your hands on her?"

"Oh shit, Amelia. What did you say?" The woman's friends said from either side of her.

"What?" She laughed, "Guys, she's hot. I just referenced what a good… uh…"

"Fuck she would be?" Bo asked.

"Shit." The woman's friends replied, stepping back from her as Bo approached.

"Walk." Bo said, her eyes shiny, dark and still as steel.

"What?" Amelia asked, stumbling backwards as Bo approached.

"Walk." Bo repeated.

"What do you mean walk?" Amelia asked.

"Walk." Bo said, giving the woman a shove towards the woods behind her.

"Walk?"

"Walk." Bo insisted, pushing her again.

"Bo!" Lauren called.

The brunette turned, smiling at Lauren, "I'll be home late. Don't worry."

"Bo!" a voice called from the bar entrance.

"Yea, Shirley?"

"Don't you break your promise."

"No Dyson or Hale."

"No Dyson or Hale." Shirley replied, tossing a pack to Bo, "Take the wilderness pack, Bo. I mean no disrespect to you and your knowledge, but the weather is turning and the outsider may need it."

Bo caught the pack and gave the bar owner a nod, "Right."

She turned to the woman, "Here… Amelia. You may need this."

She tossed the pack to the woman who caught it. She looked at her friends who just shook their heads.

"Julie! Kendra! Do something!"

The pair shrugged, "You're the one who wanted to meet the Iditarod Champion, Bo Dennis when we came to Alaska. Now, you'll have a chance to actually spend time with her."

"But that was before I knew she was… she's crazy! Look at her!" Amelia shouted, her eyes meeting Bo's.

Kenzi raised her glass, "You really shouldn't call her that. She doesn't like it! She's just all kinds of angry at her former life! Nothing crazy about being angry! Angry is just… well… angry!"

The pair disappeared into the woods as the gathering of people watched. Lauren turned to Kenzi,

"I've never seen her like this, Kenzi. What will she do?"

Kenzi chuckled and smiled, "Educate her."

"What?" Lauren asked.

"She's going to educate her, Lauren. You know, teach her about life?"

"Teach her what?" Lauren called as Kenzi turned, heading back into the bar where it was warm and dry.

She answered the blonde as she walked, waving her glass in the air, "Fear and how it keeps you from doing stupid things… or maybe she'll give her the life appreciation lesson… maybe the humble beginnings lesson…"

Shirley moved to Lauren's side, "Hi. I'm Shirley."

Lauren turned to the older woman, "Hi. I'm Lauren. Bo has told me a lot about you. It's nice to finally meet you."

Shirley shrugged, "I'm one of Bo's best kept secrets."

Lauren nodded, "Well, I'm glad she had you to keep her… human… all of these years."

Shrugging again, Shirley smiled, "Yea, well there wasn't much humanity in your fiancé's life for a lot of years. Someone had to teach her how to be human or Big Jim would have been successful at having her put down."

"So she said." Lauren nodded, her eyes searching the trees for any sign of the brunette.

Shirley placed a hand on the doctor's shoulder, "She'll be out there for hours."

"Shirley, she won't hurt her, right?"

The tavern owner laughed, "Maybe just a little bit. Mostly, she'll just teach her."

"That's what I'm afraid of." Lauren replied, taking one last look at the woods before following Shirley inside.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **The Dal Riata, Three Hours Later…**_

Kenzi was passed out in the booth while Kelly, Shannon and Caroline sat watching Lauren stare out of the window into the woods, while her teeth wore her nails to the nub.

"Lauren…"

"She should be back by now." She looked up at the three women crammed into the booth seat across from her, "What if something happened? I can't believe you told her what that woman said!"

"I'm sorry, Doc. My inside thoughts became my outside thoughts before I could stop my inside thoughts from coming out. Ow!" Kelly said turning to glare at Shannon who was glaring right back.

"Lauren, you really need to relax. Bo has lived out there her entire life. You know that just as well if not better than the rest of us. She'll be fine."

Lauren shook her head, "She was so mad at that woman… that Amelia."

Kelly nodded, "She sure does get jealous."

Lauren turned to the youngest of her nurses, "What does that mean?"

"Kelly!" Shannon whispered, elbowing her again.

"What? It's true. You saw her the other day when Kyle came into to the clinic and they hugged."

Lauren scowled, "That's ridiculous. Bo knows that Kyle and I are only friends. She also knows that Kyle is with Tamsin."

Kelly shrugged, "Is she? Tamsin hasn't been around much."

Lauren looked at Shannon and Caroline, "Did something happen with Kyle and Tamsin?"

The pair shrugged, Caroline offering a reply, "Not that we know of, Doc. Ignore Kelly. You know she's just stirring up trouble. It's what she does best."

Lauren nodded, turning back towards the woods where Bo was appearing from between two trees, dragging something.

"God, Bo!" Lauren headed for the door, pulling her coat from the rack so hard that the whole thing tipped over.

Kelly, Caroline and Shannon stood, looking out of the window, taking only a moment to realize that Lauren was going to need their help. They chased after her leaving Kenzi behind.

"Bo!" Lauren yelled, pulling up her hood as the wind whipped her in the face, the sharp sting of small crystals of ice pelting her skin, "Bo!"

"Lauren… help…"

The brunette fell forward into Lauren's arms, exhausted, "Fell into the lake… she's barely…"

"We've got her, Lauren." Caroline shouted over the sound of the wind, Kelly helping her to drag the woman into the bar while Shannon helped Lauren with Bo.

They entered the bar, Kelly shouting to Shirley who ran over to the pool tables, whisking away the balls and pushing everyone back,

"Sorry, folks! Emergencies before games. Someone call up that Sky crew. These folks are gonna need a ride back to Talkeetna."

Lauren shook her head, "No time for that. Shirley, I'm going to need two bottles of whiskey, the sharpest knife you have, a good light and all of these people out of my way."

"Amelia!" Came the voices of the woman's friends, but Penelope stepped in and backed the women up.

"Step back, Ladies. Let the doctor do her job."

"Doctor?"

Penelope nodded, "Yes, she's a doctor… the only doctor."

"That Bo woman did this! She tried to kill Amelia!"

Lauren turned towards the woman, pushing her back against the wall, "If Bo wanted her dead, she would have killed her right where you're standing hours ago."

Stepping back, Lauren remembered her professional oath and released the woman, "Come here."

She moved to Bo, lifting her arms, "See these slashes? I've seen them before. This was a bear."

She moved to Amelia, "Bo said she fell into the lake. Help me."

Lauren instructed the woman to help her roll Amelia onto her side where, as suspected, she found red and blue claw marks on the woman's back,

"She tried to run from the bear. Bo was probably shouting at her to stop, but Amelia has no experience here. Her fear response kicked in and she ran."

"That's the last thing you should do with a bear, sweet cheeks." Shirley commented, laying the things Lauren had asked for on the pool table, "Brought you ice too."

"Ice? She's frostbitten!" The woman replied.

Lauren nodded, "Yes, and anywhere but in Alaska, you wouldn't use ice, but here, it's exactly what we do on open wounds. Especially wounds this deep that I can't close right away. They have to thaw out slowly. Bo dragged her through the snow on her back intentionally to stop the bleeding and freeze the skin so that I could suture it properly. There will be less scarring and less chance of infection."

"Can you save her?"

Lauren nodded, "There's a good chance if I get to work right now."

The doctor turned to her Nurses, "Let's get to work, Ladies."

"Wait. I thought you were the only doctor?"

Shirley nodded, "She is, but these are her nurses. You got into a scrape with the right people, darlin'. Need anything else, Doc?"

Lauren shook her head, "Not just yet. Shirley, can you give Kurt a call? We're going to need a ride in about thirty minutes. We left him at the hotel."

Lauren moved around the table to Bo, speaking to her nurses, "Shannon and Carolyn, you take Amelia. Kelly, you're with me."

"Got it, Doc."

Shannon and Kelly each grabbed a bottle of whiskey, pouring it over their hands before handing the bottles to their surgical partners.

"Dang. Wasting all of that good booze." Kenzi said aloud before Vex covered her mouth and pulled her back to the bar.

Lauren rolled her eyes at Vex, causing him to shrug and reply, "Sorry. I didn't realize she was no longer unconscious."

They all set to the tedious task of removing clothing from areas of frostbitten skin. Bo was much better off than Amelia in that regard, but the claw marks on her forearms were deep and pieces of torn cloth were imbedded in the wound.

As Lauren worked, her anger grew, "Why are you always hurting yourself?"

She poured the whiskey directly into the wounds, causing Bo to wince with pain, despite her barely conscious state,

"Lauren, what are you doing!" Kelly questioned her bosses' actions.

"She obviously enjoys pain. I'm just giving her a prescribed dose. If she's going to continue to do these things to her body, then I will certainly start helping her in her efforts to be sure to finish the job in dramatic fashion."

The blonde stopped when Shannon gripped both of her wrists from behind, "I believe it's now medically unethical for you to treat this patient, given the nature of your relationship with her, Doctor Lewis. I'll take over with Miss Dennis. Why don't you handle patient number two?"

Lauren exhaled a breath she didn't know she was holding and lowered her head. She nodded and turned to Amelia. The wounds on her back were deep. Much deeper than she had originally anticipated now that the clothing was removed, and the snow washed away.

"Shirley? We're going to need Kurt as soon as possible."

"He's already on his way. Didn't have anywhere else to be since Kelly was doing girls' night."

The younger nurse laughed, "Some girls' night this turned out to be."

Shannon shook her head, "Remember who you're working on. Focus and do a good job."

Kelly's face grew serious, "Right."

"Shirley, do you have any clean white towels?" Lauren asked.

"I've got new ones in the back… still in the bag."

Lauren shrugged, "They'll have to do."

Caroline asked, "You don't like new ones?"

"She could have allergens to factory oils or dusts that we're not aware of. We'll have to use alcohol on the towels before applying them to her wounds. We'll have to keep them moist until we get to the clinic."

Kurt entered the clinic, pulling off his goggles and shaking out his hair, "Doc?"

Lauren looked up to see her friend and Chief, "How is it?"

He shook his head, "Storm blew in quick. It'll be a rough ride, but I can do it. White out conditions are grounding everything else but our bird can handle this… I'm sure of it."

"I trust your judgement." Lauren replied with a nod, "I need about five more minutes to stabilize this patient. You can load the other as soon as Shannon and Kelly give you the okay."

Kurt waved his co-pilot back to the chopper for two sleds to carry patients on before stepping forward, pulling out a pen and clipboard,

"Patient names?"

Lauren looked to the two women standing over by the window who replied, "Amelia Kelly."

Kurt looked up after writing down the name to see Lauren's scowl as she spoke, "Ysabeau Dennis."

The pilot frowned as he shook his head, "Shit. Again?"

Lauren shrugged, "You know my fiancé. When the world needs saving, she's there to handle it. I just wish she would realize she's flesh and bones just like the rest of us." Lauren tossed a piece of bloody gauze into the trash can, "She shouldn't have been out in the damn woods to begin with."

"What is it?" Kurt asked.

"Oh, you know… took on a bear again… and lost. Forearms this time." Lauren said, shaking her head.

"Defensive wounds? She didn't have a knife on her?"

Lauren looked down at Bo's lower leg, noticing the knife still in its sheath, "Looks like she didn't have time to pull it out."

"So she was saving this other woman?"

"I'm not sure, Kurt." Lauren said, taking the towels from Shirley, "I'll need the highest proof alcohol you have."

Shirley laughed, "That would be Bud's moonshine. Be right back."

"Bud's moonshine would be better on the shelves in your clinic than the shelves in Shirley's bar. No one whose got any sense drinks that stuff. She buys a case from him every month to help him out, but she uses it to clean counters, clean cuts after bar fights and then throws the leftovers out before he makes his delivery."

Shirley returned with a bottle which Lauren took. Removing the cap, she instantly pulled her face away from the opening, her face twisting in disgust,

"My gawd! What is that? It smells like it's pure rubbing alcohol."

Kurt shrugged, "Secret family recipe. No one knows. I'll tell you though, one sip of that and you'll sleep like a baby all night long."

Lauren nodded, "Good to know."

They soaked the rags before applying them to Amelia's back then watched as Kurt and his co-pilot carefully moved the woman into the sled, wrapped her in blankets, covering her completely before carrying her outside. They returned shortly after for Bo, Lauren, Shannon and Caroline, leaving Kelly to clean up the mess with Shirley.

"I'll pick you up as soon as I can Kelly." Kurt shouted.

She nodded, "Fly safe, baby."

"I will." Kurt said, giving her a smile before following the other nurses through the exit.

Kelly turned to Amelia's friends, "You'd better make yourselves comfortable. You're gonna be here for a while."

"But we're staying at a hotel up in Talkeetna. We rented a car to drive down here. Can't we just drive back?"

Shirley shook her head, "Come with me, Ladies. Let me show you why natives in these parts call outsiders like you Cheechako."

"What in the hell does that mean? You're the third person who has said that to us."

Kelly laughed, shaking her head, "It's not a compliment, darling."

Shirley opened the door, pushing the two women onto the porch, counting, "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight…"

She laughed when they ran back inside, shaking off the snow and grasping their throats, as they coughed and rubbed their eyes. Shirley closed the door and called out to the patrons,

"Anyone whose here is gonna need a room. You'll have to share, so come to the bar in groups. Four to a room, six max if you use the floor. I'm not a full-service hotel. I've have ten rooms for rent. If they're full, you're sleeping down here. Twenty bucks per person on the pool tables, ten bucks to sleep in a booth. You're sucking up my heat, so you pay to stay. Flat rate of ten dollars will get you hot stew for dinner and pancakes for breakfast because that's what Kenzi will want when she wakes up."

Shirley looked at Kenzi, shaking her head, "Soak up all that damn Senor Malbec she drank. She really has to find a new man in her life. Something more like Dr. Pepper. Her liver's gonna give out before the rest of her."

The two visitors turned to Kelly, "What the hell is happening out there?"

Kelly smiled, "That, my dear ladies, is called a good old-fashioned Alaskan snowstorm."

"Snow storm! It's September!"

Kelly smiled, "And this is Anchorage, ladies. Now, my name is Kelly. Are you going to continue to be rude or are you going to try to make some friends during your stay here so Shirley doesn't see fit to kick your asses to the curb?"

"She wouldn't!"

"You're not in Kansas, darling. She certainly would. This is her property, her rules." Kelly stood, hands on hips, "Names ladies – real names because I'm sure you aren't Julie and Kendra like Amelia said before you left."

She stared hard at the two until they finally caved,

"I'm Hallie."

"Meredith."

"Okay, Hallie and Meredith, do you have cash on you?"

They both nodded.

"Great. Go get in line and reserve a space to sleep."

The pair looked at each other before Hallie turned to Kelly, "Uh… can we stay with you?"

Tossing the last of the towels into the trash and pouring more whiskey onto her hands, she replied, "I've got Kenzi, Penelope and Patrick with me. If you want to sleep on the floor, you can join us."

"Won't it be cold on the floor?"

Kelly shrugged, "Bear skin rugs, so probably not."

"Real bear skin?"

"Furs?"

Kelly shrugged, "People around here do what they have to do to survive. If your friend hadn't run from that bear, Bo would have scared it off. If your friend hadn't run, Bo wouldn't have had to step between your friend and that bear to save her life. If your friend hadn't run, Bo would have had time to pull her knife and do more damage to the bear than it did to her."

Kelly knew she was raising her voice, but she just couldn't help it. Like everyone else, she had become part of the Bo and Lauren fan club… Bo especially since she seemed to have more in common with the brunette than she did with the doctor and the other nurses. She had taken to spending days off working at the Kennel and she really liked it. She was starting to wish she had gone into veterinary medicine. She was much better with animals than people.

"We're sorry for the trouble Amelia caused. She has a way of sticking her foot in her mouth when she drinks. We thought she was just going onto the dance floor to blow off a little steam. We had no idea she was going to hit on your friend let alone put her hands on her like she did. We couldn't get to her fast enough…"

"That woman was not just my friend. She's also my boss. She is originally from Boston and is the world's most famous cardiothoracic surgeon. Now she's here, taking care of the people of this region. She's building a new hospital and she's making a difference. People are just very protective of her… not that she needs protecting as your friend learned."

Hallie laughed, "I've never seen anyone take down Amelia with a single punch."

"She had it coming." Meredith replied.

"Sure enough." Kelly replied, "You'd better go pay Shirley and let her know you're using our floor. She'll want to account for every patron. I've got to go check on Kenzi… get her up to bed."

The pair walked to the bar leaving Kelly to walk over to Kenzi. She stood over her, hands on her hips shaking her head. She smiled, brushing some of the hair from her face to check her breathing. It was strange to Kelly to look at this woman – only two years her senior – and think about how close they had become since she made the decision to stay. Kenzi was like a sister to her. They had similar personalities, and they both enjoyed fashion, food and booze. Their boyfriends were always close friends, so the four of them had begun to hang out together at the hotel more and more over the last six months. She leaned down and tapped Kenzi on the shoulder,

"Kenz… Kenzi!"

"What!" Kenzi said, her head shooting up, mouth open, drool coming from the corner of her mouth.

"We're staying here for the night."

"What?"

"White out. We're snowed in. Come on. We've got a room upstairs."

"Right." She replied, leaning on Kelly who waved to Patrick and Penelope. The pair waved back, deciding to stay put for a little while longer just in case Lauren called with news about Bo.

It was going to be a long, cold night. It wasn't the first and likely not the last time they would all wait up while Bo lay in a hospital bed and Lauren stood vigil. At least this time, it was just Bo's arms. With any luck, she wouldn't lose any function. There would be no sledding without arms and hands that work.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_


	20. Chapter 20: Family Time

_**A/N:**_ _Hey everyone! Thanks for sharing your quarantine life! Special thanks to all of you essential workers for doing the work you do! As some of you know, I work with at-risk teens. It's tough right now as many of them are quarantined in the very places they do not feel safe. Needless to say, it's hard to support them virtually. So, if more than a little angst slides into this story, it's probably just frustration. Be well and enjoy some more time at the homestead. Some of you have told me you like Rudy, Elise and Janie. This chapter is more of a "day in the life". I'll get some time with our little trio in the near future. Enjoy!_

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **Chapter 20: Family Time**_

 _ **Clinic, Talkeetna**_

"Easy there, my lover. Where do you think you're going?" Lauren asked Bo.

She went to pull out her I.V., but Lauren covered her hand, "I said… where do you think you're going?"

"I don't need this, Lauren. I'm fine."

"Do you want to sleep on the couch for the next month?" Lauren asked, releasing Bo to plant her hands firmly on her hips

Bo released the tube, "Oh, come on! That's not fair."

"It's the only leverage I have when I'm trying to treat you since you never listen to doctor's orders."

"I do too!"

"No, Bo. You really don't and frankly, it's disrespectful…and, and… annoying! I hate that you don't respect my opinion enough to just do what I ask you to do. It's like dealing with a small child when I have to beg you to do what my medical training tells me what is important for you to do. If you want to get up and go, then go but it will be against doctors' orders and I will be incredibly angry with you… and before you ask, yes to the point that I will probably stay in my apartment upstairs for the week."

"Too bad it's not vacant." Bo chuckled.

"Patrick and Penelope are snowed in at the Dal. Shirley gave everyone rooms for the night."

"Snowed in?"

"You were out in a blizzard, Bo. Where you went and what you were doing with that Amelia woman I still don't know and I'm still guessing as to how you got these wounds. I hate to sound like a movie cliché, but your ego is writing checks that your body can't cash! Sooner or later, you're going to lose, and it terrifies me."

Bo sat quietly for a moment, her head turning to look up at the window to see them covered in snow and ice. She struggled to remember when it started to snow,

"It was snowing when I left the bar with that woman." She concluded, now recalling bits and pieces of the night, "I took her out into the woods. I wanted her to see the real Alaska… to know there is much more to our people than bars and sex. I just… I don't really know what I was doing. I remember that I wanted to beat the shit out of her for what she said to you, but I decided I needed to do something – more constructive - instead. So, I did what I used to do with Big Jim's men when they would come after me one-on-one. I would teach them something about how I lived… the hard way. I'd lead them out into the wilderness and then lose them… just to get them scared enough to back off. I'd stay in the shadows to make sure they were safe. It usually worked…"

Lauren nodded, coming to sit on the rolling stool next to Bo's bed, "So you entered the woods… then what?"

"We walked for a while. I didn't talk to her… I was just… so angry. She kept asking where we were going and I was getting really annoyed. She told me she was scared and… and I said… good… that maybe now she understood how women might feel when she talked to them the way she talked to you."

"I wasn't scared, Bo. I was pissed." Lauren replied.

Bo shook her head, "I know and so was I, but I thought of women who aren't strong like you. I thought how scared they might be of a woman of her size… if they didn't have your reflexes and will… if they couldn't defend themselves. I just couldn't stop thinking of just how handsy she might get. Don't you think?"

"I don't know." Lauren replied, honestly.

"Yea, I guess I don't either but at the time, I felt this…need… to find out just who she was. I don't know why and I know it sounds crazy, but I thought of Rudy, Elise… Janie too. I just… I felt a need to find out on behalf of all women." She shook her head, "That sounds even more ridiculous when I saw it out loud."

Lauren shook her head, "Bo, you can't fight every battle for everyone on earth."

"I'm not. I just fight the battles that choose me."

Lauren nodded, "Choose you?"

"Yes!" Bo replied, scowling, "Don't you understand? You just… you just don't see me, Lauren."

Bo began to roll over on to her side, but the I.V. tube stopped her half way. She turned her head so that Lauren wouldn't see her tears. She was turning into such a sap! She needed a good month out in the woods to toughin' up again.

Lauren came around the bed and looked at Bo, "I see you. What I don't see is you going crazy over a woman who was drunk and a little overzealous." She saw Bo cock her head and sighed, "Okay, so she was a little too forward…"

"Forward? You sound like you were raised in the dark ages. She was coming on to you and putting her hands on you… my fiancé!"

Lauren nodded, knowing that jealous Bo was rearing her head, so she decided to change the course of the conversation,

"Bo…"

"No, Lauren. I mean it. We got into this relationship and jumped right into living our lives side-by-side, day in, day out but I really don't think you see me… the real me. I don't think you really understand who I am. I mean… how could you? You only know the beginning and most recent part of my life. I've never filled in the nasty bits in between. You've never lived off grid. You think that I am the sum of my Father's abuse and the abandonment issues I have with my Mom but there's a whole part of my life that was just me – on my own. Most of the time I lived on my own with the dogs in the wilderness, but eventually over all of those years, I needed supplies and had to go into the towns."

Bo rolled onto her back, feeling Lauren's eyes on her. Usually it felt warm, but right now, the doctor was in and she felt analyzed like something under one of her microscopes. She love her fiancé, but sometimes she wished she was… a lumberjack. She continued,

"Usually, I would meet a few nice people who – despite the rumors, the stories and my less-than-friendly demeanor, traded with me, bought my skins and fish… were almost kind to me. But ultimately, I would witness the man being a little too rough with his wife, the group of men who would try to take me against my will or the guy who was just plain violent. I never saw that in the wild. You never see a bear brutalizing their mate or his cubs, you never see an Eagle diving down to peck out another birds' eyes just for the hell of it. Humans are more animals than animals are… if that makes any sense."

"But Bo, that doesn't mean every person in a bar is a rapist or serial killer."

"I didn't say they were, Lauren! You see? Even when I try to explain my point of view, I'm wrong in your eyes."

"Bo, I don't think you're wrong. I just think you lack experience with people."

The brunette chuckled, shaking her head, "Right. Your own personal Crocodile Dundee. I know the movie and I know that he comes off as an idiot in the movie. But you're right. He and I are very similar, but you know what? He was right about those men. He was right that they were bad and they were out to hurt the woman he loved. She blew it off. She didn't see the signs like he did and in the end, he had to save her. You don't see the world like I do, Lauren and you never will. It's funny, because after everything you've seen over the past year, I'd think you would realize there are some very bad people out there and not to take your chances with those who are… overzealous?"

Bo propped herself up on her elbows and looked at Lauren, "Tell me something. The very first day you walked into Big Jon's General Store, did you think Big Jim was a bad man?"

"Bo…"

"No, really, Lauren. Take a minute and think back to that day. Compare what you thought of him and what you thought when I came into the store. Who was the bad guy?"

Lauren took a minute, thinking back, though she really didn't need to. The moment played over and over in her mind, the voices of those in the room coming back to her until she realized that Jon, Dyson and Tosh were actually the first indication she had that Bo might be bad. When the visitors started the argument, Bo was clearly defending the store personnel, but she still saw her as dangerous in comparison to Big Jim.

"I suppose your silence tells me everything I have to know. I can recognize the creeps, Lauren. You – like most of humanity – judge people by their appearance. My skin isn't as white, my hair is dark, my eyes are dark, everything I wear is black or brown… I spent most of my life on high alert because there was always something – man or animal – waiting to prey on me if I wasn't aware of what I was doing. I'm sorry if you think I overreact, but please realize… I'm basically an 8-month old when it comes to living around people."

Lauren started to speak but stopped herself as a wave of awareness hit her, "Wow. I never… I've never seen you that way. I mean… I guess you're right. All this time, I thought I knew you, but in reality, I knew the you I wanted you to be… hoped you would be." She shook her head, "I'm no better than Nadia."

"Lauren, I wouldn't go that far…"

"No, Bo. You're right. Your anger, your stubborn streak, your impulsiveness, your need to defend and protect me as you do your dogs and anyone else you love... they're all a part of you – of the life you once lived in order to survive. I have always thought of them as faults – of weaknesses. Well, they may be characteristics that people aren't particularly fond of in modern society, but for you they were a necessary strength for your daily life,"

She looked up at Bo, "And all I've done is judge you – demand you stop being angry, stubborn, and impulsive. Demand that you stop playing the protector. But – it's who you are – and all of that was part of who you were when I fell in love with you." She chuckled, "For someone who believes people should live and let live, I'm quite the hypocrite, huh? How could I possibly ask you to change for me?"

"It's okay, Lauren."

"No, Bo. It's not. You just go right on being you and I'll try to be a little more accepting. But, I will not stand by and allow you to put yourself in danger by not following doctors' orders, Bo. You have people who love you counting on your to stay alive. You have to think about your Mom, Rudy, your family, your dogs, your friends… and the woman you plan to marry."

Bo nodded.

"So you'll be staying in bed and when I allow you to start moving around, you will not be driving a sled or lifting…"

"But…"

"No! No arguments. Bo, that bear sliced through some of your muscle tissue so unless you want to lose the use of your hands, you need to listen to me. You'll be in those bandages and braces for two weeks. Once the wounds heal, you'll be in the braces for another 2-3 weeks longer. Maybe during that time, you go discuss this incident with your friend Doctor Gray and process any changes you both believe should be made."

"I'm sorry…"

Lauren shook her head, "It's okay, Bo. Now, what happened next? You were saying you were going to teach her something."

Bo took a moment to gather her thoughts and then began again,

"I took her down to the lake…" She shook her head, "I don't know what happened. I'm not usually caught off guard. It wasn't snowing hard and then all of a sudden, it was. It was darn near a white out. No goggles, no mask. I was cold. I'm never cold. I remember looking up to check on the skies and… well, I was shocked when it was pure white… and dark. I knew right away what was happening. It was more than just a squall. I think it was a microburst or cold vortex. I'm not sure. I've just… I've never seen anything like it."

She shook her head, "I told her that we needed to find shelter – that what was coming was going to be bad – really bad, but she insisted on trying to go back towards the bar. I told her that I'd lived here all my life… that she was better off listening to me… that sudden bad weather was a sign of bad snow and sub-zero temperatures to come. I tried to tell her that it was going to be impossible to see anything and if she didn't stay with me she would get lost and freeze to death. I told her that there was a cave nearby but she pulled away from me, turned and ran, telling me I was crazy. That's when I saw the cub. I tried to stop her, but she was running right for it."

"Cub? As in bear cub?" Lauren asked.

Bo closed her eyes, her hand running over the bandage and brace on her left arm, "The mom came out of the trees, already standing on her hind legs. Amelia tried to run, the bear chased her, swatting her paw across her back. She screamed, the bear reared up, so I rushed it, screaming and waving, hoping to draw it towards me."

Bo chuckled, "She came at me, alright. I barely got my hands up. I blocked the first swipe with my forearms, ducked under her legs, ran to Amelia and dragged her ass into the lake. I told her to take a breath and pulled her with me underwater hoping the bear would lose our scent because of all of the snow. When we couldn't hold our breath any longer, we came up for air and the bears were gone. Amelia was in bad shape and her back was bleeding, so I ripped open her shirt and started dragging her through the snow, knowing the cold would slow the bleeding, numb the pain and help prevent infection."

She laid back, shaking her head, "I noticed blood on her chest, so stopped to see if the bear had gotten her somewhere else. That's when I realized it was my blood. I pulled off my shirt and undershirt so I could use them to wrap my arms, then pulled my jacket back on and started dragging her again. By then, the weather had gotten worse. I couldn't see a damn thing. I stopped, thinking… well, it's September… snow doesn't usually last long. I found a cluster of trees and tried to sit out the storm, but then I realized it was just getting deeper, so I headed out again."

She looked up at Lauren, "It got cold. Really, really cold. I started getting confused and knew I was in trouble. I tried to pull out my phone, but couldn't find it… or maybe I didn't actually look for it… like I said, I was confused. I just decided to head towards the road, hoping I was near the bar and… well… I guess I got it right because... well, you found me."

Lauren nodded, "Okay. Well, I have to go back and check on Amelia. I'd really like you to stay on that drip and under those warm blankets for a few more hours. We're not going anywhere right now anyway. Kurt barely got us here. I'm not going to make him fly again unless someone's dying."

"Was I dying?" Bo asked.

Lauren shrugged, "I treated you both for hypothermia, frostbite, infection prevention and mended your wounds once the frostbite was handled. Amelia is worse off than you… her wounds are deeper her hypothermia was worse."

"Well, I was moving, she was being dragged through the snow, so that makes sense."

Lauren nodded, "Yes, but you were both in a great deal of danger which is why I called Kurt. We weren't going to get here by truck, and no one had a snow machine fueled, winterized and ready to go."

"This one caught us by surprise." Bo replied.

Lauren nodded, "That's what Kurt said."

Bo looked up at the frozen windows of the clinic, "This is a rare occurrence for September. Sure we've had snow, but if those windows are any indication of what's out there, this almost never happens this early."

Lauren nodded, reaching up to check Bo's I.V. and her vitals. The brunette started to move to her elbows, but winced in pain when her arms hit the bed. She laid back down deciding that following doctor's orders right now would not only be a good idea, but may also assure her relationship would continue on until her next stupid stunt. She really needed to cool it on the impulsivity. She looked up at Lauren, her heart swelling in the moment that she saw her beautiful doctor against the backdrop of a single ray of sunlight. The curtain of hair that hung off her shoulder glowed like gold as her eyes wandered over the readout on the monitors.

"You… you look like an angel."

Lauren looked up from the chart to see her fiancé staring at her, "I suppose that hypothermia was worse than I thought."

Bo shrugged, "Lauren, I promise I'll stay put. You can go check on Amelia."

The blonde stood, shoving her hands into the pockets of her lab coat. She gave Bo a nod and turned to walk away, but Bo called to her,

"I'm sorry for being a pain in the ass patient." She spoke quietly, "You're right to be upset with me."

"Angry with you. I'm angry with you. There's a difference."

Bo nodded, "Okay, you're right to be angry with me. I'm sorry."

Lauren nodded and turned to walk away, but stopped again walking back to Bo's bedside,

"I'm sure I'm going to say this wrong, but I'm going to try anyway. If you get mad, I don't care. I just have to say this."

"Okay." Bo said, patting the bed beside her, but Lauren shook her head, keeping her distance as she continued, 

"We're going to be married, so I think I have a right to say this. You may not change your behavior, but I'm hoping you'll at least think before you act if I say what's on my mind right now."

"O… kay." Bo hesitated.

Lauren took a deep breath, her eyes down as she used her hands for emphasis,

"When you run the Iditarod or go out for training runs, you have a team double checking all of your equipment and the forecasts. You all work together to decide on the routes you should run and the distance you'll cover in each run. Sure, you're the mastermind and I know – at times – you're going to be reckless. It's who you are and it's how you've lived your whole life. I know that I can't change that, but I hope someday you'll start to recognize that you lived that way for all of those years because you were alone. You're not alone anymore, Bo."

"Lauren…"

"No, Bo. I need you to listen." She said, not skipping a beat as she continued, "I know that your team has and always will be there for you and I also know that now more than ever they will at least _try_ to talk you out of doing anything that could get you killed."

Bo nodded, "You're saying you want me to stop racing?"

Lauren shook her head, "No, of course not. It's who you are – who you've always been and I would never want you to stop doing something that clearly brings you so much joy. Hell, I love sledding. I may not be as good, but I certainly understand the challenge and the thrill. The playful nature of our dogs just make it even better."

She didn't want to say the wrong thing, so she stopped to consider her words before she continued,

"I'm saying that when you train or run a race, you're taking what we refer to as an educated risk… you have the training and expertise to minimize the risks to you and your dogs. I watched you through the Iditarod and admired how you handled yourself – even when there were a pack of murderers after you. I never saw you stop considering the risks. It was like you measured every inch before you covered it."

Lauren frowned, "But when you do things like what you did with Amelia, you throw all caution to the wind and just let your anger take the lead… it's just a flat-out stupid risk. It's like – in that moment - you are so overcome with emotion that you don't think about whether or not you will live or die – it's like you couldn't care less if you die or not and that, Bo, is unacceptable to me. It's unacceptable because as my future wife, you need to stay alive… if not for your family, your dogs or yourself, then for me, Bo – because I have no intention of walking down the aisle to say till death do us part if you plan to die the day before or after our wedding. What would be the point of a life together?"

The brunette started to interrupt, but Lauren waved both hands at her,

"No, Bo. I know you're going to say you aren't going to die, but people die out there every day. Today was just dumb luck. You didn't even get your knife out of its sheath and if you had lost, we would have been left to wonder for the rest of our lives what had happened to you because you would have been a meal! A meal, Bo - as in nothing left for us to find!"

Lauren waved her hands over her head, "And saying it out loud makes it so much worse. I just… I can't talk about this anymore. I can't hear your promises anymore. You have to start thinking about what you do before you do it… for me, for the dogs, for our friends and family… for that little sister of yours. You're not alone anymore, Bo. You have to stop acting like you are or I might as well go back to Boston."

The doctor turned and walked out of the room, closing the door to Bo's room behind her. Bo looked up at the I.V., noting there was still a half a bag left until Lauren would come back. Actually, at this point, she would probably send in a nurse… probably Shannon so she could have her say.

Bo sighed, staring out at the white sky, the ray of sunlight now gone. She shook her head and looked down at her arms. She could feel that the cuts were deep. She remembered the sting of the claws grazing the meat of her flesh when she lifted her arms to protect her face and throat. Lauren was right… she got lucky and when she thought about why she was out there to begin with, it sickened her. There was no reason for her to have taken Amelia outside. Lauren had handled it. There was no reason for her to step in. One thing she'd learned in the first month of knowing the doctor was that she could handle herself and had a mind of her own. She didn't need Bo to fight her battles or defend her honor.

She sighed, settling back onto the pillow and closing her eyes. Lauren was right. She acted impulsively again and that needed to stop. It was time to restart her sessions with Dr. Gray. If she was going to live among humans, she needed to learn how to act like one.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **One Month Later, Anchorage**_

"You know, you really didn't have to come in to help me harvest my vegetables." Dr. Gray smiled as she helped Bo bag the last of her potatoes for storage.

Bo shrugged, "It's the least I can do for all you do for me."

"I do my job, child."

Bo laughed, hauling the sack over her shoulder, wincing slightly when the bag rubbed up against the still raw scar tissue on her forearms. She'd better cover them again. Lauren would be pissed if the wounds opened up again.

"Me and my past are big problems, so you're doing twice as much as you do with normal patients."

Dr. Gray let out a chuckle, "I can't disagree with you there but for someone who was left alone by the adults in her life and forced into the wild on her own until just a year ago, you are quite normal by standard definitions."

Bo dropped the bag, adjusting the compression sleeves she was now forced to wear on her limbs, "Then why do I feel like such a hot mess. Come on, Doc… I'm far from normal."

The woman sat back on the windowsill of the greenhouse, "Rather than compare yourself to what you perceive to be the norm, why not think of how much closer to the norm you are now than you were a year ago?"

Bo nodded, pulling the gloves off of her hands, "Look back at the path I've walked rather than compare myself to the world around me."

Faith shook her head, "Not the world around you but the people around you."

She waved Bo to the chair in the corner, "Come. Sit for a moment."

Standing, she moved to the small table where she had made a fresh pitcher of lemonade, "We still need to get our fill of citrus before winter."

Bo accepted the glass, watching as the doctor sat in the well-worn chair by the only clear pane of glass in the structure. Faith looked out at the fading greenery as she spoke,

"I believe that you are still trying to live up to some manufactured standard you have set for yourself that would – in your mind – make you good enough for your beloved."

"No! Not at all." Bo denied emphatically.

Faith shrugged, "Then why push back the wedding to spring? You came to see me after your injury last month and told me that as a child, you had always imagined a winter wedding because you always loved the deep, soft snow of the south during winter."

Bo shrugged, "The North Slope was mostly ice growing up. It was rare that we had a deep snow that I could play in before it froze and became a part of the tundra."

"So if that is truly what you wanted… and clearly what Lauren wanted… why back up the wedding to spring?"

"My training for the Iditarod…" Bo began, but Faith knew there would be excuses,

"Bo, stop it. You can lie to yourself, but you can't lie to an old musher like me. You could take a weekend if you wanted to. You have LJ, your Mother and that young boy Hank who are all more than capable of taking your dogs for runs. From what you tell me, the twins are great with the young dogs in the training yard you've built, so what's the issue?"

"I…"

Faith shook her head, "Nope. I'm not hearing any excuses. I want a real reason. You came to me after your injury telling me that you wanted to stop being impulsive and reckless. The anger we were already working on."

"Backing up a wedding is neither of those. You shouldn't rush into marriage."

"Having doubts about marrying Lauren?" Faith cornered, challenging Bo's fears.

"What?" Bo asked, shocked by the question, "No, of course not!"

"Then why not run home and marry her right now?"

"It would be impulsive." Bo replied.

Faith grinned, closing her eyes, "Hmmm… I think it would be romantic. The love of Lauren's life sweeping her up in her arms and carrying her to the basket of her sled filled with the final blooms of the season to take her to her wedding spot by the river of the home they will share for the rest of their lives."

Bo shrugged, "I guess."

The brunette thought for a long moment before she looked up at Faith and asked, "Why do you think that postponing the wedding is impulsive and reckless? Isn't slowing down and making informed decisions what I'm trying to do before I act?"

"But you're not a robot, Ysabeau! When you said yes to Lauren, you already made the informed decision to marry her." She smiled, "The decision is made – what's the difference if it's sooner or later? People wait to be married because they're having a big wedding that needs to be planned. There's the venue that's not available for months, the caterer has to be available, the food has to be picked, the honeymoon has to be planned, the invitations have to go out, the guest list has to be made… of course, that list isn't in any specific order."

Faith sipped her lemonade, laughing at herself, "You and Lauren don't want any of those things. You've said you both agreed that you just want a simple family picnic by the river at your house. You said that dogs will provide the music."

Bo grinned, "I guess I did say all of that."

The doctor nodded, "You have everything that needs to be planned, planned. Suddenly, you slam on the brakes… impulsive."

Bo's mouth dropped open as she recognized the behavior, "Oh God. I didn't…"

Faith nodded.

"Dammit." Bo said, shaking her head.

"With the sudden change of heart, you may have instilled some doubt in Lauren's mind as to whether or not you want to marry her. I mean… everything was going along so smoothly with your plans, then suddenly, you do a one-eighty. I'd think this might be putting some strain on your relationship. Have you noticed anything lately in your relationship with Lauren?"

Bo shook her head, "She's been very quiet… and distant. I mean… she doesn't initiate contact… or conversation for that matter."

"And why do you think that is?"

"She's waiting for me to decide."

Faith nodded, "And what have you to decide?"

Bo shook her head, "Absolutely nothing. I love her. I want her. I want to marry her. I want a life with her. I want to be there for her. I want to be more careful for her. I want to stay alive for her. I don't ever want her to have to worry again… though I know she will."

Faith sat up in her chair with some effort. Reaching out, she covered Bo's hand, "Gladly… because she'll never ask you to stop doing the things you do that bring her cause for worry."

"Racing."

Doctor Gray nodded, "Exactly. She would never ask you to stop racing."

"Did she tell you that?" Bo asked.

Doctor Gray shook her head, "Bo, you know that I can't speak with you about…"

"Doctor-Patient privilege. I know." Bo sighed, "I'm just glad that she's seeing you now too."

"Are you?" Faith asked.

Bo nodded, "I am."

She stood, pacing the room as she continued, taking an occasional sip from the cool citrus beverage,

"Honestly Doc, I've been worried about her making this move. You and I both know living here is a hard life. She says she chose this place because she loves it here, but I have this nagging voice in the back of my mind that worries she made this choice for me."

"You're afraid she'll come to resent you?" Faith asked.

Bo shrugged, "I guess part of me is – especially if I don't change my impulsive and reckless ways."

"So you think Lauren's love for you is conditional?"

Turning to face her doctor, Bo pondered the question for a long moment, "I suppose I think it may be. She gets so angry with me when I put my life in danger."

Faith laughed, "And you don't think that's simply human nature? If the roles were reversed, wouldn't you feel the same?"

Bo laughed, "Lauren is too smart to put herself in the situations I put myself in."

The doctor cocked her head, "So you're not smart?"

"Not smart like Lauren. She's… well, she's brilliant."

Faith smirked, "I'd like you to think back to the story you told me about Lauren's first sled ride."

Bo laughed, "I think I fell in love with her that night."

"I believe that the first time you told me that story, you didn't mention falling in love." She offered a knowing grin, "You stated you felt anger that she put herself in harm's way and risked death rather than listen to your advice."

Bo considered the statement, recognizing quickly that the doctor was, once again, correct, "I suppose that's how I know I fell for her that night. My chest hurt at the thought of losing her. I may have described it as anger, but in truth, I was terrified of a life without her."

The doctor smiled, "I'm pleased that you're able to differentiate your emotions now. It shows tremendous growth, Bo."

The brunette smiled, "Wow. A compliment."

Faith shrugged, "I am capable of them… occasionally."

Bo smirked, "You're a tough old broad."

"Damn right. And I'll be a tough old broad all the way to the grave."

"Good for you." Bo smiled.

"Let's get the rest of these peaches jarred, shall we?"

Bo nodded, "Do you think we need to check on that young guy you have dealing with the fish?"

The doctor smiled, "He's sweet on my granddaughter, so I think he'll be staying until the job is finished in hopes of her saying yes to a dinner date."

"Your shingle should say matchmaker instead of personal counseling services."

Faith shrugged, "I've lived a long life and developed many skills. There isn't a shingle big enough to list them all."

The pair chuckled.

"Well, I just hope he doesn't cut his finger off. He was spending more time gawking at your granddaughter than watching out for his limbs." Bo laughed, pulling out a box of jars and following Faith into the house.

"I seem to recall a certain brunette who couldn't keep her eyes off of a beautiful blonde doctor just last week during couples counseling."

Bo shrugged, "I have no shame. My fiancé is beautiful, brilliant and the most amazing woman on the planet. What's not to stare at, I say."

"Fair enough."

Bo's phone rang, causing her to cringe, "Sorry. I know there's no phones during appointments."

Faith laughed, "Our appointment ended hours ago, Bo."

Checking her watch, the brunette's eyes went wide, "Shit."

She looked down at her phone, seeing that it was Lauren calling, "Dammit. It's Lauren."

"Late again?"

"I was supposed to call her."

Bo picked up the phone, "Hello?"

Faith shook her head, chuckling when she heard Lauren's voice echo out of the phone even though she wasn't on speaker. She watched Bo's face redden as she explained that she was helping Faith with her harvest.

Faith smiled at the sound of brunette speaking tender reassurances to her fiancé that she was okay, clearly calming down with the doctor on the other end of the call.

The older woman took the jars, one at a time and set them in the water to sterilize them. She loved making her own jams and Bo had been excited to be with her for this process. She could delay if Lauren needed her home, so she moved to the flowers she'd set to dry to make her winter potpourri until Bo was off of the phone.

"Grandmother?"

She looked up to see her 'secretary' standing in the doorway of her kitchen, "Hello, child. What can I do for you?"

"Are you going to stay in for dinner tonight?"

Faith nodded, "Yes, dear. Are you going out for dinner?"

She smiled, "Kip asked me to go to the Downtown Steakhouse with him."

"And you said?"

She grinned, "I said yes. He's very nice."

Faith smiled, "I told you that he was a good boy. Did he finish the fish?"

"We're finishing it now. I think we'll probably be finished in about an hour."

"Okay then. Did you make reservations? That place gets very crowded on a Friday night this time of year."

She smiled, "He made the reservation."

Faith chuckled, "Such a gentleman."

"We've just been talking and talking for hours. He's so easy to be around."

"Send him up before you go."

"Grandmother…"

"Child, I want to pay him for his work… nothing more. He may need the money to pay for your meals."

She grinned, "Of course! Thank you, Grandmother."

Giving the younger woman a peck on the cheek, she grinned as she ran off. When she turned back to her flowers, Bo came to stand beside her,

"Lauren decided to come to town. She's hopping the train so we can ride back together."

"Oh, perfect timing." Faith replied, "The two of you must stay for dinner."

"Are you sure? We can get take-out if you prefer."

Faith waved her off, "Nonsense. We'll have fresh jam for dessert and I've made a nice stew for dinner. There's plenty for all three of us."

"And your Granddaughter?"

Faith smiled, "She's sweet on that young boy, Kip. He's taking her to the steakhouse for dinner." The doctor chuckled, "She was skipping."

Bo laughed, "Wow. Skipping, huh?"

"Skipping." Faith shook her head, "I'm going to break my fast and have a glass of wine… maybe two… tonight."

"All because she skipped?"

Faith shook her head, "All because I saw her skip. It's going to be a long winter."

Bo nodded, finally catching on, "Separated from her first true love."

"Blizzards are a bitch." Faith laughed, shaking her head, "Get those tongs. Maybe I'll use them to pinch my meddling lips shut so that I don't bring the curse of love on anyone else."

Bo laughed, "See? Matchmaker definitely needs to go on the shingle."

"With a warning… may fall hopelessly in love and do stupid things… like Bo Dennis."

"Hey!"

Faith chuckled, taking the tongs from Bo and moving back to the stove to prepare for the process of pulling the sterilized jars from the boiling water. She was excited to have the company of Bo to make her peach jams and it would be lovely to have them both for dinner. She hadn't been able to talk to Lauren on a more personal level in some time and it would be nice to see the two of them interact in a casual setting. She reminded herself she needed to be careful not to shift into counseling mode during their evening together.

She looked at Bo checking the window. Lauren was nowhere near Anchorage at this point, but she smiled knowing the woman was excited to see her young doctor. They just didn't know how lucky they were to have each other. She hoped that – as a friend to the pair – she could help to convey the importance of enjoying each other while you have each other.

She never thought she would be the one left behind, so when she lost her husband, she had wished for just one more minute with him… but the minute never came. She understood Lauren's worry – as a doctor, she knew better than most just how precious and fleeting life and love truly were, for the human body is fragile.

She glanced at the dried flowers to her left, remembering their brilliant, colorful blooms from summer and repeated the words once again in her mind… life is so very, very fragile.

"Bo, I'd like to ask. If you'd never met Lauren, would working with Little Jon have been enough to motivate you to finish building your homestead and put down roots?"

The brunette grinned, "If I hadn't met Lauren, I don't think there would have been anything LJ could have said to get me to mentor him. If I hadn't met Lauren, I might not be alive now considering the damage she's fixed to my body. If I hadn't met Lauren, I think I would have run when Big Jim's men came around and threatened the people of the town again. So, I guess your answer is no. Without Lauren, I'd still be a hermit."

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **The Homestead, Five hours later…**_

"Mom! Mom! We're home!" Rudy said, lugging the large round watermelon with great effort. Just as it began to slide down her body to her thighs, Mary rushed towards her.

"Oh, my! Here, child – let me help you with that." Mary smiled as Rudy placed the oversized fruit on the floor of the kitchen just inside the garage door.

Mary laughed and came to sit at the small kitchen table Bo had built for the room a few months ago. Mary had been truly impressed by her elder daughter's skills with wood. Despite being alone from such a young age, Bo had grown into an amazing woman. Beyond her work as a craftswoman, her ability to use trapping, hunting and fishing for trade and subsistence living, rivaled her own when she lived on the North Slope. In truth, Bo was better than she was at the peak of her youth.

Mary's attention was pulled back to Rudy when she climbed into her lap, straddling her and locking her fingers behind her neck,

"Momma, it was so much fun! After Lauren called you, do you know where she took me? Huh?"

Mary smiled, adjusting her daughter's long ponytail, "I heard she was taking you to meet Bo in Anchorage."

"Uh-huh! And we rode that train that has all glass windows! It's really pretty. A little while after we pulled out of the station, Lauren pointed out of the window and do you know what we saw?"

Mary chuckled, well aware of what was visible for several hours today, "I can't imagine! What did you see?"

"Denali! The mountain – she came to see me!"

Mary smiled, her eyes welling slightly with tears. The mountain was very special to her and she was glad that Rudy was finally able to see it in person, "That is very special."

Rudy nodded, "Do you know what Bo says?"

"No. What does Bo say?" She smiled.

"Bo says that when Denali smiles on you that your day is blessed by the power of the spirits. Do you think that's true?"

Mary nodded, "I do."

Rudy smiled, "Wow. I've been blessed by the power of the spirits." She looked up at her Mom, "What does that mean?"

Mary cupped her face, thinking of the words of the Athabascan prayer her own mother spoke to her as a child the first time she saw Denali. She translated,

"Everything, child. Everything. The spirits will comfort you, guide you, watch over you and shower you with their blessings all the days of your life."

She wrapped her arms around Rudy who whispered, "I feel special."

"You are." Mary whispered in reply, her eyes brimming with tears as Bo and Lauren entered the kitchen.

Bo stopped, staring at her Mother and sister, Mary's eyes traveling up to meet her elder daughter.

"Everything okay?" Bo asked, concerned.

Rudy pulled back and turned to face Bo, "I'm special!"

Bo looked at her Mom, then back at Rudy, placing the bags she was carrying on the counter, "Of course, you are! Did you just figure that out?"

Rudy crawled from her Mom's lap and over to Bo who lifted her onto the counter, "No, Bo! I mean… what you said before!"

"Rudy, it's been a long day of saying things. What are you talking about, little sis?"

"Mom said you're right! That Denali blessed me and now I feel special!"

Bo laughed, "Little sis, of course I'm right! Don't you ever doubt that!"

Rudy laughed, but then her face morphed into her special brand of seriousness, "I mean really special! I mean… I'm really… I'm… Denali-blessed-me-special!"

"Oh, it's not enough that you're all-of-us-love-you-to-pieces-special?" Bo asked, tickling her little sister.

Rudy giggled, "Of course it's enough! I love all of you to pieces too!"

She wrapped her arms around Bo's neck, squeezing her hard. Bo returned the gesture, her eyes welling with tears before she cleared her throat and pulled back from Rudy,

"So, do you want to tell Mom the news?"

Rudy's eyes went wide, "Ohmagosh! Yes!"

She released her sister and turned to go, but then turned back, "I need that thing… that special orange thing we brought for…" she tilted her head three times towards their Mom until Bo's eyes lit up,

"Oh. Right. That thing." Bo held up a finger, running back towards the door and opening a box. She hurried back to Rudy and handed the fragile gift to her, "Hold tight. Don't drop it."

"Right." Rudy smiled, "I'd jump, but…"

"Don't drop it." Bo lifted her from the counter and carefully lowered her to the floor. She watched as Rudy ran into the living room where their Mom was already seated on the sofa, a fire roaring in front of her as she began to pull her knitting from the basket.

Bo smiled, lifting her arms as Lauren sidled up to her, strong arms wrapping around her torso. The blonde placed a kiss on her cheek and whispered,

"She's so excited." Bo smiled, leaning back against her, both watching as Rudy gave her Mom the news,

"Bo and Lauren are getting married!"

Mary laughed, "I know, child. In the spring when all of the flowers are in bloom across the gardens behind Kenzi's hotel. It will be beautiful, yes?"

"No, Mom! They're getting the winter wedding Bo always wanted!" Rudy exclaimed, "Oh. And we brought you this! It's homemade peach preserves! We had some with dinner on the homemade bread that Doctor Faith made! Really, really good!"

Mary's eyes were wide as she excepted the gift with a half-smile, her mind still confused by the first piece of information she received. Looking down at the jam, then at Rudy, then at Bo and Lauren, she began to ask,

"You're…"

But Bo's grin told her all she needed to know, the brunette nodding as her eyes welled with tears at the sight of the broad smile slowly stretching across her Mother's face,

"So your feet warmed up, huh?" Mary smiled.

"Ha. Ha." Bo said, a friendly glare passed to her Mom, "It's more like – I came to my senses."

"So what changed?" Mary asked.

Bo looked at Lauren, "My perception… thanks to Dr. Gray."

"That woman is quite the matchmaker."

Bo smiled, looking at her Mom, "That's what I told her!"

Rudy ran to her watermelon and rolled it towards Bo and Lauren, "Can we please have this now?"

Bo bent down and lifted the melon onto the counter, "You sure do like your watermelons."

Rudy watched, her eyes level with the counter, "In Hawaii, there's all kinds of fruit everywhere you go! In Alaska, you have more snowflakes than fruits!"

"Not in the summertime." Bo defended.

"Bo, you can't compare Alaska to Hawaii for fruit. Fruits grow on the trees, Sis! On the trees!" Rudy said, her hands out to her sides, wondering how her sister couldn't easily see the difference.

Bo shrugged, "They grow on trees here too."

"Yea, in Doctor Gray's greenhouse!" Rudy argued, "Not on the real trees out there." She said, flinging her arm out towards the window, her little index finger adding emphasis on the tall greens covered with snow.

The women laughed, Mary suggesting, "I think she's got you there, Ysabeau."

Bo nodded, "I suppose. But does Hawaii have dog sleds?"

Rudy laughed, "Of course, not silly! We have sand."

Bo smiled, "I'll bet a sled would run well on sand."

Rudy considered Bo's statement for a long moment, her finger tapping her lips before a smile stretched across tiny face,

"You think I could sled on my beach?"

Bo shrugged, "Mom would know better than I do. She's lived in both. I've never been to Hawaii."

Rudy fell silent while Bo cut up the watermelon, placing the chunks in a large glass bowl. When she finished cutting the first half, she looked down at her little sister who was deep in thought,

"Hey. Where'd my little sister go?"

Rudy looked up at Bo, "I'm right here, silly."

"But my little sister talks and talks and talks until she falls asleep late at night." Bo giggled with her little sister before giving a quick tug on her ponytail, "So tell me. Whatcha thinkin' 'bout kiddo? Math homework you didn't finish?"

"Hey! I did my math homework on the train. Lauren helped me." Rudy smiled.

Bo nodded, "Good. Then you'll get a good grade!"

"I did it myself! She just checked it!"

Bo smiled, "Exactly! She would make you do it over and over and over again until it was right, so I know you'll get a good grade! No mistakes!"

"Oh. Right." Rudy said, squirming a bit before she looked up at Bo who leaned over and propped her chin up on her hands, her elbows planting on either side of her thighs.

Rudy reached out and pulled a stray piece of hair from her sister's shoulder, twisting it around her finger. Bo had become accustomed to the gesture. Rudy loved to play with her hair and Bo felt comfort in the act. It actually felt good to feel the tiny fingers on her scalp at night when Bo would read to her and Rudy would run her fingers repeatedly through the long strands. She did the same to Lauren when she would read to her.

"I know you don't like the big planes and I know you didn't care much for Boston, Sister, but…"

Lauren's eyes went wide, her head turning so that her eyes landed on Bo who immediately shied away towards her little sister. She placed a finger over her own lips, as she whispered to the youngster,

"Shhh… we don't want to make Lauren feel bad that I didn't like her city."

Rudy whispered, "But you did like her beach house and her beaches."

Bo nodded.

"Well, imagine her beaches, but the sand is super soft and white like snow. Imagine that the water is crystal blue like the glacier water that came down from the mountain to our river here… but it's summer… like all the time. Imagine that the beaches are lined with all kinds of plants and that the trees have bananas and coconuts and lemons and limes and papayas and avocados and… well… all kinds of things! You can climb them and pick them right from the trees. Then you lay down in the shade of the trees, lean back against the trunk. You peel your fruit slow and they smell so good. Then you eat them and they're suuuuper yummy! I don't have to stop playing to go inside for lunch like you do! I can just eat where I play!"

Bo giggled, "And how does my tiny little sisters' body hold all of those yummy treats?"

Rudy giggled, "I run around a lot and I surf a lot and I play really hard! Then I get hungry again! Momma says it's a cycle."

Bo and Lauren laughed out loud, "I suppose she's right."

"So would you?"

Bo smiled, watching Rudy twist her hair around her wrist, until she's reeled her in like a fish, "Would I what?"

"Get on one of the big planes and take me back to my island? I'd love to show it to you." Rudy smiled, her eyes hopeful until she saw Bo's eyes lower to her hands, "It's okay. I know you don't like planes. I love you anyway. Maybe someday you'll be ready."

Bo looked up at the smile in her sister's eyes… a hint of disappointment visible and it made Bo feel shame,

"I'll tell you what… maybe – because it will depend on a lot of schedules – maybe we'll go after the Iditarod."

"Really?" Rudy said, her eyes wide and her smile broad. The excitement on her face made Bo's heart swell.

"Really." Bo replied, looking up at Lauren, "I trust you've been to Hawaii?"

Lauren nodded, "I have, but I've never seen Rudy's island."

"Hooray!" Rudy yelled, jumping down from the counter and dancing around the kitchen before turning to her Mom, "We're gonna go home in spring, Mom! Isn't it exciting?"

Mary looked at her younger daughter, then up at Bo who was clearly not quite comfortable with the idea. She understood Bo's hesitation. Until she'd been forced to flee the North Slope, she had never left the safety of her home either. It was funny that she felt safer among the bears, moose and threat of cold than she did in the relatively non-threatening areas she'd traveled in the lower forty-eight. She turned to Rudy,

"That was a maybe, Roo, so don't get your hopes too high just yet." She wrapped her arms around her little girl, "But, in the meantime, I'm pretty sure your sister and her intended will want your help making them the most beautiful wedding ever held in Talkeetna."

"What's… her intended?" Rudy asked, her face twisted in confusion.

"Sorry, little bug." Mary laughed, tweaking Rudy's nose, "Lauren is your sister's intended – meaning she intends to marry her."

"Oh." She replied, "We know that!"

Mary nodded, "We do." She smiled before pulling her into her side and moving her gaze to her older daughter and her fiancé, "So, tell us all about this Winter wedding."

"Ooooh yes! Can we build snowmen people for an audience? We need a really, really big audience! I want everyone in the world to know I'm getting a new big sister!" Rudy said, clapping beside her Mom, her feet kicking.

"Rudy…"

"What? I am! Lauren's gonna be my sister, right Lauren?" Rudy said, glancing up at the blonde with hopeful eyes.

Lauren smiled, "Yes, I am, and it will make me very happy."

Rudy nodded, "Me too." She turned to her Mom, "And you get another daughter and you didn't even have to grow a big belly to do it!"

All of the women laughed as Mary replied, "Lucky me!"

"We are lucky. We're the luckiest family in the whole wide world." Rudy smiled, her eyes bright and her smile wide.

Bo wrapped her arm under and over Lauren's elbow, settling her hands on the arms around her torso and smiled at the blonde before looking at her Mom,

"Lauren never had her wedding dream. She never thought she would be married at all, let alone twice."

The blonde squeezed Bo tight, "Hey!"

But Bo just laughed, kissing her cheek, "The first one was a mistake, so she wants to make this one count…"

She turned to her Mom where her little sister was putting the bowl of watermelon on the ottoman, carefully picking a piece of sweet red fruit from the pile before making herself comfortable on her Mother's lap. Bo smiled as juice dripped from the corner of her little sisters' mouth. Rudy may be all bows and pigtails, but she was never going to be a girly girl and that suited the elder Dennis sister just fine. Bo released Lauren, tossing a towel to her Mom so she could wipe Rudy's face before she returned to Lauren and said,

"…and I want to make this one count as well."

Lauren smiled, "Actually, I never had a dream wedding. Like Bo said, I had never planned to marry. I didn't think marriage for couples like us would be legal in my lifetime. So since Bo has had a dream wedding since she was a little girl, I want her to have that wedding. That said, so I'm leaving it to the two of you. I'll help when asked, but it really doesn't matter to me as long as – in the end – I'm bound to my soul mate in every way a human can be bound to another."

She gave Bo a soft kiss on the mouth before the two turned to the sound of Mary's voice,

"The two of who?" Mary asked.

Bo walked to her Mom, kneeling down in front of her, "You and I have talked about my wedding since… well, as long as I can remember… until we didn't."

Mary could see the pained expression on her eldest daughter's face, and it broke her heart the same as it had the hundred times that she'd seen that look since her return to Alaska,

"Bo…"

"No, Mom. It's over. It's time we put the past where it belongs." She looked up at Mary, her eyes brimming with tears, "I want you to help me plan my wedding. Actually, I can't believe I'm saying those words at all let alone saying them to my long-lost mother… and a little sister I never knew I had." She cupped Rudy's face before turning back to her Mom,

"For over a decade, I thought I would be alone until I died at the hands of Big Jim or one of his men… left for dead in some cold, barren wilderness until I became food for whatever found me. For a long time after meeting Lauren, I wouldn't let myself hope that we could last. I had to keep reminding myself that she would go back to Boston and I would be left alone again. I had pushed what I thought were the naïve dreams of a silly child from my mind."

She lowered her eyes as emotions got the best of her, "But then… you came back and slowly… I gained hope that at least I would have you or Rudy and if you didn't stay, I would have my brother Tosh and his family. Honestly, I still struggle believing this isn't all just a dream and pinch myself regularly."

"Ow. Pinches hurt." Rudy stated the bowl now on her lap as she chomped away at piece after piece.

"You are going to get a tummy ache." Bo laughed, giving her two final pieces before handing the bowl to Lauren who took it back to the kitchen.

The doctor was struggling with the emotions of the moment as well. She'd never seen Bo open up to her Mom like this. She listened as her fiancé continued,

"For so long I was this recluse from society. Like an Alaskan Tarzan of sorts. Now, after all that's happened… well, I remember that little girl who wanted to grow up and be like her Mom… to have a home, a partner and a family to share it with. It's surreal that she ever existed and while I don't believe I'll ever be the adult that little girl might have become, I'd still like to fulfill some of her dreams."

She looked up at Lauren and offered a shy smile, "Now, I have you. We don't have to have human kids if you don't want… we have plenty of canine children to handle, but I promise whatever you want in this life, I will do my best to provide it."

Lauren smiled, moving to kneel beside her fiancé, "You don't ever have to provide for me, Sweetie. We'll decide things together as we go, just like we always have."

Bo smiled, taking Lauren's hand and giving it a squeeze, "Except for the wedding? Lauren, are you sure…"

Lauren smiled, "As I said, I want you to decide the wedding plans so you can have your dream."

"But my dream always including planning with my partner."

Lauren shrugged, "And I will be there to taste food and cake, pick out clothing or music, but the little details are in your mind, Sweetie. I want to make that wedding a reality for you. There is nothing I would want more. I'm sure there are little things that we can decide together... like our honeymoon."

"Our… honeymoon?" Bo asked.

Lauren gave Bo a kiss on the cheek before standing to walk to the kitchen as she called out, "Yes, a grand, wonderful, secluded honeymoon. The one that I've always dreamed of."

Bo swallowed hard, watching Lauren's sexy ass sway as she walked away from her. She stood and followed her to the kitchen, Rudy jumping from her Mother's lap before Mary could stop her. The older woman stood, the room swaying as she moved to take a step, but she caught herself on the fireplace mantel. Steadying herself for a moment, she regained her balance and walked slowly to the kitchen where she took the chair at the end of the table.

She watched as Bo and Lauren sat side-by-side, Rudy sitting on Lauren's lap. Bo smiled, "So… this honeymoon…"

Lauren smiled, pulling Rudy's bow from her hair so that she could gather the untamed locks into a fresh ponytail,

"We'll talk about it later. For now, we need to start the plans for the big day."

"Yes!" Rudy said with a fist pump.

"We only have two months." Mary replied.

Bo shrugged, "Sure, we only have the rest of October and November, but it was always going to be a simple wedding."

"No frills, no bows." Mary smiled before they both said in unison, "And no fuss."

Lauren smiled watching Bo with her Mom. It filled her heart to see their relationship growing once more. There were times where she thought Bo was so close to fully forgiving her, but unfortunately, that day was still a long time away. For now, they were both putting in the work and that would have to be enough. Of course, she worried that Mary would go to her grave never truly forgiving herself for leaving Bo behind.

Bo teased her little sister, eating a few pieces of watermelon while she held the bowl close to her own chest before relenting and passing it to Rudy. Bo grabbed the paper and pencil from the holder on the wall and handed it to her Mom who began to make notes.

Eventually, Rudy's belly was full, so she ran off to grab a deck of cards so she and Lauren could play a game of _Go Fish_. They all sat together for an hour or so, Bo and Mary working on the wedding details while Lauren entertained Rudy. Eventually, Bo noticed her Mom pulling her sweater closed and rubbing her hands together, so she suggested moving back to the living room so that they could all sit by the fire. Mary shook her head, suggesting it was time to ready the house for bed as she nodded towards Rudy rubbing her eyes half asleep on Lauren's lap, but still struggling to play cards.

Bo laughed, turning to Lauren, "That's Mom-code for get-the-dogs-peed-and-watered, put on the PJ's and then settle by the fire."

"Well, if we're going to make a fire and settle in, we may as well do it right." Lauren smiled.

"I happen to agree with you. Rudy and I will handle the PJ's and fire if you two handle the dogs?" Lauren suggested.

Bo smiled, "Sounds perfect. We'll rendezvous at the fireplace in fifteen minutes."

"Can we roast marshmallows?" Rudy asked.

Mary shook her head, "Those are only for special occasions."

Rudy frowned, "But it's wedding talk night!"

Bo grinned, "I think that qualifies as a special occasion, don't you, Mom?"

Mary shook her head, "This is why the two of you under one roof is a bad idea. You gang up on me. If that child gets sick tonight after eating damn near a full bowl of watermelon and then…"

"I got it, Mom." Bo said, looking at her little sister, "Two marshmallows. That's it." Bo winked twice.

Bo and Rudy laughed as Mary's scowl broke into a smile. The four set off to their specified tasks, happily preparing for their night by the fire. A little over an hour later they were all settled, Rudy playing checkers with Lauren in front of the mantle while Bo and Mary had moved on from wedding planning to a trip down memory lane. Mary smiling down at Rudy,

"She's got her second wind."

Bo laughed, "Too bad for Lauren." The pair laughed before the youngest yelled,

"Look!" Rudy leapt to her feet, pointing towards the window, "It's snowing!"

Bo and Mary nodded, "It's that time of year. We'd better get used to the white stuff."

"We get to switch out the runners on the sleds to the deep snow runners?" Rudy asked, jumping two of Lauren's pieces with a smile.

Bo nodded, "Soon, but remember, they're a secret. We don't want anyone to notice them."

"Our secret weapon!" Rudy whispered.

"Right."

"You promised to teach me." Rudy reminded.

"I promise I will teach you everything I know… Mom will teach you too."

Mary shook her head, "I think you should stick with Bo. I've been running the road sleds. I haven't been on a sled in snow in a decade. She's the expert."

"Mom, you said you would go out with me." Rudy whined.

Mary nodded, "And I will, but after Bo has given you the basics. They're her sleds and her dogs, after all."

Bo frowned, "Mom, you work at the kennel every day and you've been helping me build the sleds that Kyle and I are selling in our stores. I would think that you're going to jump right back into the musher's seat without any problem."

Lauren smiled, "It's just like riding a bike, right?"

"What does that mean?" Rudy asked.

Lauren smiled, "It means that once you know how to ride a bike, you never forget."

"Oh." Rudy replied, "I don't know how to ride a bike."

Rudy turned to her Mom, switching back to the topic of sledding without skipping a beat while Lauren was left to wonder if Bo had ever learned to ride a bike. It seemed to Lauren like something every child would learn, but then again – she had learned by now that Alaska wasn't the norm for anything.

"So you can still drive a sled in snow and teach me!"

"I will teach you when Bo isn't available." Mary replied, "Don't you want to learn from your sister? She is the champion, after all."

"My sister's the champ!" Rudy said, pumping her fist over her head while her other hand took the last of Lauren's pieces, "And I'm the checkboard champ!"

Everyone laughed as Rudy stood, cheering around the house, while the adults chanted her name. Mary stood, folding the blanket she'd been using and placed it over the back of the couch before turning to Rudy,

"Okay, champ. It's time for bed."

"Awww, Mom! Can't I play just one more game with Lauren?"

The blonde let out an exaggerated yawn, "I'm afraid I'm ready for bed too, Rudy. Now that the snows have come, we'll have plenty of game nights together."

Rudy walked to Lauren, falling into her arms, "Fine. Good night."

"Good night, my little love. Sweet dreams."

"Do you want to read me a story?" Rudy asked.

Bo interjected, "It's Mom's turn tonight. Remember? We take turns so all of us get a chance to read you to sleep. You don't want to take away Mom's turn, do you?"

Rudy smiled up at her Mom, "Nope! Come on, Mom!"

Mary smiled, as she was dragged from the room. She laughed at Bo and Lauren, "Help?"

They both waved goodbye to Mary as she was pulled into the part of the homestead that had become known as Rudy's house. Lauren moved to lay across Bo on the couch, her head in her lap, her legs crossed at the ankles.

Bo leaned down and gave her a chaste kiss, "Hello, Doctor."

"Hello, Miss Dennis."

Bo smiled, "So, the only thing we haven't decided is our name."

Lauren shrugged, "I wouldn't want you to change from Dennis. I mean, you are the world-renowned champion musher, Bo Dennis. Your name is sort of your brand."

Bo nodded, "Of course, I'm also infamous in some circles where the name change would be welcome. Besides, your name is your brand as part owner of Lewis-Archer, Inc."

"Bo, I don't mind changing my name… it really won't impact the business." Lauren replied.

Shaking her head, Bo replied, "You don't mind, but honestly, I would welcome the change, Lauren."

"It's your Mom's name, Bo… and Rudy's. Your Dad legally changed his name to Morton, so why change yours? Don't you want to honor your Mother? And don't you think Rudy would be upset?"

Bo shook her head, "I signed the papers yesterday."

Lauren pressed up onto her elbows, "You didn't tell me?"

Bo shrugged, "We both agreed I would sign, so I did. I didn't think it would matter when."

"I just thought… I thought we'd do it together." Lauren replied, clearly upset.

Bo nodded, "It's not official yet… I had them add your name."

"What?" Lauren asked, shocked.

"I talked to my Mom. I said I wanted to do this with you… that it would be the only way I would do it."

Lauren's eyes were flitting left and right as the news sunk in, "She agreed?"

Bo nodded, "She was delighted. I hope that… well, I hope that you agree. If you don't want to, I'll understand. I mean… being a Mom to a child that isn't yours… especially if you don't want kids. I mean… we never really talked about…"

"Of course I would like to stand with you on this. It's Rudy. It's just… it's an odd situation." Lauren replied, laying back in Bo's lap, her expression neutral.

Bo shook her head, "Like I said – nothing is official. I can sign the old papers just as easily, but I'd rather we were… a team… you know?"

Lauren nodded, but remained silent.

"So the papers are stored at the courthouse. Nothing will happen until we walk in there together for you to sign – if you choose to. I'll need to witness your signature and we'll have to present our marriage license. The name is also blank for the moment, making the papers even more unofficial. Once we sign, then Mom can explain while she's no longer her legal guardian."

Lauren gave another slow nod, "I'm not so sure how Rudy will react to all of this."

"Apparently Mom has already introduced the idea to Rudy… as a condition of her death."

"Really?" Lauren asked.

Bo nodded, "The topic came up when Rudy asked Mom what would happen to her if she died. She asked if she would be left all alone the way she had left me."

"I see." Lauren nodded, everything starting to add up for her, "A legal guardian for Rudy. It's a big step."

Bo nodded, "You're already the legal guardian for Elise."

Lauren shook her head, "I've signed over that right to your nephew and his wife."

"But you took on that duty without a single thought."

"She had no mother, Bo. She had no father. She had no one. It was her mother's dying wish."

"She was a stranger and you signed to be her guardian. Rudy is my sister, how could I not sign?"

"I see your point, Bo but Rudy's mother and sister are very much alive." Lauren argued.

"So are you saying you wouldn't do this with me?" Bo asked.

Lauren shook her head, "If your Mom died and we had to formally adopt Rudy, yes I'd be all in, of course. But that is not the case. This is… I don't know, Bo. I don't think I have the right to say what should and shouldn't happen with Rudy. I barely know your Mom and she's still alive. You are Rudy's blood. It's different for me."

"You're going to be my wife, Lauren."

The blonde sat up, sitting beside Bo, taking her hand in her own, "And as your wife, I would always be there as a sounding board or a confidant if you needed advice on how to handle any number of situations with Rudy. But I would think your Mom would be your first stop for advice on her daughter since she is very much alive."

"But what if it was a medical decision?"

"Then I would give you advice as a physician and surgeon or – if it was something in which I lacked expertise, I would access the best surgeon to give you advice." Lauren replied.

"So you're saying you won't sign the papers?" Bo asked.

Lauren shook her head, "I want to talk to your Mom first, then I'll need time to think about it. Honestly, Bo, I can see your Mom signing over custodial rights if she was struggling with health issues or in the case of her death, but this… I just feel like she's getting things in place to run and I don't want to be the one to put a signature on a document that would give her permission to do so without guilt."

Bo stared down at the fire, "You think she's looking for a way out of her commitment to me and Rudy?"

Lauren shrugged, "I'm not sure, Bo. She's run before. I think we have to keep talking to her and pushing a bit harder for answers."

Bo nodded, "In that case, I'm going to let the papers sit there for now."

"Does she have a legal Last Will in place?" Lauren asked.

"I don't know. Why?"

Lauren replied, "Because it would be the right way to handle custody of Rudy… in my professional opinion. It would force her to retain responsibility for her daughter while also providing proper custodial arrangements for Rudy in the event something did happened to your Mom."

Bo nodded, her eyes still set on the flames before them as she cocked her head to the side, "Do you think there's something wrong with her?"

"What do you mean?"

Bo shrugged, "I don't know. I mean… she seems to want to be here…she clearly loves Rudy and is a good mother to her. She's working with the family, she's engaging with people and doesn't seem like she's ready to head for the hills. The more I think about it, the more I have to question why she is so eager for me to have legal custody. She's either secretly preparing to run or she's secretly on her last leg."

Lauren nodded, "I agree… or… she's secretly terrified that she's going to do to Rudy what she did to you."

"What?" Bo asked.

"Maybe she didn't see it coming, Bo. Maybe – in a million years – she could never have imagined a time would come when she would leave you on your own."

"She's right, you know."

The pair looked up to see Mary standing beside them, holding a glass of water. She smiled, walking to the fire and holding her hands out over the flame,

"Sorry… I was thirsty and needed a glass of water."

"Mom…" Bo began, but Mary waved her daughter off and began,

"I spoke with Judge Blackhawk in the General Store today. He told me you had signed the papers… that they only needed Lauren's signature."

She turned to face the pair, her eyes moving to Lauren, "First, I would love for Rudy to have two parents and I can think of no better candidate to share the responsibility with my Ysabeau. If you speak with Doctor William Grace in Seattle, he has been given my records from the doctor who diagnosed my condition in Hawaii. You and Bo are listed as my emergency contacts and I signed the papers to give the two of you medical power of attorney, forcing it to be a joint decision so neither can choose without the other unless one of you is deceased, then that person's decision falls to Molly Morton."

She turned to Bo, "I'm sorry I kept the truth from you. I just wanted some of the time we lost… it was selfish, but… I've lost everything and the one thing I've gained is Rudy. She's precious and… well, she's going to need you. I wanted the three of us together and… well, go figure… I fell into a family. After so much suffering and pain for everyone… I want my daughters to have a life of love and joy."

She turned back the fire, standing profile as she spoke, "As much as I hate everything your Father forced on us… all he did… all he left in his wake… I will never regret the night that gave me you… I can't and I won't. Regardless of the pain you had to endure, the rest of your life will be brilliant, so I refuse to have any regrets. I will suffer till the bitter end and I deserve it, but you and Rudy will have an amazing life together… and for that, my heart is full."

She turned to Bo and Lauren, a smile on her face as droplets of tears trailed down her cheeks, glistening in the orange glow of the firelight,

"Good night, young lovers. May the spirits bind your souls tighter while you sleep in each other's warm embrace."

"Mom…" Bo began, but Mary shook her head,

"Please, Bo. Let Lauren speak with Doctor Grace, then we'll talk. For now, just know that I love you both and I am truly, truly sorry."

With that, she turned and walked to Rudy's house, leaving Bo and Lauren in shock. The blonde stared into the fire until she heard a whimper. She turned to see tears streaming down her fiancé's cheeks,

"Oh, Bo." She said quietly, pulling her close, "It's okay. We don't know anything."

She tapped her phone, checking the time, "It's too late for me to call him now. I'll call him first thing in the morning, and we'll see what's what, okay?"

"She really is dying." Bo said, "We're just getting back to each other and she's dying. Rudy will be devastated."

Lauren held her tighter her own mind racing with memories of the day she'd first met Mary. She tried to think of anything that might have been a sign or symptom of a terminal condition, but she came up blank. She took that as a good sign,

"Bo, this may simply be a case of a disease or condition that will cause her to deteriorate over time – possibly a great deal of time."

"She may not be dying?" Bo asked, her voice holding a tinge of hope.

"I can think of no terminal illness that would allow your Mom to do the things she's doing and look the way she looks if she were dying any time soon. Now that doesn't mean one doesn't exist. My field is Cardiology, so there are plenty of conditions that would fall outside of my field of expertise."

"I'll take anything I can get right now."

Lauren nodded, releasing the brunette so that she could look into her eyes, "Please try not to get too carried away just yet, Bo. Give me a chance to talk to her doctor. There are many, many variables to consider. There may be treatments she refused because she couldn't afford them. She may have refused treatment because she has a lack of knowledge or misinformation or she may have misunderstood what the doctor told her. We just don't know anything yet. For all we know, Dr. Grace has just accepted your Mom's oral report about her condition and not reviewed the case given him from her former physician. Okay?"

Bo looked up at the blonde, "Okay… I'm glad we moved the wedding up."

Lauren gave Bo a tight smile, "Me too. Are you ready for bed?"

"Definitely." Bo replied, following Lauren as she led the way upstairs.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **Next Morning, 7 am**_

Lauren rolled over, reaching out to snuggle into Bo's warmth, but instead found cold sheets. Her eyes opened, expecting to see the sun risen, but she instead found the same dark, star-filled sky she went to bed with. She sat up, holding the sheet and blankets to her bare chest, the cold sending a shiver down her spine. She felt around the bed until she found the pullover hoodie Bo had pulled from her body last night.

Slipping out of the bed, Lauren donned the sweatshirt tiptoeing across the cold floor to the wood stove to stoke the fire. Once she had it going again, she rubbed her hands together over the open vents until her skin burned. It was very early winter, but the season was coming in with a vengeance. Bo promised it wouldn't last… that they would have warm weeks before November, but it didn't seem that way right now.

With the glow of the fire slipping through the vents, Lauren used the dim orange light to locate the brunette on the other side of the room divider. She scowled when she found fiancé hunched over her laptop, a towel over both her head and the device to block the light. Lauren knew it was because Bo didn't want her to know what she was doing.

Lauren laughed, thinking about how the Bo she'd met just under a year ago wanted nothing to do with any form of technology. Now, here she was on a computer doing whatever it was she was doing before sunrise. She sighed, walking to her, being sure to announce her arrival before she put her hands on her,

"What's going on under there? Did I not satisfy you last night or did you just go straight to internet porn instead of waking me up?"

Bo quickly slammed the laptop shut, pulling the blanket off of her head and spinning around to lay eyes on Lauren. The blonde smiled at the hairs that stood straight up on her fiancé's head due to static and laughed out loud when she saw salsa dripping from the corner of her mouth,

"Salsa and chips for breakfast?"

Bo shrugged, "Just a snack."

"A snack? At what… three o'clock in the morning?"

Bo threw the blanket onto the chair as she stood, moving to the blonde, "Actually, it's six-thirty, my lady love."

"Six-thirty?" Lauren asked, panic in her eyes.

"It's okay, sweetie. It's Saturday."

Lauren shook her head, "I have a meeting with my staff at the clinic at eight, Bo. With the snow, I'll have to take my sled. I'll never make it on time!"

"I didn't… I'm sorry. I didn't know or I would have woken you up… the sexy way… an hour ago."

Lauren began to move around the loft, gathering her clothes for the day and tossing them onto the bed. She grabbed her briefcase from beneath her desk and set it by the stairway so she wouldn't forget it, then headed back to change into a robe before heading towards the stairs, carrying a towel.

"Why don't you just leave now and go to your apartment where you can take a proper shower after getting all sweaty mushing a sled?" Bo asked.

Lauren stopped, thinking for a moment before walking back across the loft to her dresser. She pulled out a T-shirt, sweatpants and a hoodie, trading her robe for the clothing. She picked up her towel and headed for the bathroom.

"Lauren…" Bo began, but Lauren waved her off as she headed down the stairway,

"Be right back."

Bo turned back the laptop, hesitating before opening the lid. She stared at the screen for a long moment before exiting the website with a sigh. She leaned back in the chair, fingers locked behind her head before turning to look through the window. The sky was beautiful. She had been saying it for weeks, but it was always on her mind - she was happy they were moving back towards twenty-four hours of darkness.

"I'm an idiot. I'm on WebMd trying to figure out what's wrong with my Mom and my wife-to-be is a doctor... a surgeon… a really talented and well-connected surgeon… a brilliant surgeon. If there's a chance for my Mom, Lauren will find it, so how about I stop being an impulsive, impatient, doofus and try letting my amazing doctor wife-to-be do her thing?"

"Good idea."

Bo turned to see Lauren wiping her face and mouth with her towel. She hesitated before standing and walking towards the blonde,

"I uh… was…"

"You were searching WebMd for a disease associated with your Mom's signs and symptoms. Of course, I'd be interested to know exactly what signs and symptoms you believe you've observed or heard her mention to enter into their database…"

"Lauren, I was just…"

"Trying to do my job?" Lauren shook her head, "The one website I asked you to avoid…"

"But… I couldn't sleep and…"

"Then wake me, Bo. Talk to me. Don't go to some website that leads thousands of patients to misdiagnose themselves every year leading to delayed treatment, unnecessary worry or worse!"

"My Mom is already diagnosed! I didn't think it would hurt to… I was… it was two in the morning and I couldn't sleep. I didn't want to wake you because I knew you would just tell me to be patient… that you would call her doctor in the morning, but… I was impatient and… I just… I needed answers…"

Lauren wrapped her arms around Bo, "I know. I know, sweetie. But still, Bo – I wish you would have nudged me awake so I could have comforted you. The only thing that website will do is raise your anxiety about what's happening."

Bo pulled back, laying her hands on Lauren's chest, "You're right. I'm more worried now than I was before."

Lauren shook her head, "What did you find?"

"That my Mom may have flesh-eating bacteria or a parasite that could eat her alive from the inside out... or cancer."

Lauren laughed, "I hardly think that's her diagnosis."

"I agree… not that I'm qualified to agree or disagree." She shook her head, "I'm sorry, Lauren. I shouldn't have been…"

The blonde lay a finger over Bo's lips, then replaced it with a kiss… then another before she spoke,

"I'm sorry I wasn't more understanding. I'm sure you must be feeling some incredibly confusing feelings right now. You're worried, but you're still angry with your Mom. You just found her again only to worry of losing her again. You were forced to live alone for so long through no choice of your own only to be thrust into a world where you not only find a family, but may become solely responsible for a young sister you never knew you had… not to mention gaining a fiancé after swearing you would never love, let alone marry. I can't imagine what you're thinking and feeling. It's a lot, Bo. Take a beat."

She felt the brunette nod, inhaling a deep, but shaky breath before exhaling long and slow. She gave her lover a long moment before she stepped back a bit further, taking Bo's hands in her own, "Bo, if you want to hold off on the wedding…"

"No! Absolutely not. This wedding will go forward no matter what. Besides, I think it would be a shame for my Mom not to be here for it. If we delay, she may… uh…"

Lauren pulled Bo to her when the tears began to fall, holding her tight, "Bo, don't get ahead of yourself, okay? I know it's your instinct, but please wait until I speak with her doctor, okay?"

The brunette nodded, mumbling her response into Lauren's shoulder, "You'll call me as soon as you know?"

Lauren nodded, "Right after my staff meeting, I'll call him. He may or may not be available at that time, so I'll call you as soon as I get a call back."

"You'll tell me if you're waiting?"

Lauren smiled, "I have office hours this morning, so the call is going to delay my patient visits. I'll have Shannon call you and keep you posted. I promise."

"Thanks."

Lauren nodded, "Of course, we could just make plans to meet at the hotel or general store for lunch?"

Bo pulled back, Lauren wiping the brunette's cheeks as she spoke, "You'll have time?"

Smiling, the doctor replied, "I'll always have time for you, sweetie."

Lauren leaned in, placing another kiss on Bo's lips, this time deepening the kiss. She pulled back and smiled at Bo whose eyes were closed as she hummed her approval,

"I love your kisses."

Lauren smiled, "I love your kisses."

"Okay. Get going so you have time to talk to the doctor."

"Okay. I'm off. Don't go back to sleep. You're supposed to be in by nine."

Bo laughed, "LJ is probably already there switching the rails over for deep snow. I can't wait to see how the new ones run."

"Will you switch mine over too?" Lauren asked, but was met with silence, "Bo?"

"I'm worried about you handling the extra speed they'll give your sled."

"Oh. I thought… well, you said I was doing really well." Lauren said, the corners of her mouth turning down.

"You are, Lauren but I have no idea just how these new runners will perform. It's all theory. What if they come off while you're in the middle of nowhere?"

Lauren shrugged, "What if yours come off while you're even farther out in the middle of nowhere."

"Really?" Bo smirked, "You're asking me if I can survive in the middle of the wilderness until someone notices I'm gone and sends help? Not to mention the fact that I know how to fix rails…"

"Okay, so it's not the same thing as me being stranded, but still… I'm starting to enjoy going fast… I mean… it's thrilling!" Lauren smiled, a little bounce in her step as she spoke.

Bo laughed, "You're adorable, but I do have one other concern. I'm supposed to use your sled to teach Rudy. You're still okay with her using your team to learn the ropes?"

Lauren smiled, "I think they're the best women for the job, don't you? They're gentle, they know her and listen to her and they're protective of her which I think – and I'm not a professional musher – I think it means they'll take care of her on the sled."

"Well, I am a professional musher and I agree with your non-professional assessment. Did you get that idea from MusherMD?"

The pair laughed, sharing one last kiss before Lauren headed for the stairway, grabbing her briefcase. Bo turned back to the bed and shouted,

"Lauren! Your work clothes!"

She grabbed Lauren's backpack and carefully stuffed the folded piles of clothing inside before flipping the top over and securing the clips. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small box, putting it into the outside center pocket where she knew that Lauren would reach for her keys. She grinned as she secured the pocket before carrying it down the stairs to where Lauren was pouring herself a cup of coffee,

"Your work clothes?" Bo said, holding up the backpack.

"Oh, geezus! Thank you!" 

Bo looked around the living room and noticed the fire, the muffins on the stove and the coffee, "I guess Mom's up early this morning."

Lauren nodded, "She mentioned that she hadn't been sleeping well. It's normal for a woman her age to struggle with sleep – not to mention sharing the big bed with Rudy."

Bo laughed, "Rudy doesn't seem to realize she has her own space when she's in the big bed. She still ends up right on top of whoever is on the other side."

Lauren smiled, "She does seem to float from bed to bed, too."

Bo shrugged, sipping from the mug that Lauren gave her, "Damn, my Mom can make a great cup of coffee."

Lauren smiled, "She should open a coffee shop in town. We could really use one of those… with these muffins."

Bo opened her mouth, accepting the piece of blueberry muffin that Lauren offered, "So good."

"Okay, I've got to get going. Help me hitch up my sled?" Lauren asked.

Bo shook her head, "I've got more time. Why don't you take my truck. My Mom and I will bring both sleds in after we change out the runners... the regular deep snow runners for yours. You'll be late if you wait for me to do it now."

They both turned to see Bo's Mom entering the house, flipping off her headlamp as she came in, "It's a cold one out there today."

Bo sighed, "I hate this unpredictable weather. The forecasts are only right half of the time."

Mary laughed, "I taught you long ago how to read the skies. Why are you relying on the forecasters?"

Bo lowered her eyes, "I suppose I got lazy."

Mary shook her head, "All their fancy technology." She hung up her scarf, "They should look up to the skies, mountains and out over the water instead of looking down at those glowing screens."

"There's a lot of truth in that, Mom."

"Of course there is. Denali's awake." Mary said, "I see you found the coffee and muffins."

Lauren's mouth was full, but her eyes went wide, "Ohmagosh!"

She ran for the back door, heading straight out into the snow, out the back gate to the shore. Bo watched as her arms stretched out towards the sky at the sight of the awesome mountain that Lauren had fallen so deeply in love with last winter.

Bo stood, staring down at Lauren's belongings, dropped on the floor, "I swear she loves that mountain more than she loves me."

Mary smiled, "Don't take it personally, child. We all love that mountain? It's a spiritual experience."

"I suppose you're right. She's going to be late for work." Bo shook her head, "Then she'll be mad at herself."

Just as she'd said it, she saw Lauren turn and run back towards the house, "Maybe not."

Lauren entered the house, shaking off the snow at the entryway, "Bo, it's beautiful! The moon is low, but the stars are still beaming over the mountain." She reached down and grabbed another muffin, taking a bite, "And it was… my gawd that's a good muffin… and the glow of the moonlight on the water below the mountain – it's just perfect! A perfect morning!"

"You never liked mornings here without a sunrise." Bo replied, handing Lauren her coffee thermos as they walked towards the garage door.

"I changed my mind after taking in that scene out there this morning. My day is night and my night is night and I'm all screwed up for time, but I won't miss sunrise if I can see that beauty of a mountain every morning."

Bo laughed, "Well, that's sort of a one-time thing since Denali rarely shows her face around here."

Lauren shrugged, "I'll take once a week."

"Try once every two weeks and you may get lucky."

"I'll take what I can get." She looked up at Mary, suddenly realizing she hadn't asked about taking a muffin, "Uh… were these for someone else?"

Mary laughed, "Of course not. Just earning my keep."

"Mom, how many times do we have to tell you that you don't have to earn your keep." Bo insisted.

"Of course I do. I switched out the rails on two of the sleds. You can use one of the old sleds to teach Rudy."

Bo replied, "I was going to have her run Lauren's dogs today - with me on the seat behind her, of course."

"So? Lauren's sled is still your backup sled, right?" Mary asked.

Bo shrugged, "I would like to try them out before Lauren or Rudy run with the new runners. I don't know how reliable they'll be. They're not tested yet."

Mary shook her head, "Bo, you and Kyle have been over the design with the engineer a thousand times. They were tested on every surface except deep soft snow, but they were ice and snow tested up on the trails around Denali. They're ready, Bo. The more sleds using them, the better the test."

Bo sighed, "I guess if I'm on the sled with her…"

"But what about your team? They need the exercise, Bo." Mary asked.

Bo smiled, "I thought you might like to run them."

"You trust me with your full A-team?" Mary asked, shocked.

"What's not to trust, Mom? You've been running them with other dogs and in small groups. Why wouldn't I trust you to run the whole group?"

Mary shrugged, "As I said to Rudy last night, it's been a long time since I did long distance mushing, Bo. I thought that knowing I'm sick… you wouldn't be as comfortable…"

"Mom, you look fine to me. Since you won't tell us what's wrong, I'm going to keep things status quo until Lauren tells me we have to adapt things around here to suit your needs."

"I don't run alone." Mary said emphatically.

Bo nodded, "LJ said you've been taking road runs."

"I have, but never without him or one of the hired trainers out there with me and never in snow." She scowled, "I don't trust myself if we get into rough terrain."

Bo looked at Lauren, slowly following her Mom's movement towards the stove, "Did something happen on a training run?"

Mary shook her head, "Not yet. I just don't feel… strong. If the sled were to tip or I were to fall off, I'd never be able to…"

"I get the picture, Mom. It's okay. We'll run together. I'll be right with you."

"With three dogs?" Mary laughed.

"Three dogs and a lot less weight. I was planning on taking my trip supplies back to town today. If this weather sticks, I can start working up thirty to fifty-mile runs. I've got to get going if I'm going to do hundred milers by the end of next month."

Bo caught the look on Lauren's face. It was quick, but she'd noticed. The blonde had become quite skilled at hiding her worry over Bo's training runs, but this time, she'd surprised her with what she was sure was an unexpected announcement. Her Mom, on the other hand, had simply nodded. She knew the drill – her Mom taught her the drill.

"I guess I'll be doing more hours at the kennel?" Mary asked.

Bo shrugged, "We can add on hours to other employees. It doesn't have to be you, Mom. The twins asked LJ for more hours now that they're thirteen –"

"… _and a half!"_ They all chimed together with a laugh.

"That extra six months means a lot to both Sam and Scott." Bo grinned, "And their Mom, Wendy, gave permission. Their Dad doesn't have much longer and she would rather they weren't in the house when she goes to the hospital to sit vigil. LJ is going to keep an eye on them – make sure they're going to school, doing their homework, calling Wendy at dinner time and then getting home when she's on her way back so they can get to bed."

"If only it had just been the flu. The whole situation is tough," Lauren nodded, looking at Mary who she was sure was thinking about the same life for Rudy in the future.

But Mary shook her head, shaking off the mood, "I like working at the kennel. I like working with the dogs. I actually welcome an excuse to spend more time there. You know I've always been more at home with the canine world than the human world… except for my daughters."

Bo smiled, "Mom, you don't need an excuse to hang out at the kennel or see the dogs. You're welcome there any time, you know that."

Mary shrugged, "I guess I wasn't so sure. You said you want to do things your way, so…"

"Mom, I still want your advice… value your advice. I just want you to check in with me before you go changing the routines of my dogs or the way we're running the kennel. LJ said you've had some good ideas and when I was in Boston, he called me with a few of them and I agreed."

Mary smiled, "So you do have a hand in what's happening."

Bo grinned, "LJ doesn't take a pee without calling me first. He's got things down with the dogs – his dogs especially. He's got a system that works for him and I'm trying to keep my distance so he can grow and learn for himself – the way I did. I gave him the basics, now he can find what works best for him when it comes to mushing."

Bo looked out the kitchen window, "If he has questions, I'm there but he's learning that he has to develop his own style. But the store… the kennel… he's lacking in knowledge there. I'm still waiting for the time he runs into trouble he can't handle. He's getting a bit cocky out there, so when he takes longer runs, I make sure he has the Kennel's satellite phone with him just in case. He's learning, but he's only been at it for a little over a year at full time. I've had more than twenty." She turned back to her Mom, "So, he's got freedom to run his team as he sees fit, but he's on a short leash, so to speak."

"Like I did with you?" Mary asked.

Bo nodded, "Exactly, but I have to admit you gave me a much better base than I've given him. You gave me a system that I haven't strayed from much – only where technology has improved things. I was reluctant to help him for the first ten years of his life. Now, I wish… well, I wish things had been different so that I could have helped him."

"His grandfather." Mary replied with a sigh.

"My Father. He doesn't like the association and I have to respect that."

Mary nodded, "Well, that sled you're driving now certainly has some technological advances I would never have seen coming. Those rails are impressive, but the overall sled design is very nice."

Bo shrugged, "I worked with Kyle on that. She called me stubborn and too set in the old ways, I called her a techno-geek. Somehow, we met in the middle, she brought in an engineer to teach me the physics of different materials and how they interact with snow and temperatures and… well, my newest sled was born. Now we're selling them."

Mary smiled, "And who wouldn't want to buy a replica of the sled Bo Dennis used to win all of those titles."

"It pays the bills." Bo said, unapologetically.

"And then some. Are you worried about giving your competitors your technology?"

Bo shrugged, "The tech only gets you so far. You've still got to know the land."

Mary nodded, "Well, that's very true. From what LJ says, selling your gear is helping the kennel to turn a nice profit."

Bo shook her head, "Well, what LJ doesn't realize is how much of those profits are going to be shoveled right back into prepping for the race. If he decides to enter this year, it will double our costs, but I'm worried he won't make enough in winning to pay the bills. I'll have to pay it out of my race winnings and… well, what if I don't win? Anything could happen. Mushers are forced to drop out all of the time. I've just been lucky so far."

"He's entering this year?" Mary asked, shocked.

Bo shrugged, "I don't know. He hasn't committed one way or another."

"It'd be suicide for that boy to run and you know it. He has barely topped a single one-hundred mile run and did it roadside at that. He's not ready for that wilderness, Bo. Stop him or I will."

"It's his choice, Mom." Bo replied, "You forget who you're talking to. When I set out into the Yukon wilderness with just my five dogs, two axes, two knives and a crossbow, I was not even sixteen. I was homeless, poverty stricken and had no experience outside of the North Slope… and no experience around outsiders. But I learned… and I survived."

Mary nodded, "I'm not sure if that's supposed to be a reminder for me or twisted logic as to why you shouldn't stop LJ from running. That boy was raised with too many luxuries to last out there and you know it. You survived because of how you were raised. He eats food from a can for crying out loud. You caught your first fish through the ice at age two."

Mary stood from the chair she had taken, wobbling a bit when the room began to spin. Bo reached out to steady her, "Mom!"

Mary waved her off and continued, "I think your reasons for not wanting to interfere with LJ are less about me and more about you being afraid to be labeled a mentor to that boy. The problem with that is – whether you want the title or not – you're his mentor. He's waiting for permission, Bo. But you keep telling him it's up to him."

She headed for the living room, but turned back to Bo,

"That means that he's left to guess what you think and make no mistake – what you think matters to that boy – more than anyone else's thoughts. You're not just his mentor – you're his teacher, his big sister and his idol. If he thinks you think he should run, he'll do it because he doesn't want you to think he's not brave enough. If he thinks you think he's not ready to run, he may never run because he thinks it means you don't think he's good enough. Either way, you'd better prep a reason for whatever you're thinking so you don't ruin that boy for life."

Bo stood, frozen as her Mom's words sunk in.

"Have a nice day, Lauren. I'll stop by the clinic before closing so we can talk… privately, please."

Lauren nodded, "I take it that means you want me to be your primary care doctor here?"

She nodded, "Unless that's against some ethical code or something, yes. I won't go back to the healers in the village. I don't have a place among them anymore. Seline had me declared an outcast before white law took her to task. If you have another doctor you'd rather I see…"

Lauren waved her off, "Let's just see how my conversation with your doctor goes and then we'll decide. If I feel I am not the best choice, I'll refer you to another of my staff. They are all excellent physicians that Stephen and I have hand-picked. Okay?"

"Okay." Mary nodded before resuming her trip to the living room to give the couple a chance to say a private goodbye.

Lauren placed a hand on Bo's shoulder, "I've got to go. I'm going to be very late."

Bo nodded, "Maybe if you skip the shower…"

"I smell like sex, Bo. I've got to take a shower or Kelly will be making inappropriate comments in front of the rest of the staff. Then I'll have to fire her and it will be a whole thing…" Lauren laughed.

Bo smiled, "Oh our little Kelly. Will she ever grow up?"

Lauren laughed, "We can only hope."

Bo nodded, "Take my truck. I'll see you at lunch."

Lauren nodded, "Bo, about what your Mom said…"

"She's right, Lauren. I'm going to have a talk with LJ today. He's not ready for an Iditarod, but I am going to start entering him in some smaller races this winter. It will take more time away from me being home…"

Lauren waved her off, "I'll be opening a hospital, Bo. We'll both be very busy. I'm just worried about Rudy not getting lost in the mix. I don't want her to feel like no one has time for her."

Bo nodded, "I'll take her with me to races if Mom's okay with it. Otherwise, she can stay with you or Mom when I'm away. She likes being at the kennel and she likes being at the clinic."

Lauren smiled, "She wants to be a Vet, you know."

"Really?" Bo asked.

"For now, yes. Who knows what will happen down the road?" Lauren laughed, "I wanted to ride in a fire truck when I was her age."

"You wanted to be a fireman?" Bo asked, surprised.

"No, I said I wanted to ride in a fire truck. I don't recall wanting to run into burning buildings – just stand on the truck with the sirens going."

Bo laughed, "Wow. I didn't know you were such an inspired child."

Lauren smiled, "Like I said – who knows what will happen down the road. We like a lot of things as children. Finding our passion – that's a whole different ball game."

"Who knows." Bo nodded.

"See you soon." Lauren said, giving Bo a kiss before she headed out the door to get on with her day.

The brunette stood, staring at the door, debating whether or not her earlier conversation with her Mom warranted more talk. She looked out at the darkness, her eyes focusing on a glint of gray on the horizon. The sun would bring some light to the land for a few hours soon.

She grabbed her coffee and another muffin since she'd only had a few bites of Lauren's and headed into the living room. She found her Mom sitting, eyes set on the fire as she sipped her coffee. Bo sat down at the other end, settling in with her muffin on the wide wooden arm of the sofa she'd built.

"Nice fire, Mom."

Mary nodded, "There's nothing quite like a warm fire to cut the chill in the house in the early hours of the morning. It's really kicking up out there. Lauren didn't take her sled, did she?"

Bo shook her head, "She was going to, but since she was late for work, I talked her into using my truck. Looking out there now, I'm glad she didn't try to take her sled. While her skill on a sled is actually quite good, I'm still worried about how she would handle herself in the wild. She has yet to come face to face with a bear on her own and the times she's had to deal with one with someone else present, she's sort of froze up. She's still nervous out here."

Mary smiled, "Is that why it took so long for her to come back from Boston?"

"That… well, that is complicated." Bo replied.

They shared a long moment of silence before Bo asked, "I was thinking about what you said about LJ and I think you're right. I told you about my history with him…"

"Your Father trying to have you lynched because LJ was young and reckless and put his sled through the ice at the lake?"

Bo sighed, "Yea, that."

"That… wasn't your fault, Bo. You know as well as anyone that the ice can be unpredictable at times. From what Molly and Mark told me – and your brother Tosh as well – LJ was a tenacious young man who would have followed you to the ends of the universe as a child. You weren't going to stop him and you had no way of knowing it was him who followed you."

"He almost died." Bo replied.

"But he didn't because you were there to save him from himself. You don't remember the time you did the very same thing, do you?"

"What?" Bo asked.

Mary chuckled, "Oh, you were so young back then. Stubborn, too – just like now."

"I'm…"

"You are. You think that I'm just a fixture here, but I have eyes and ears, Ysabeau. You're stubborn and you need to listen to that Doctor of yours. She's good for you. She's your anchor – if you'll let her be."

"Fine. You're right. She's right. I'm wrong. I'm stubborn. Now what don't I remember?" Bo asked, desperately wanting a change of topic.

Mary turned slightly to face Bo, "It was subzero and whiteout conditions. You couldn't have been more than eight or nine. We were out of just about everything and the house was under fifty-five degrees with no signs of warmer weather ahead. Your Father and brothers were off – well, wherever they went when they would leave for months at a time. We needed supplies – badly. I told you to stay put – that I was going out to get the things we needed. You begged me not to go. You told me it was too dangerous."

Mary chuckled, "Ah, yes. Even at that age you knew the weather, Ysabeau. Still, as the Mother, it's my job to provide, so I went out to the kennel to prep the dogs. The whole time I was getting ready, I knew you were right behind me, lurking in the shadows."

Adjusting her position, Mary took a sip of her coffee before she continued,

"Once I had everything loaded, I headed out but not before I shouted back to you to stay put and stay in the house… that it was too bad outside for your dogs. Usually, they would make you see reason, but on this day, I had a feeling. I did a large circle around the property before heading out, knowing that you were probably prepping your sled to follow me. Sure enough, when I came around, there you were, right in front of me. I swung wide, knowing I didn't have to go far to make sure that you couldn't see me in the whiteout conditions. I held back, but ran a parallel course to yours, always keeping you close enough so that I could see you and your team."

"You didn't reveal yourself?" Bo asked.

Mary shook her head, "I had hoped to teach you a little lesson, but as luck would have it, you learned a big 4-legged lesson that day."

"A bear?" Bo asked.

"Polar bear."

"Oh shit."

"That's what I said when I made out the triangle in the distance. You were a perfect sized tiny human meal back then… seal-sized."

They both chuckled as Mary continued, "I covered the distance to your sled in good time, calling out to you when I knew that you could see me, but you couldn't hear me."

"The wind?"

Mary nodded, "I fired off a flare and the sound of the gun drew your attention before the streak of light did. You started to turn your sled towards me, turning your back on the bear, but luckily, you looked to where I was pointing. Only the Athabascan Spirits know how in the world a child your age was able to pick out the bear in those conditions and then have the presence of mind to act."

"What did I do?" Bo asked.

Mary gave a chuckle and a shrug with her response, "You threw your little leg over the lower rail, called out a strong 'haw' to your dogs as you drew your crossbow from your back, took aim and fired an arrow at him just as he charged you. He stumbled for a moment – long enough for you to reload and take a second shot at the same time I fired off a round from my shotgun."

"I take it he was dead?"

Mary smiled, "Yup. We covered the bear since it was so close to home and headed out to the post to get firewood."

"I guess we didn't need much else after that." Bo concluded.

"Nope. That bear gave us meat, fur, skin, bone… we used every scrap and it lasted the two of us the entire winter."

"How did we get that thing home?" Bo asked.

Mary grinned, "That was actually your idea. You always were a smart one. We lashed our sleds side-by-side, switched the lines so that the dogs could run three astride and six deep with one lead since we had nineteen dogs between us."

Bo grinned, "Harper's Grandmother was our lead?"

Nodding, the older woman replied, "Yuji, yes." Mary smiled, turning to the fire, "I miss that old girl. She was something special."

Bo smiled, "I don't take her blood for granted, Mom. It's the reason for my success."

Mary shook her head, "You're the reason for your success, Bo."

"Respectfully, I disagree. If it weren't for the instincts of Harper and her siblings, I'd be dead twenty times over. Those dogs have saved me more times than I can count."

"So the stories are true, huh?"

"Most, yes. I'm sure there's a lot of embellishments out there… it happens. So, nineteen dogs hauled a polar bear and the two of us in white out conditions, huh?"

Mary nodded, "They certainly did. I mean… I had to run a lot, but you handled the steering like a pro. Honestly, I thought you were leading us right out to the water's edge, but we landed right on our front stoop. You had amazing directional instincts – even as a child."

Bo nodded, "So you think LJ has those instincts?"

"Not even close. He ditched his sled in the lake because he was too busy looking for you instead of paying attention to his surroundings. He doesn't listen to the sounds of nature, so he doesn't know that rails in deep snow make a sound that can be heard. He thinks they run silent. He doesn't hear the rustle of the trees when a bear is nearby. He relies on seeing the bear. He doesn't even seem to have instincts when he fishes. Like I said before – he's been raised with too many conveniences. He hasn't learned to use what the Spirits have given him."

Bo nodded, "I guess that's true."

"What I'm saying is… take him out and be his trail sled. Teach him how to listen to the wild, Bo. It's what he's missing. He's not at peace with the spirits of the forest, air, land and sea as I taught you to be. He'll never be a champion if he can't have the conversation."

"You're right." Bo replied.

"Of course, he wasn't raised Athabascan as you were, so you will have to find a language he can understand."

"I don't know how to do that with him any more than I know how to do it with Lauren, Mom. Now I have to try to teach Rudy and Elise… probably Janie as well. I don't remember when I learned. I don't remember how you taught me."

"Well, I can tell you that if you tell him to bend down, stick his head in the snow and have a conversation with the ground, he'll think you're losing your mind."

The two women chuckled, Bo finally asking her,

"Seriously, Mom… how do I teach him that the land has a pulse that I can feel when I run if I don't tell him to listen for it?" Bo asked.

Mary smiled, "You'll find a way, Ysabeau. You're a good mentor. You'll find a way and he'll find his. I think that if you released your fears and taught that partner of yours, she would learn faster than LJ would."

"Have you met, Lauren? I mean… I thought you'd met her, but now I'm not sure. My wife-to-be… the scientist… the seeing's believing, Big Bang Theory doctor?" Bo asked with a smirk.

"Have you been paying to attention to how your lovely wife-to-be is growing and learning? Did you see her out there with Denali just now? She uses white man's words to describe what she's seeing, but she instinctively reached for the sky. That woman of yours feels this land as if she was born to it like you were. Give your woman some credit, Bo. She's not just book smart like you think. She may have been an outsider last year, but she is no outsider now."

Bo considered her Mother's words as she watched her stand to put another log on the fire before picking up the brunette's plate and heading for the kitchen. The younger woman settled back on the sofa, holding her mug in two hands as she watched the fire grow in size once more. She closed her eyes, enjoying the quiet until she felt a warm body snuggle in next to her own,

"Well, hello there." Bo smiled.

"Hi."

Bo laughed at her groggy little sister. She reached behind her, grabbing the blanket from the back of the sofa and throwing it over the little cuddler before draping her arm over her shoulder.

"How did you sleep?" Bo asked.

"Cold."

Bo laughed, "Come here, kiddo."

She slid onto the floor closer to the fire, catching another blanket from her Mom and holding it out for Rudy. The little one ran into her arms, snuggling her head into the crook of Bo's neck and curling her body into her lap. Bo wrapped the blanket around her, holding her tight. She just needed a little of Bo's body heat. Of course, the hot fire would speed things along as well.

"Mom stole her body heat from you, huh, little Sis?"

"Mom didn't sleep well, so I didn't sleep well." Rudy moaned.

"Are you sure Mom didn't sleep well because somebody was hogging the bed?" Bo chuckled.

Rudy shook her head, "I was on my side for sure. She kept getting up and then laying down and rolling over and over. She usually sleeps like a big old boulder… you know, asleep like a rock."

Bo laughed, "Yea?"

Rudy nodded, "Yea. This one time, there was a really bad storm on the island. I ran into her room because I heard shingles getting blown off the roof. There she was, sitting in her reading chair with her glasses hanging off her nose and the book on the floor. I'm telling you our Mom could sleep through a hurricane."

Bo laughed, "Well, thankfully we don't get many full-blown hurricanes around here. We might get a cyclone or a typhoon on a rare occasion, but mostly our winds just blow snow and turn water to ice. I suppose we're more prone to mudslides and flooding than when the permafrost was thicker and the temperatures colder, but so far we don't have to worry much about Mom sleeping through a hurricane."

Rudy remembered, "We had this one they named Lane. It was a long time ago, back when I was only eight…"

Bo laughed at Rudy's version of age and time. She knew exactly what storm Rudy was referring to because she had seen footage of the storm on the TV while sitting in a bar. It did millions of dollars in damage to the Big Island, if she remembered correctly. It was strange to think back on when she'd heard the news - she didn't think anything of it. She would never have guessed she had anyone she knew there, let alone a Mother and a little sister she knew nothing about.

"… then the clay shingles started to fly off the roof. That's when I got really, really scared. At first, I hid under my bed, but then I remembered that was for earthquakes, not hurricanes. I didn't know what I was supposed to do in those, but I knew Mom would know. I guess she thought we were just supposed to sleep through it and let it carry us away."

Rudy laughed and Bo joined her, "Wow, so Mom really can sleep through anything."

"Told you." Rudy nodded, brushing her hair from her face.

"Here. Let me get that for you. Sit up."

Rudy sat up between Bo's legs facing the fire. The older sister went to work combing through her littles sisters' long dark hair, pulling each bunch into her free hand until she had a well-formed ponytail. She wrapped the hair tie around it three times and then laughed when Rudy pulled the blanket over herself once more and settled in against Bo,

"I like this."

Bo smiled, wrapping her arms around her little sister, "I like this too. However, we're going to have to get ready to go soon. We've got a kennel to run, kiddo."

"Awww… can't we just take the day off?" Rudy groaned.

Bo shrugged, "Well, it's Saturday and you don't have school but if you'd rather lay here than have your first sledding lesson, we can do that. I'm sure Mom and LJ would be more than willing to run the kennel for the day."

Rudy's head popped up faster than those weird creatures on the Whack-A-Mole game. Bo smiled thinking back to her time in the arcade in Anchorage with her little sister before she'd left for Boston. Rudy begged her to take her to Boston. Now, Rudy's eyes were wide, and her smile stretched out across her face showing all of her teeth, except for the first molars she had lost the night before last,

"Really? You're gonna teach me to sled today?"

Bo looked up at her Mom who was smiling down at her two daughters, her cheeks wet with tears that appeared to have been falling for quite some time. She frowned, but her Mom waved her off, nodding back to Rudy.

"I am." Bo smiled reconsidering the seating assignments as she replayed her Mom's concerns over again. She looked tired today and with Rudy mentioning she hadn't slept, it was probably best that Bo drove her sled with the load today. Of course she could take her equipment in the next trip without Rudy and her Mom.

"Am I gonna use Snow?"

Bo shook her head, "She's too little, sweetie. But she can ride in the basket of Mom's sled. She's going to take Lauren's dogs. You are going to drive my sled. We've got a big load to carry. Think you're up for it?"

The light left Rudy's eyes, replaced with concern, but Bo was there to reassure her, "I'll be sitting in the seat right behind you. I'll help with everything. I want you to get a feel for what it's like to run behind a full team of champions. They'll take good care of us, Rudy. You don't have to worry."

"And Lauren's dogs will take good care of our Mom?" Rudy asked.

Bo smiled at her Mom, offering a shrug, "Well, they're still pretty new to sledding and this will be their first trip out in the snow since early March. They're probably going to be a bit distracted, but Mom has a lot of experience dealing with distracted pups."

"She does? She never told me that!"

Bo laughed, "Well, she raised you and me, didn't she? We're always distracted!"

Rudy laughed and Bo couldn't help but notice the change in her Mom's demeanor as well. Mary smiled, looking to her daughters,

"My most beloved human pups were always more distracted than my canine pups! You two have always kept me on my toes. What do you say we go out and show Rudy how we changed to the new rails so you can check my work? We can load the sleds, get the dogs fed and let them out in the yard for some play time before the work begins."

Bo smiled, "Sounds perfect."

She turned to Rudy, "You, little Miss, have to brush your teeth, wash your face, put on the warmest clothes you can find – remember to layer, then grab a muffin and come out to the garage. Mom and I will do the heavy lifting while you're getting ready and eating breakfast."

She pulled off the blanket, her little sister responding with a squeal when the cold hit her skin. Bo laughed, "Go on now. Mush! Mush!"

Rudy ran off, leaving Bo with her Mom. The brunette looked up, smiling at her Mom,

"You okay to work today?"

"The moon kept me up last night, Bo. Nothing more."

"The moon?" Bo asked.

Mary shrugged, "I didn't put the blinds up in the new section of the house yet. I don't trust myself on a ladder alone."

"Mom, one of the guys would have helped you…"

"I know. They offered and I told them I'd take them up on it. I just couldn't decide what to put up."

Bo smiled, "You want wooden ones like the ones I made for in here?"

"It would look nice from outside if all of the blinds matched, don't you think?"

Bo chuckled, "Mom, you could have just asked me. Better yet, do you want to make them together? I'd love to teach you some more woodworking if you're interested."

Mary's smile was wide as her eyes filled with tears, "Just like old times. I'd love that."

"Yea, only I'm the teacher this time, so I hope you're a good student."

"Don't forget who taught you to be a good student." Mary laughed, standing up with her cup and plate, "Meet you in the garage?"

Bo nodded, standing up and folding the blankets, "I'll just be about ten minutes getting ready."

Mary nodded, "Rudy will beat you out there. She's excited."

"That's a good thing, right?"

"If you don't mind one hundred questions a minute, sure!"

Bo stopped suddenly, mouth opened as she watched her Mother laugh her way into the kitchen. She sighed,

"Oh boy. What did I get myself into?"

She headed up the loft steps, pausing when she heard Rudy enter the living room, "Bo! Bo! Doth wu hov boos foth ma?"

Bo laughed, "Rudy, I can't understand a word you're saying with a toothbrush in your mouth. Brush your teeth, pull on your bottom layers and I'll meet you downstairs. I'm going to change and then come down to the bathroom."

Rudy nodded and rushed back down the hallway. Bo shook her head,

"Ninety-nine questions to go… hopefully they'll be in English I can understand." Bo laughed.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_


	21. Chapter 21: When Fear Takes Hold

_**A/N:**_ _Hey all – I hope this chapter finds everyone well. Thanks again to everyone for the continuing gifts of favorites, follows and reviews. A quick shout out to those who have just joined me through this and older stories. I'm happy that my work has provided some entertainment for you as we all continue press on during these unusual times. Best wishes to those of you who are out there working in direct contact with this disease. Your courage and service continue to inspire so many. You are never far from my thoughts._

 _Take care everyone and be safe out there!_

 _To Lilmac45 – still working on fulfilling your request. That work thing went sideways this week, so did a lot of OT trying to deal with the aftermath – not much time to write until now._

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **Chapter 21: When Fear Takes Hold**_

 _ **Snow-covered road to Talkeetna**_

"Okay, Rudy. Watch Mom's sled and notice where she starts her turn up ahead. Our team has more dogs, so we're longer – a lot longer – so do we start our turn sooner or later than Mom?"

"Just a little more sooner and we don't turn as sharp, right?"

Bo smiled, "That's right. You're good, kiddo."

"You holding me, right Bo? You won't let me fall? You'll hold me on the rails?" Rudy asked nervously.

Bo had rigged a dog harness for Rudy and attached a short center line from each hip hook that led to two leashes in Bo's hands so that she could hold her in place as rider controls a horse. Falling off of a moving dog sled was very dangerous, so Bo was taking no chances. She gave a tug on the center leash so Rudy could feel the resistance on both hips,

"I've got you, Roo. I promise. You feel me?"

"Yes. But… I'm a little… scared."

Bo could hear the fear in her little sisters' voice, but she was sure she could handle this downhill with her help. It was time for Rudy to overcome her doubts and gain a little confidence.

"Whoa, Diana! Whoa, Nike!" Bo yelled, waiting for the sled to come to a full stop. Rudy turned back to Bo adjusting her feet on the rails,

"Why'd we stop? Are you gonna drive?"

Bo shook her head, "No. I'm going to tell you a story about something that happened when I was your age. Have a seat next to me," Bo said, before calling out to the dogs to relax. She anchored the sled and then allowed one of the recent memories she'd recalled with Doctor Gray to replay in her mind…

 _ **Flashback…**_

" _But Momma, what if I steer where the ice is too thin? I'm afraid, Momma?"_

" _Whoa, Yuji." Mary said, pulling her dogs to a stop and turning to face her young daughter. She sighed, dropping the hook and planting it firmly into the ice before walking back towards her daughter,_

" _Good girl Poppy. You're going to be a champion leader one of these days if you can beat your sister Yuji." She laughed when the young canine protested the comment with a strong bark. Mary moved on to the rest of the team, greeting each with a rub on the head, "Good girl Jasmine, Daisy, Dandy and way to go, Rosie! You're doing really well for your first official day with the team!"_

 _Mary sat on the bench behind her young daughter, "Drop your anchor and sit with me, Ysabeau."_

 _She watched to be sure the youngster drove her hook in deep. The team was young and prone to disobedience, so Mary lay gripped the rail and lay a finger on the center line just to be sure the dogs felt some resistance. Young Ysabeau turned and sat on her Mother's lap,_

" _Are you mad at me, Momma?"_

 _Mary smiled, "Of course not, child. But that fear of yours is something we must talk to."_

" _Talk to my fear?" Ysabeau asked._

 _Mary nodded, "Yes. Now, close your eyes."_

 _Ysabeau did as she was told. Mary smiled at how attentive she was. Her daughter always did as she was told when it came to the dogs and mushing. She loved this world. There was nowhere she would rather be. Countless nights she would hear the door to the house close when Ysabeau would go outside to sleep with Yuji and Tessa, always pulling her Poppy in like a teddy bear. No, Poppy was too big, but it didn't stop the young runner from snuggling in between the two elder dogs to be near her young master._

" _Smell and feel the air… is it cold enough for ice?"_

 _She waited and watched as the youngster pulled down her respirator and took a deep breath, coughing almost immediately._

" _Yes."_

" _Now, feel the wind on your face. Is the pace of the breeze strong enough to add layers to the water atop the full expanse of the lake?"_

 _Again, Mary watched as her daughter tilted her face into the breeze and lifted her goggles. Feeling the sting in her eyes was enough to tell her all she needed to know,_

" _Ow. Yes."_

 _Mary chuckled, "Now, the most important part." She lifted Ysabeau off of the sled and onto the edge of the snow-covered ice, "Feel for the life beneath your feet and listen for the sounds of the flow of natures' water below the ice. What do your feelings teach you, child?"_

" _The less you hear water, the thicker the ice. The firmer the ground beneath your feet, the colder the permafrost surrounding the lake."_

" _So, can you make it across the lake?" Mary asked._

 _Bo smiled, "Yes."_

" _And what must your eyes see?"_

" _Cracks in the ice that have darkness between them."_

" _Why?"_

" _They're the spots where the ice is married to the water. They dance together and so they move together. I'm not welcome in their dance."_

 _Mary nodded, "And what will happen if you interfere in their dance?"_

 _Ysabeau frowned, "They do their dance in the deep where no one can see. They dance in the deepest cracks of the ice that may not hold my dogs and my sled."_

" _Don't forget about you too. If your dogs and sled join the dancers, so do you."_

 _She looked back at Mary, "If I pick a bad route, it's my fault. The dogs are just doing as they're told. They don't deserve to die for my mistake. I would rather they live and I die."_

 _Mary shuddered at the thought of Ysabeau sacrificing herself for her dogs, but she knew her daughter's heart. For that reason, she knew that she needed to pick a strong route for both her and her daughter, then keep her own pace slow enough to be sure she could get to her if need be. Better yet…_

 _She nodded, "I understand your heart, Ysabeau. Are you ready?"_

 _The youngster took a deep breath, "Ready."_

 _Mary nodded, moving to the basket on her daughter's sled. She pulled out her spare center line and carried it to Poppy, attaching it to her collar. She then walked to her sled and attached the other end of the line to the rail of her own sled before straddling the line to stand on her rails. She looked back at Ysabeau who was settled in on her rails, her dogs barking and ready to go._

" _Hike! Hike!" Yuji and Tess pulled out hard, anxious to get across the lake and back to the trail._

 _Mary looked over her shoulder to be sure that Ysabeau was keeping pace so that the center line running between her own legs didn't flip her off the sled if it became too taut. She watched the ice ahead, knowing that it was definitely thick enough for the trip home, but the sun had been out all day, so her youngster had good reason to be nervous. She could see the ice darken up ahead and took that route for herself. She pointed for Ysabeau to move left of her and listened for her daughter to call out the command. Once she did, she could hear her gaining speed._

 _Her sled was lighter and faster on ice since Mary was carrying all of their supplies for home. She could hear the ice cracking up ahead and moved to the left, pointing again to Bo to give her space to maneuver closer. Again, she was on top of the commands as they approached the opposite side of the lake. Her eyes set on her daughter, she saw her yank her respirator down and call out loud,_

" _POPPY! HAW! HAW!" Ysabeau's dogs kept their line left of Mary's sled, but the elder Dennis didn't realize that Yuji had picked up on the young musher's command and took a sharp left as well._

 _Mary barely got her eyes back on the lake when the front of her team lurched left, the rest of the dogs waiting on the sound of Mary's voice, thus staying right. Mary had no time to speak when her sled lurched to the left. Mary gripped the handle, the sled tipping up on its' left rails, narrowly avoiding an obstacle sticking up out of the ice. Leaning hard right, her elbow glancing off the cold hard surface, she managed to pull the sled back down onto the ice, the blow cracking the surface and crafting a break in the ice that pulled the back end of the sled's right rail into the water._

" _HIKE! HIKE! PULL LADIES! PULL!" Mary yelled, feeling the ice-cold water on her foot._

" _MOMMA!" Ysabeau jumped off of her sled and rushed to grab Yuji's collar as the lead dog was pulled backwards._

 _Mary leaned left with all of her might, grabbing the centerline that was attached to Bo's sled and called out,_

" _POPPY! HIKE! HIKE!"_

 _Bo turned, only now noticing the line attached to her lead dog and stretched out to reach it, "HIKE, YUJI! HIKE TESSA! HIKE POPPY! HIKE! PULL GIRLS! PULL! PLEASE PULL!_

 _Mary watched as her daughter's arms were stretched out between the two sleds, one hand holding firm to Yuji, the other to Poppy as the two teams pulled together to free her and her sled from the water._

" _LET GO, YSABEAU! LET GO!"_

" _NO! NO! NEVER! I'LL NEVER LET GO! YUJI, HIKE! POPPY HIKE! PULL GIRLS! PULL MY SISTERS! PULL!"_

 _With one last effort, Mary reached up, grabbing the handle of her sled to lift her body out of the water. She fumbled for the anchor rope, pulling it up and tossing it in front of her. As she was pulled forward, she gripped the anchor and pressed down, dragging herself towards it while pulling the sled with her until she was fully back on the ice. She covered her head as the sled tipped, falling on top of her and dragging her with it along the ice as the dogs began to gain speed once again._

 _Ysabeau called out to the teams, "Whoa! Whoa! Stay, Poppy! Stay Yuji! Stay Tessa! Hold!"_

 _The young musher released the lines and slid to her sled, quickly driving her hook into the ice, then crawled over to her Mom, standing carefully on the ice,_

" _MOM! MOM!" She tried to lift the sled, but she couldn't budge it, "Mom!"_

 _She backed up, walking around the other side, "What do I do? What do I do? Mom! What do I do?"_

 _Tears flooded her eyes as she lay down next to her Mom, "Momma? Momma? Momma! Momma! Oh no! No! No! NO!"_

 _She lay on the ice, listening to the sound of the dance below. She lifted her head, staring down at the dark waters moving below the ice,_

" _You can't have my Momma. You can't have her!" She shouted, sitting up._

 _She looked around for any signs of life. Seeing no one, she knew she was on her own. There was a rock sticking up out of the ice. She thought she might be able to tie off a rope and pull the sled that way, but the ice was thin there, so she looked in the other direction._

" _Five feet to shore. It's only about five feet! Get off the ice. Get the dogs off the ice so they have something their feet can grip. Then they can pull the sled."_

 _She ran to the center line attached to the handle of her sled and took it to Poppy, attaching it to her collar. She pulled the line, bringing both inside lead dogs with her,_

 _Yuji Hike! Poppy Hike!" The two dogs ran towards her, forcing the rest of the two teams to follow. She watched the sled, noticing her Mom's arm flopping on the ice,_

" _Mom! Mom! Oh, please Spirits, bless me with the knowledge to save my Mother, your favored Athabascan child."_

 _Once all nineteen dogs were on land, she released Yuji and Tessa from their center line and walked them around to the left side of the sled. She attached their leads to the base of the handle and rail on the right side of the sled,_

" _Hike! Hike!" She called, pulling them towards her as the sled flipped upside down, "Stay. Stay."_

 _She rushed to the sled while the dogs held the load and pulled her Mom free. She lay on the ice, lifeless. She turned to the dogs,_

" _Come!"_

 _The girls ran towards her, the sled slamming back down onto the ice, a new crack forming._

" _Uh…oh…" Bo said, reaching out carefully to grab the shared lead between the two dogs, "Hike! Hike!"_

 _She held onto her Mom while the dogs pulled the two of them to safety. She laid back, catching her breath while she held tight to her Mom who was now on top of her lower body. Poppy and Yuji licked at her face, barking down at her when she closed her eyes for just a minute._

" _I know, I know. Don't fall asleep. I'll die." She sat up, working hard to get her legs out from under her Mom before crawling down to her, "Mom? Mom? Please wake up, Mom. I don't know what to do! I don't know what to do!"_

 _Yuji let out a commanding bark, nudging at her Mom. It took Bo a moment to calm down, but when she did, she knew what she had to do. She stood, grabbing the center line running it under her Mom's arms and giving command to the two lead dogs to pull._

 _They did their job well, dragging Bo's Mom to the team of young dogs now laying with Ysabeau's sled. Mary lay in the snow until the youngster used the dogs to tow the bigger sled onto land. She moved all of their supplies into the basket at the front of her sled, then used the dogs to help her tow her Mom's limp form onto the flatbed at the back of her sled. She pulled a blanket from the basket and tucked it over and around her injured passenger and used spare straps to secure her to the sled. The rest of the trip was mostly smooth, so she would be fine. Cold, but fine._

 _Bo saw blood on the snow and traced it to Sam, her Mom's wheel dog who must have been injured when the sled flipped. He was unable to walk without a limp and whined when she touched the leg. Thinking it might be broken, the youngster put him in front of the basket wrapped tightly in a tarp so that he wouldn't attempt to jump off the sled and join the teams. She then checked the other dogs for injuries from the crash. Luckily, the rest were fine. She attached her Mom's empty and slightly busted sled to the rear of her own and rearranged the dogs. When she was finished, she looked down the massive line of eighteen dogs. Deciding that a few might misbehave where she had them, she rearranged the dogs again until she was satisfied there would be no bickering._

 _She had arranged the four leads from the two teams at the front, her dogs behind her Mom's in each pairing. There was no way to know if this was going to work. They may be fighting within the first one hundred yards or they could end up a tangled mess. Of course, they could also land them all in a ditch somewhere. Despite the risks, the youngster knew she had to try, or they would both die out here – the dogs too._

 _She walked to the front where Yuji and Tessa were sitting, "Okay, Sisters. I've never handled a team this big, so hear me, okay? Please? We've got to get Momma home. The Elders will know what to do to help her. Okay?"_

 _Yuji barked twice. Young Ysabeau smiled, walking the long line back, checking to be sure each lead was secured properly to the centerline as her Mom had taught her. She stepped onto the sled, gave her Mom one last glance and lifted the anchor. The team pulled out, picking up speed quickly. Bo had to tip her head as the snow came down harder. It was very difficult to see. She hooked her safety clip to the handle and pulled her goggles from her pocket, pulling them over her head before raising her hood._

" _Hike! Hike!" She pushed the dogs hard, knowing that the load was easier on each one with the number of dogs that were pulling across the now flatland portion of the trail. Another mile and she would be back in the village. She thought about where she should go and settled on Seline, the Medicine Woman of their clan. She was said to be moving south to live with a tribe outside of Anchorage. Her kin lived there, and her sister was sick. She could only hope that Seline hadn't left the North Slope town just yet._

 _She drove past their home, not bothering to stop. The men hadn't been home for months and there was no reason to believe they would be there now. She rounded the bend to pick up the trail that ran along the ocean to the Meeting House of the Elders. She sighed with relief when she saw dogs in the kennels, two sleds and two tin dogs parked outside. She drove up, driving the anchor of her sled into the ground before the sled came to a stop. Hopping off, she checked to be sure her Mom was still breathing before driving the anchor of her Mom's sled into the ground as well. They'd made it this far, she didn't need a runaway sled now._

 _She rushed inside, "Help! Help! Please! It's my Mom! Please help!"_

 _As Seline rushed towards the young child, the room spun and everything went black._

 _ **Present Day…**_

"So I guess you passed out?" Rudy giggled.

Bo laughed, "Yup. Got a nice bump on my head, too. I guess I was just so exhausted and hyped up from everything that had happened, that it hit me all at once."

"So you kinda saved Mom's life?"

Bo shrugged, "I never thought of it that way, but what I did think about was all the things that I did that day that I never thought I'd be able to do."

"But you did them anyway."

Bo nodded, "Just like I know that you can handle this sled right now, Roo. You're a natural and you seem to love speed."

Rudy smiled, "Yea, I kinda do."

Bo chuckled, "So why are you hesitating?"

"I'm afraid I'll mess up." Rudy shrugged, "Mom says that if I mess up on a sled, people or dogs could die. I don't want your dogs to die… especially Harper, so… I'm afraid."

"No need to be, kiddo. We're doing this together… the dogs too. They live to run, and they love to run together. I've also learned that this team will protect me with their lives just like I will for them. They know you're special to me. I know that because of how they treat you. More importantly, they'll take care of you because they've come to love and respect you."

"They love me?" Rudy asked.

Bo smiled, tightening Rudy's hood, "Of course. You feed them, you play with them, you rub their bellies."

The younger sister giggled, "They love that."

Bo smiled, "They do. They'll work hard for you, Roo. They'll protect you because they know that you're going to make good decisions and if you don't, they're experienced enough to do the right thing."

Double checking the leads at her sister's waist, Bo continued,

"I've got you if you fall, but what do you say you focus on keeping your feet, holding tight, giving the right commands at the right time and enjoying the ride. You're gonna love this, Roo… I promise. You drive the sled and I'll drive you. Okay?"

"Okay!" Rudy smiled.

Bo nodded, "Now, quick review… if your timing is off, I'll signal by tugging on the harness. Pay attention to what you feel. When I tug towards your right, you yell…"

"Gee!"

"And when I pull on your left hip you yell…"

"Haw!"

"Not so loud!" Bo said quickly, checking to be sure the dogs didn't think that was a command, "The dogs will take off for the river, kiddo!"

"Sorry."

Bo looked up to see her Mom's sled heading back towards them. She turned to Rudy,

"Now, recheck your lines since we're stopped, check the dogs and their booties and if everything is good to go, let's hit this hill. Okay?"

"Okay." Rudy smiled.

"Roo?"

"Yes, Sister?"

Bo searched for the words that would help her little sister, "You have Athabascan blood running in those veins. Our spirits live among all living things on this planet. Listen to your blood, Rudy… it will speak to you through every sight, sound and sensation. Feel the sled, the wind, the ground beneath your feet… not the sled, but the ground. I'll speak to you through the leads at your hips, but the world around you will speak to your soul. Follow your instincts. Mushing is in your blood."

"And your blood?" Rudy asked.

"And in my blood… and Mom's blood and everyone back through our family line since the beginning of time. Trust your instincts – that's our blood talking."

"Okay." Rudy smiled as Bo pulled up her own hood, giving a tug on the drawstrings.

Bo stood, walking up to her Mom as she pulled up beside her, "Everything okay?"

"Just taking your advice, Mom."

"Oh?" Mary asked.

Bo nodded, "She's a little nervous. I reminded her to listen to our blood."

Mary smiled, "You told her the story… the one you just remembered with you doctor?"

Bo smiled, "I told her the story."

"The most humiliating day of my life… and the proudest day of my life." Mary smiled, "Let's get going then. You're late for work, young lady."

Bo laughed, "I'm not so young anymore!"

"Too bad for you! I feel twenty years old again out here!" Mary shouted as she pulled away from the pair and headed for the hill, "Hike! Hike! Show me what you've got little ladies!"

Bo laughed, her heart full that her Mom felt well enough to enjoy a ride this morning. She looked strong… much, much stronger than she did last night. She headed for the bench, taking a seat just as Rudy stepped onto the rails,

"Okay… there goes Mom." Bo said, firmly gripping the ends of the straps attached to her sister while she lifted the anchor, "Let's get at it!"

"Hike! Hike! Let's go Sisters!" Rudy said, looking over her shoulder at Bo, "That's what you called your dogs in the story."

Bo laughed, "That's because they were my sisters… well, the closet thing I had to sisters. I only had brothers. You lucked out – you got me!"

Rudy laughed, calling out to the dogs once again, "Hike! Hike!"

Bo shook her head, noting the speed they were picking up. She wasn't even sure her little sister realized how fast they were going. She was just enjoying the feel of the ride. She really was a natural.

A little concerned about the drop coming up, Bo applied a bit of pressure to the brake to slow down the sled just a bit, giving a coded whistle to Harper. Her canine friend obeyed, nudging her partner Aphrodite. The two dogs lifted their heads, effectively pulling on the line to slow the lead dogs, Nike and Diana.

Bo grinned at her well-oiled machine. The day these ladies were no longer pulling her sled would be the day she would consider stepping back from the Iditarod. She wondered how much longer Harper could go. Now that Big Jim was out of the picture, she hoped for one more race. Sure, Harper would probably have to spend a good bit of it in the basket, possibly getting pulled out, but she would rather run the race one dog short and lose than deprive Harper of one last shot at victory.

"She gave a nudge on Rudy's right hip and watched while the little girl shifted her weight and called out a commanding "GEE!" to the team. Diana and Nike obeyed without question – likely knowing that Bo was sitting in the sled with the young musher. Still, they picked up speed, so Bo jumped in,

"Easy, Diana! Easy Nike! Gee, Gaea! Gee, Athena!" Bo called out.

"Why do you have to tell the wheel dogs where to go? Don't they just follow the rest?"

"The bigger concern is if they don't."

"We'd flip?" Rudy asked.

"Yup! Now keep your eyes on the trail. Mom's turning left."

Bo could see Rudy's little hands tighten their grip, "You'll hold me?"

"I'll never let you go, kiddo. We're in this together."

"I love you, Bo."

The brunette grinned, "I love you too, Rudy. You having fun?"

She could hear the smile in her little sister's voice, "This is the best day ever! I wish Mom could see me."

"She will. She'll speed up once we're on the straight away. She'll want pictures of you coming into town."

"You think?"

Bo smiled, knowing that Mary had already told her the plan, "Mom is fast, Rudy. According to the people in my village, Mom was fast even when she was pregnant with me. She was every bit the musher I am, that's for sure. I'd be willing to bet she would have beaten me if we raced when she was my age. She's going to leave us in her snow dust, even with Lauren's rookie team."

"Wow. She can beat these guys? We were going so fast!"

"Mom's just pacing the dogs out because it's their first run and remember that Lauren's dogs haven't spent an awful lot of time hauling a sled in the snow. Add that to having the summer off and you'll understand why Mom's taking it easy on them." Bo gave a tug on the left strap and her little sister responded immediately, steering the team with near perfection into the turn.

"Haw! Haw!" Rudy called out.

"Okay, Rudy! This is the part I warned you about. What do you want to do?"

"Can you stand up with me?"

Bo nodded, standing up behind Rudy, putting her hands on the rail, "There's still time to get in the basket."

"Will you be mad at me if I do? I'm a little scared of falling off."

Bo smiled, "Of course not. Climb in there. Be careful. I'm going to leave the harness attached to you so you can still feel me move."

Bo watched, holding tight to the central lead of the harness wrapped around her sisters' torso as the sled started to turn. If she fell, the sled would run right over her and there would be no way Bo could prevent it. On the other hand, if she fell on the steep downhill, there would be no surviving. In the basket was the best place for her and Bo had to admit, she felt a sense of relief once her little sister was settled.

She could see her Mom looking over her shoulder ahead just before she hit the final turn to the downhill. She gave her a thumbs up and Bo waved in reply. She knew her Mom was checking to see if Rudy had moved to the safety of the basket as well.

Of course, the basket was only safe if Bo kept the sled upright and it was early in the season for Bo as well. The new runners were performing every bit as expected and then some – they were moving fast which meant the load was easier on the dogs. They still had to be mileage tested, but the sled wasn't skidding near as much as it had with the old ones, so she was very happy. Still, she had been going light on her workouts and was not as fit as she would like to be for this load. It was time to suck it up and check her gut. Her muscles were about to be tested, but she would protect her little sister at all costs.

She watched her Mom disappear over the ridge, so checked on Rudy one last time, "Zip up that basket so you don't come out of there, kiddo. Make sure your goggles are secured. You're about to get blasted with freezing cold powder!"

"Waaahooooo!"

Bo laughed. Her little sister, it turned out, was a little daredevil. The best part was that she had a healthy dose of fear in her as well. That would keep her from doing something stupid one day… hopefully. She thought of LJ and the lake and prayed she never did anything like that. Of course, she had learned her lesson as well and there were people in her life to make sure Rudy stayed put when told to do so… for now. She was going to be a handful when she got older.

"Gee! Gee!" Bo called out, before warning her sister, "Head down, kiddo! The trail is tight up ahead. Cover your face."

She looked down and watched as the youngster slid down deeper into the basket, pulling the zipper up from beneath so that only her goggles and the top of her head were visible. Bo turned into the final bend before the downhill stretch to town. The woods were overgrown and thick. She braced herself for getting whacked in the face with branches. She would come out and groom the trail in a few weeks. Until then, she'd suffer. She saw the ridge ahead and knew the snow had drifted high enough to create a sharp peak before the downhill. Her Mom had cut a bit of a trail, but her sled was much heavier, so she leaned down and shouted to her little sister,

"Hold on, kiddo. Here we go!"

They hit the ridge and were airborne for a moment before the sled landed in the deep drift. She dropped a foot and nudged the brake, so the sleds' momentum wouldn't surpass the speed of the dogs. Once they regained their balance and footing, she entered a freefall, Rudy's screams of delight causing the dogs to bark and howl with joy. Bo couldn't help but smile. If she had any doubts that this child was family, they were erased by screams of excitement that came from Rudy as they gained speed on the downhill slope.

Bo had to put her leg out to create drag. Eventually, her quad was screaming at the effort, so she switched legs until they finally reached the end of the momentum-building slope.

While there could be only one Musher at the helm of a sled team and Bo should be angry, she couldn't help but laugh out loud when Rudy yelled,

"Mush! Mush! Faster girls!"

Bo held tight, knowing a mistake at this speed could be very dangerous for everyone attached to the sled. She ducked a branch, then hit a hard right with championship precision. As her path leveled out, she could feel the dogs pushing harder through the deeper snow. It was too early in the season to push them this hard, so she pulled them back,

"Easy Nike! Easy Diana!"

Her lead dogs did not obey, so she shouted the command again, "Whoa Nike! Whoa Diana!"

Still they did not cease, maintaining their speed. With no other choice, she applied the brake again, this time calling out to Harper and Aphrodite,

"Whoa Harper! Whoa Aphrodite! Whoa girls!" She pulled the team to a full and complete stop, stomped the brake hard into the ground and turned the drag sled on its side. Her dogs were disobeying her and she was angry… not angry at them, but angry at herself for neglecting her duty to her team. She'd been absent from their training and they were pissed. They had every right to be and Bo knew it.

She approached each dog on the left side of the sled, taking a moment with each,

"Good girl, Gaea. Good girl." She knelt down rubbing her chest and neck before moving on, "Good girl, Hera." Again showing her respect and affection before moving on to Demeter, then Nemesis. Finally, she moved to Harper,

"Thanks, girl. I can always count on you. I know you're probably pissed too, but I promise… I'm back and I won't neglect you and the team again."

Harper nodded her head several times before letting out several barks. Bo smiled and moved on to the leads of the sled, kneeling down before both dogs who were sitting and panting. Both Nike and Diana turned away when she rubbed their necks, but Bo spoke anyway,

"So… this is how it's going to be, huh? You're mad at me so you put Rudy and the rest of the team in danger by running like a bat out of hell? The trail isn't cut and it's too early in the season for the pace you set. One of your sisters – or my sister – will get hurt. I know you don't want to be responsible for that, so I need you to obey my commands, you hear? If you don't obey, you'll have to go in the basket with Rudy. We clear?"

They let out a collective groan, nudging Bo's hands, "I know I've been away too much, but I'm back and I promise you will have my full attention from now on."

Bo stood, looking over her team, "You are my champions and we have another challenge ahead! Let's get to it, ladies!"

She headed down the right side of the sled, stopping to give some love to Aphrodite, Iris, Hestia, Artemis and finally Athena before checking on Rudy,

"You good, little Sis?"

"Are you mad at them?"

Bo shrugged, "No need to be. I haven't been doing my job as the team captain, so they're not listening to me."

Rudy looked at the team, then back up to Bo, "I shouldn't call out to them, huh?"

Bo smiled, "No one should call out to a team unless they're the Musher or the Musher is disabled. It tends to confuse the dogs." She knelt down as she continued, "In this case, however, when they listened to you and not me, it was a good reminder for me that I've been neglecting them and that is unacceptable."

"So what are you going to do?" Rudy asked.

Bo shrugged, "My job. Remember that just like every adult, I have to go to work every day. For most adults, driving a sled seems like recreation, but for me, it's how I earn a good chunk of my income."

"But what about the kennel and your construction business? What about the traps we set yesterday and the fishing wheel?"

Bo smiled, "I own the construction business so that I can use it to fund my sledding aspirations. My sledding aspirations help me to get jobs and patrons for both of my businesses. I have LJ as the manager for the kennel and a foreman for my construction company so that so that I can spend more time training. I can clear the traps while on my training runs and Mom wants to show you how to run the wheel."

"Really?" Rudy asked.

Bo nodded, "She said you love fishing."

"I really do!" Rudy smiled, "And I love making them… uh… bakes in the big pots we bury?"

Bo smiled, "Me too. You're a great little outdoor kitchen Chef!"

"Maybe I'll open an outdoor kitchen hotel like Kenzi!"

"And outdoor kitchen hotel? Where will people sleep?" Bo asked.

"Under the stars! It's beautiful by the river."

Bo grinned, "Not a bad idea, Roo."

"Don't they wonder why you're not there?" Rudy asked.

"Who?"

Rudy shrugged, "The people who work at your businesses."

Bo shook her head, "I pay them very well for the job they do and am always just a phone call away. They know this sled is the reason they have a job. I talk to my foreman and check in on my construction sites several times a day – more if they call me. Once the hospital is built, I'll be there more often because the woodworking stuff is really what I love to do. Until then, I always take the first meeting with prospective new clients and then work with the architect and engineers to design the project."

She checked the leads on the team as she spoke, "As for the kennel, LJ is well aware that because I'm a champion, people come to our kennel. He also knows that when I retire from racing, I'll run the kennel so he can take over driving the sled."

Rudy frowned, "He'll get this sled?"

Bo smiled, "Only if you don't want it."

Her face perked up, "Really?"

"Absolutely! This sled and this team stay in the family. Of course, by the time you're old enough to run, this team will be retired or with the sled dog spirits. You will have bred and trained your own team, each dog slowly taking over for each of these ladies as they retire."

Rudy looked at the team, then back to Bo, "Do I have to have all girl dogs, too?"

Bo shrugged, "That's up to you."

"Did our Mom have boy dogs?"

Bo nodded, "She had a few, but she used them for hauling heavy loads, mostly. She preferred the ladies when it came to racing."

"Why?" Rudy asked, wrapping her arms around her as she shivered.

Bo reached into the basket and pulled out a gear bag, "She thought they listened to commands better than males. She also thought they got along better as a team. And… well, everyone knows that girl dogs are smarter than boy dogs, right? I mean, have you seen how often Hercules chases his tail? It's embarrassing."

The two girls laughed together until Bo lifted her little sister out of the basket, "Now, take off the hat, gloves and coat."

"But I'm freezing!" Rudy said, her face covered with worry until Bo pulled out a thick hand-made fur jacket with a hood. She then pulled out a facemask and gloves before dropping the bag into the snow at her feet.

"Now you'll be warm and dry." Bo smiled, "It might be just a bit big for you, but it won't let any of the cold in."

She pulled the full hat with facemask over Rudy's head, adjusting the eye and mouth holes so she could see and breathe. Finally, she replaced the wet gloves with dry ones and then put all of the wet gear into the bag. Zipping it shut, she looked at her little sister,

"Now you look like a native Musher." Bo smiled, pulling up the hood.

"It fits perfect!" She grinned, "It's so soft! Did you make all of this?" Rudy asked.

"Just the jacket and gloves. I was going to wait until Christmas, but I'd better not drive into town with an ice pop for a sister. Mom would be mad."

Rudy giggled, "I'd be a frozen Rudy!"

Bo chuckled, "Yes you would!"

Rudy wrapped her arms around Bo's hips, "I love my early Christmas present."

"I'm glad." Bo smiled, hugging her little sister back, "Now, how would you feel about driving us into town?"

Rudy hesitated, "Shouldn't you be driving so the dogs don't get mad at you?"

Bo shook her head, "I'm right here and they know it. That's all that matters."

"Okay. If you think they won't be mad."

Bo turned to her team, "Ladies? Anyone mind if we teach Rudy a bit more about running a sled?"

The dogs all stood, tails wagging as they voiced their approval.

"Does that mean I can drive?" Rudy asked.

Bo nodded, moving to the sled, "That's a big yes. Now, step back so I can ready the sled."

The sled was heavy and Bo felt every bit of her lack of conditioning as she righted the drag sled. She took her place on the seat behind Rudy, wrapping her arms around the youngster as she stepped up to the handle,

"Okay, everything is straight trail from here on out. No harness. Just remember to hold on tight. The snow is deep here and the branches are hanging very low."

"So I duck?"

Bo laughed, "Of course, silly! Otherwise, you'll get knocked off the sled!"

"Right."

"Okay, let's get them going, kiddo."

"HIKE! HIKE!" She called out, Bo smiling at the little Musher as they headed down the trail towards town. She had work to do and it started today. Hopefully, Lauren would understand about her need to start to make the dogs more of a priority in her day.

As Rudy guided them down the trail, Bo thought back over the last year. It was funny how busy she was now. Before she'd met Lauren, she'd lived a solitary life with her dogs when the highlight of her day was striking a campfire and laying out the hay for her and the dogs. Otherwise, they were running in the backcountry, checking traps and grooming trails for training.

For the last three years, she'd spent summers clearing and leveling the land for the homestead and barn she'd built. Now, she was holding down her businesses in trapping and fishing, construction and all things dog sledding while trying to squeeze in training for the Iditarod. She looked up at Rudy, thinking of her promise to teach her all she knew about sledding. She'd made the same promise to LJ and she knew that she would likely be enlisted to teach Elise and Janie as well.

She supposed she should be grateful for all that was happening in her life now. She had more family than she ever could have hoped for, a home of her own and a beautiful, caring, smart, independent fiancé to share it all with her.

The problem was, right now she wished for just one weekend alone with Lauren.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **Talkeetna, the Kennel**_

"Well, look at this! Mini D is driving the sled!" LJ said, taking hold of Nike and Diana while Mary was still snapping pictures like a paparazzi.

"Nice run, Mom!" Bo called out from behind her little sister.

"Lauren's little team's got spunk! I'll drive those girls any day." Mary smiled, snapping one last picture of Bo leaning out from behind Rudy, "Great! Got you both!"

Bo nodded, "I'm sure she wouldn't mind you taking her girls out. Are you going into the kennel with LJ? I'll help Rudy with the team."

"Perfect! I want to send some of these pictures over to Lauren." Mary smiled.

Bo smiled, "Send some to your actual flesh and blood daughter too, okay?"

Mary shrugged, "You know Lauren's my favorite."

Bo shook her head, "I know. I'm the third favorite now."

Mary chuckled, "But you'll always be my precious first born."

"At least there's that." Bo smiled, "Okay, get in there and open us up for business. Thanks, Mom."

"Thank you, Ysabeau. I forgot how much fun it was to run in the snow."

Bo watched as her Mom walked away – a great deal more energy than she'd had last night and this morning. She turned back to the sled and watched as Rudy jumped off the rails of the sled to run after her Mom, but Bo reached out and grabbed her by the back of her coat,

"Whoa there, little Miss. The driver never leaves the sled without…"

"Oh. Whoops." She said, reaching for the anchor and dropping it into the snow.

"Is that it?"

"Uh… oh. It has to go…" She jumped with two feet onto the anchor several times, "… deep."

"Well done. Now what?"

"Now I go see Elise and tell her I drove the sled?"

Bo shook her head, "Try again, driver."

Rudy sighed, "I send the dogs into the cool down pen, make sure their water bowls are full, that they all have hay, that their outdoor houses are okay and… uh… they each get one… no… two scoops of food and a cup of that gross looking stuff?"

Bo smiled, "One scoop dry, one scoop wet each – level scoops – no more, no less. And that wet gross stuff that goes on top is a ton of protein that they need to stay strong. Next week, we'll teach you how to make it after we go fishing."

"Got it." Rudy smiled.

Bo nodded, kneeling down in front of her little sister, "And about telling Elise."

"I can't tell her?" Rudy pouted.

"You can. I just… well… remember how Elise lost her Mom?"

"Yes. But she has Molly now and she can share our Mom too, right?"

Bo smiled, "That's nice of you to share Mom with your friend, but no matter how close we all may be to Elise now, losing her Mom was a really big deal and she had a Dad she lost too."

Rudy nodded, "We sort of know how that feels too. I wish I would have known my Dad."

Bo nodded, "I wish you could have had a Dad too, but life sometimes takes some unexpected turns." The brunette shook out her thoughts and moved the conversation back to Elise, "You know, your friend is really interested in sledding…"

"We wanna sled together!"

"I know and she wants to take lessons with you too. So if she knows that you started without her…"

"Oh no! Do you think she'll be mad at me? Should I not have gone without her? She's my only friend!" The panic on her little sister's face surprised her, so she quickly moved to reassure her,

"No, Rudy. I don't think she'll be mad at all. But she might be a bit sad depending on how you approach her with the news."

Rudy nodded, "I know not to brag about it. Is that what you mean?"

Bo was surprised, "Actually, yes. How do you know about bragging?"

Rudy lowered her eyes, "Well, back at home I didn't have many friends. Honestly, there was only Teddy Mosley and my surfer friends, but… well… you already know they're older and more like guardians then friends. Anyway, everyone called Teddy a dork and when I stuck up for him, my old friends Bryn, Erin and Katie all stopped being friends with me. They told me I was a weirdo for being friends with Teddy. At first, I was really mean to Teddy so that they would stay friends with me, but then one day I was mean and my teacher saw me. She reported me to the Principal, and she called my Mom."

"Oh boy." Bo replied, knowing her Mom had zero tolerance for mean kids.

"Yea. She grounded me like forever. I wasn't allowed to surf or anything. When I saw Teddy the next day, he was sitting by himself at lunch and Bobby and Ray Young – they're twin brothers – they poured chocolate milk and apple juice all over his sandwich and carrots. He picked up his tray and took it to the trash, then came back to his seat and started wiping up the spill. I walked over and helped him, then shared my lunch with him. Bryn, Erin and Katie came over and started saying stuff to both of us and… well… I just sort of… snapped, I guess."

"Oh yea? What did you do?" Bo asked.

"Well, I was on the free lunch plan, so I always got the hot lunch. It was Thanksgiving time and the lunch ladies made us turkey with gravy and mashed potatoes with mixed vegetables. I sort of picked up my plate and threw it at them."

Bo burst into laughter, causing Rudy to do the same as she described the scene for her big sister, "Erin had gravy dripping from her hair, Bryn had a pea in her ear and Katie had mashed potatoes on top of her head. They just stood there and everyone in the cafeteria was laughing at them… until the Principal and teachers came over."

"Uh oh. What happened then?"

Rudy shrugged, "They took me and Teddy to the Principal's office. I told them what happened and how Teddy was being bullied, but she already knew that from the first time I got in trouble and she didn't do anything about it. I told her because she didn't do anything, I did so I shouldn't get in trouble because I was doing her job."

"Oh Rudy…"

"Yea, Mom didn't like me saying that either but when we got home, she said she was proud of me and that I was right to stand up for Teddy when the Principal and teachers wouldn't."

"Good for Mom." Bo replied, surprised.

Rudy nodded, "But I was still grounded and I got suspended from school. Teddy had to be all alone for three whole days until I was back. He said it wasn't too bad, but then this other girl, Missy, told me that the boys took Teddy's clothes while he was in gym class and he had to wear his gym uniform the rest of the day."

"Well that's not good."

"Nope. But the Principal found them by the end of the day and suspended the boys who took them. After that, there was this big parent meeting and all of the parents were complaining about me and how I assaulted the three girls and she didn't do anything. They wanted me kicked out of school, but Mom's friend from the FBI jumped in and told the Principal that the only way to save her job was to turn the tables on the parents and suspend their kids for bullying Teddy. They told Teddy's parents what had been happening and they threatened to sue the school and… well, that was about it."

"So what happened to Teddy?"

Rudy shrugged, "After the last year, he went to a new school. A private school that was for really smart math kids. My Mom let me text with him from her phone. He was happy there. He said everyone was really nice and smart like him – some were even smarter. I never knew kids could be smarter than Teddy. He's like A+++++ smart."

Bo could see the sad look in Rudy's eyes, "But you missed him."

Rudy nodded, "He was the only friend I had left. When he went to the other school, I was all alone. Mom spent more time with me but it was different from having a real friend my own age."

Bo smiled, "Well, that's all in the past now. You have Elise and you have Janie Tyson too."

"Yup. Elise is like a sister and Janie is like my cousin. I'm not the best friend though. Janie and Elise are best friends. But they're still nice to me when all three of us are together."

Bo nodded, "I'm just happy that you're meeting kids your age and having fun, kiddo."

Rudy smiled, "Me too."

"Okay then. Off to work with both of us."

Rudy nodded, "Right. The dogs."

"I'll go grab the hay bales for you."

Rudy frowned, "I can carry them."

"Rudy, the bales are bigger than you, sweetie."

"I wanna be a musher. A real musher. You said I have to be able to take care of my team. You told me that. So how can I be a real musher if you won't let me show you I can take care of my team?" She shrugged, "I can push the bales of hay! I can! I really can!"

Bo considered her sister's idea for a moment, deciding to let her move forward with her plan… with supervision, of course,

"Okay then. Show me." Bo replied, following Rudy as she ran off towards the barn.

Bo shook her head as she watched Rudy throw all of her weight into sliding open the barn door. She ran inside and got behind one of the hay bales on the end and began to push. It was a slow start, but once she got a little momentum behind her stride, the bale was outside in no time. Of course, once it hit the drifted snow, things slowed down a bit. She worked hard, getting the bale to the kennel gate before she stopped and ran around to pull it open. Unfortunately, she had pushed the hay too close to the fencing and the gate hit the bale before it could open fully. She gave a huff, exhaling hard as she planted her hands on her hips,

"Bo?"

"Yes, Rudy?"

"I guess I need some help."

"Okay, what do you need me to do?"

"Can you pull back the bale so I can open the gate?" Rudy asked.

With a nod Bo did as asked, then stopped, "Now what?"

Rudy opened the gate, then ran around the other side and pushed the bale into the pen. She ran back to the barn again while Bo stood waiting. She smiled when she saw her little sister push another bale towards the kennel, then another and another. It was hard not to suggest that Rudy start spreading the hay while Bo carried the straw to the pen, but she resisted, allowing her younger sister to do it her way.

It took about twenty-five minutes, but when the bales were all in the pen, Bo offered to help with the spreading and Rudy agreed. It took another twenty minutes, but finally the job was done. Bo could see the fatigue creeping in on her little sister, but she was a resilient one. She went to the feed bin and laid out fifteen bowls on the ground before scooping the food out into the bowls, carefully counting out loud as she went down the line.

"There. All done. I scooped out food for Elsa, Anna and Belle too."

"You did?" Bo asked.

Rudy ran down to the end of the line, counted the bowls as she ran back towards Bo, "Oops."

Bo chuckled as her sister ran for the missing bowls, then came back and filled them, "There. Now I have enough."

"I'm sure your Mom will appreciate you taking care of Lauren's dogs for her." Bo smiled, "Can I help you put the bowls out?"

Rudy shrugged, picking up two bowls, "If you want, sure!"

She ran down the first aisle of houses, laying a bowl in front of each, then raced back to the feed bin to pick up the next set. Back and forth she went, moving faster than Bo who would have stacked the lot of them and walked down the aisle one time. Again, she let Rudy do it her way. One of these days, she would let the youngster watch her do the job and hopefully she would pick up the shortcuts.

Finally, Bo watched as she grabbed the hose and moved to turn on the water. Bo smiled, calling out to her,

"Did you check on the temperature, Sis?"

Rudy looked up at Bo, "Huh?"

"Well, if it drops below fifty degrees Fahrenheit above ground, we shut off the water out here."

"Huh?" Rudy asked.

Bo smiled, "You're going to have to learn about the changes we make as we head into winter. Remember what Mom taught you about permafrost?"

"That it's frozen ground?" Rudy replied.

Bo nodded, "And where are the pipes that the hose is attached to?"

The brunette watched as her little sister considered her question for a long moment. Finally, she smacked her forehead and dropped the hose,

"LJ must've turned off the water out here!"

Bo laughed as her sister ran back towards the store, "Where you going?"

"To get water from inside! The pipes are deeper in buildings, so the water stays on, right?"

Bo laughed, "Get back here, kiddo. Let me show you something."

Rudy stopped and ran back to Bo who picked up a hand truck with oversized wheels on it. She led Rudy to the back of the barn where there was a line of barrels collecting rainwater,

"These barrels have been collecting water from the rain. See the downspouts that go into the closed lids?"

"Uh-huh."

"Well, there's a special filter at the bottom of each spout and if you look up there – see that blue light?"

"Uh-huh."

"That cleans the water even more and makes it safe for the dogs to drink. You disconnect the spout like this and then slide the truck under. Then you tip it back and we wheel it back to the pen. These are too heavy for you, kiddo. So ask for help in the winter."

Rudy followed Bo who handled the barrel. When they got to the pen, Bo showed her how to connect the hose and loosen the air release valve on top so that the water would flow freely into the trough.

"Now, keep in mind that the trough can freeze, so we don't fill it as much. That way, we can start a fire on the back side of it and melt the water if need be."

"Oh, I get it! Cool!" Rudy replied, "But why don't the barrels freeze?"

Bo smiled, "Because they're insulated, and we store them in the barn over the hot water pipes beneath the soil."

"Oh. So are we done then?" Rudy asked.

Bo smiled, "All done, kiddo. Good work!"

"We make a great team, huh?"

Bo nodded, bending down so Rudy could climb aboard her back, "We sure do. Let's go get the dogs so we can go inside and get warm."

"I'm freezing!" Rudy smiled.

"Are you hungry?"

"Duh. Have you met me?"

Bo laughed, "No. My name is Bo."

Rudy laughed, "I'm Rudy! Rudy Dennis! My sister's name is Bo too!"

"Wait! My name is Bo Dennis! Does that mean I'm your sister?"

"Yup! My one and only sister! The best sister any girl could ever have!" Rudy smiled, kissing Bo's cheek.

Bo felt her eyes fill with tears. She never thought this would be her life. Her Mom, a little sister, a brother, nieces and nephews, friends and an incredible woman who would soon be her wife. She never imagined… but now that this was her reality, her heart was so full she felt it would burst.

"There's Mom!" Rudy pointed, "Mom! Mom! The pen is all done and ready for the dogs!"

Bo approached her Mom, lowering Rudy to the ground, "This little firecracker here is quite a worker."

Mary nodded, "I wondered where you two got off to… the dogs are still attached to the sleds."

Bo replied, "I'll take care of the teams if you and Rudy want to head inside. Someone is hungry."

"No surprise there." Mary replied, looking down at her daughter, "Why don't you head inside? LJ has some stew in there with some fresh-baked bread from Aunt Greta."

"Yes!" Rudy fist pumped, "Is Janie here too?"

"They were, but they headed on down to the hotel to sell the bread to Kenzi." Mary replied, looking up at Bo and shaking her head.

Bo didn't ask any questions, instead motioning to Rudy to head inside, "We'll be in as soon as we get the dogs settled. Don't eat it all!"

"Better hurry then!" Rudy laughed as Bo turned to her Mom,

"Greta Tyson is selling bread?"

Mary shrugged, setting to the task of unhitching Lauren's dogs from the sled, "She lost one of her jobs, so she's doing what she has to so she can feed her kids, Bo."

Bo shook her head, "Maybe we can use her in the new manager's position?"

"LJ said he offered it to her, but she turned him down."

"What?" Bo asked, walking behind her Mom with four of her dogs, "Why?"

"She said she doesn't have the right qualifications, so it would feel like a handout to take the job."

Bo scowled, "But she's family! Elise and Rudy both call her Aunt Greta. She comes to Sunday dinners at Molly and Mark's or the homestead. It doesn't make sense that she wouldn't be part of the business."

"LJ tried to tell her that, but she wasn't hearing it. She's only qualified to do accounting work as a secretary."

Bo shook her head, "And that's a skill we don't have! She'd make a great manager with those skills."

Mary walked back to the gate, "Want me to get your next group?"

Bo nodded, "We can get the last of them in one trip if we do it together."

The pair walked side by side, Bo pulling out her phone. Mary looked at her daughter, "Who are you calling?"

Bo stopped, putting the phone on speaker, as the voice came through,

" _Hey BoBo. What's up?"_

"Hey Kenzi. Am I on speaker?"

" _Nope."_

"Good. You are. I'm here with my Mom. Did Greta Tyson bring her bread by to sell to you?"

" _Not yet, but LJ told me she was on her way."_

"Are you gonna buy?"

" _Definitely. I've been buying bread from her for about three weeks now. It's fantastic. She makes it for us every day."_

"Daily?"

" _Yup."_

"Geez, Kenzi. Do you know she's making it at her house?"

" _Wait… she's making me fifty loaves a day! How is she doing that at her house?"_

"I don't know, Kenzi. I can only imagine how long it takes her. Do you know if she's selling it anywhere else?"

" _Honestly, I only know about the two General stores. She sells to Mark, Big Jon and Tosh."_

Bo looked up at her Mom who now looked worried, "How does she get the bread there?"

" _Dunno, BoBo. I suppose she drives?"_

"How much are you paying her, Kenzi?" Bo asked.

" _What? Why?" Kenzi asked._

Bo shook her head, "I'm just doing some quick math here and I don't understand how a woman who works as an accountant would think that selling bread will feed her kids. Do the math with me, Kenzi. The bag of flour is about twenty bucks, she gets maybe three loaves out of a bag plus sugar and yeast. We pay over five dollars for a loaf at the store, but it's from large companies in the lower forty-eight who get their ingredients for far less money. What is she doing, Kenzi? Gas for travel would make it easy to know it's not a way to make a living."

" _Right. I see your point." Kenzi replied, "So what do you want me to do? Not buy her bread? I heard she really needs the money."_

Bo and her Mom looked at each other for a moment before Mary spoke, "Kenzi, do you think you could have a talk with her? You know, businesswoman to businesswoman? Maybe you could make her see that the way she's running her business isn't cost effective?"

 _Kenzi was quiet for a moment before she replied, "What's the endgame here?"_

Bo explained, "LJ offered her the new management job at the kennel."

" _There's a new job?" Kenzi asked._

"I have to start training, Kenzi. LJ will have to do training runs with the B team and my Mom will have to help with the rest of the dogs and the pups, so that leaves only the twins and my two assistant managers to run the store and they're really not ready for that responsibility. I can always pull the Veterinary secretary, but I'd rather not do that. They're going to get very busy now that we're moving into pre-season training."

" _I see your point."_

"Greta turned down the job because she doesn't think she's qualified. She thought it was a handout."

" _Damn pride got in the way, huh?" Kenzi asked._

"I suppose so."

" _Well, knowing that your books didn't balance last month, I'd say Greta is exactly who you need."_

"I agree. So, can you help?" Bo asked.

" _I'll do what I can, BoBo."_

Bo nodded, "Thanks, Kenzi. You can tell her that you talked to LJ and he told you she turned him down. Maybe you can throw in the suggestion that we're in a bad way for a qualified manager who can also handle the books."

" _That's an easy sell since you really do have that need. If you can't do a better job of buying, your profit margin will stay where it is and that's not how you grow a business. You'll barely be able to pay your bills and keep the doors open at his rate."_

"Wait… is it really that bad?" Bo asked.

" _Well… you're not going out of business or anything, but you know I always look long term. Your popularity will wane the minute you lose the Iditarod and you'll need to have a firm place in the market without the fame card. That means people can count on your product line as well as what you have in stock."_

Bo nodded, "Right."

Mary chuckled, "You have no idea what she's talking about, do you?"

"No and that's why I need Greta. If I'd have known she lost her job, I would have walked her right here from her former bosses' desk."

" _It means build your own products faster, Bo. You and Kyle need to bite the bullet and build that carpentry shop you've been talking about. Gotta go. She's here. Talk later, BoBo."_

"Thanks, Kenzi."

" _No need to thank me. I love when you owe me favors. I have three bathrooms with clogged drains."_

Bo chuckled, shaking her head, "I'll have someone over there by dinner time who will accept payment as dinner with dessert."

" _Great. Later."_

Hearing the click on the other end, Bo shoved her phone back in her pocket, replaced her glove and took half of the leads from her left hand into her right,

"Okay, let's get these ladies settled and have some stew."

"Sounds perfect." Mary replied, following Bo to the pen with the other dogs.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **Minutes later, in the Kennel's store…**_

"So… will it stop… snowing… soon." Rudy asked between slurps of her stew.

Bo laughed, "Slow down, kiddo. There's plenty of stew where that came from. LJ made enough for an army."

LJ came to sit at the break table next to Rudy, breaking off a piece of bread and taking a bite, "Have you seen the size of our family?"

The door to the break room opened, revealing a sight that left Bo's stew dripping from her mouth, "Did I hear there was a pot of LJ's secret stew here?"

Bo stood, walking to her fiancé, "If you did, then you heard right. It's hot and tender and juicy." Bo said, whispering in her ear, "Just like certain parts of your body."

Lauren felt a chill run down her spine as the soft hairs on her arms stood upright, "Mmmm… well, I'll settle for stew right now, but later, you may just have to meet me in my old apartment."

Bo chuckled, kissing the blonde's cheek, "What about Stephen and Betsy? Aren't they there? Or is it Patrick and Penelope?"

Lauren grinned, leading Bo over to the pot of stew, "I never know who is going to show up where. It just depends on their daily itineraries, apparently. This morning, Patrick and Penelope were there and heading down to breakfast at the hotel with Stephen and Betsy. Then, all four of them were going on a tour of the Army Corp of Engineers dig site beneath the permafrost. Apparently, one of Stephen's old friends made the arrangements for them to visit. They don't usually allow civilians down there, so it's a pretty cool opportunity."

"Good for them. Of course, I could have taken them down into my cache at the homestead, too."

Lauren laughed, "It's a much bigger tour of a much bigger area and there's the whole speech about the 'environmental impact on the permafrost' thing that Stephen and Betsy are interested in."

Bo nodded, "Yea, well a lot of good looking does when our state is literally melting right out from under us. It would be nice if someone actually did something." She shook her head, shrugging off the topic. She didn't want to be angry right now. Pointing to the covered basket she said, "Try some of that bread too. Greta made it... or I should say, sold it to us."

"Oh, good. I had some of her bread at Molly's store. It's so good."

"Did you know she lost her job?"

"What?" Lauren asked.

"I said, she's selling bread because she lost her job." Bo repeated.

"Great!"

"What?" Bo asked, surprised as Lauren turned and headed for the table. She followed her, "Did you not hear me?"

"I did, Bo. I'm saying great because I can hire her to do the books for the clinic and then give her a bigger job when the hospital opens. She can be the head of the billing department."

"Wow… I mean… that would be…"

"Full salary with benefits for her and the entire family." Lauren smiled, tasting a bit of the stew, "Mmmm… LJ, this is so good. I swear I could live on this stuff for every meal, every day, all winter long."

"It's not winter yet." Rudy said, taking another bite of her bread.

Bo looked up at her Mom who smiled down at Rudy, shaking her head, "I'm afraid we won't be seeing the grass for many months, child."

"Huh? I thought this was just a freak storm." Rudy replied.

Bo shook her head, "What's freaky about this storm is how hard and fast the snow fell. We don't usually have snow this deep in October."

"So what does that mean?" Rudy asked.

Bo grinned, "An early jump on training and enough time to do a few extra races before the big one."

Rudy smiled, "Can I race with you?"

"Sadly, that would be against the rules, but you can definitely work on my team and learn the ropes for the Iditarod."

"Yes! Mom, did you hear that? I can work on Bo's team!" Rudy said, excitedly.

Mary nodded, "I heard, child. It's hard work and your sister will be counting on you. Can you do it?"

"I can move the bales of hay all by myself!" Rudy smiled before taking a breath and looking at Bo, "As long as there isn't a gate in the way."

Bo laughed, "Well, if there is, the Dennis sisters know how to get through the gate, right?"

"Right!" Rudy said, giving Bo a high five.

Bo leaned over to her Mother and whispered, "Kyle and I were talking before I went to Boston. She'd like to do a kiddie race with young kids and young dogs with plastic sleds. Make a big deal out of it like a youth Iditarod that goes around the town. We happen to have a group of three girls that I don't want at each others' throats, so I'd like to see a driver, drag sled and one in the basket. Three laps, they have to dismount the sled and rotate positions on each lap."

"Sort of like a relay on a single sled. Sounds like fun."

Bo nodded, "So, are you in?"

Mary grinned, "If only to see the pups trying to pull sleds while kids get frustrated that they won't listen."

Bo laughed, "Not our pups." Bo looked at Rudy, "They would never disobey that little musher."

Mary nodded her agreement, looking at Bo as she dropped her utensil when her phone vibrated in her pocket. She pulled it out and looked down to see Kenzi's number. She hit accept and lifted the phone to her ear,

"Hey Kenzi. What's up?"

" _Greta has had a change of heart and will graciously accept your offer to work as your store manager after she is appropriately trained."_

Bo smiled, looking at her Mom, "Great. Tell her that she can stop by today or tomorrow and meet with Mary Dennis who will train her appropriately about all of our inventory and equipment. She'll also get her up to speed on our available services and the scheduling of those services. You and LJ can train her on the books, right?"

As Kenzi responded with a yes, LJ nodded, knowing that she was clearly hiring someone.

" _She asked when you want to interview her."_

Bo shrugged, "Whenever she can get here is fine with me. I'll be here for the rest of the day. I plan to work with Rudy's dogs after I finish eating."

As she hung up with Kenzi, Bo looked up to see a scowl on Lauren's face. That could only mean one thing…

"So… you're planning to work with Rudy's dogs the rest of the day?" Lauren asked.

Bo shoved some stew in her mouth to stall for time as she searched for any hint of a memory from earlier in the day of plans made with Lauren. Unfortunately, as she swallowed hard, she had nothing,

"Uh… well, I mean… after we do that thing…"

"That thing?" Lauren asked.

"Uh… yea… right. That thing, right?"

Lauren laughed, "You forgot, didn't you."

Bo dropped her fork and sighed, "Yes and I'm sorry. I've just been… well, I just can't say no to that kid."

Lauren glanced up to see Rudy pulling a stool over to the pot of stew so she could help herself to another bowl. Luckily, LJ arrived just in time to catch her before she toppled to the ground. Mary rushed over to her daughter to be sure she was okay. She set to the task of cleaning up the spilled stew while LJ sat Rudy at the counter with her bowl of stew. The blonde smiled at the small group of family members smiling and laughing, Mary making sure Rudy stayed put on the stool while LJ wound and bound lengths of rope, tossing them into the basket on the floor by the register.

This was just a small portion of Bo's family and now, by extension, Lauren's family as well. There was so much love here… love she'd never experienced in her own family. While she craved time and affection from Bo, she knew that this kind of love was just as precious in the grand scheme of things. They needed to nurture this family just as they needed to nurture their own relationship. Tonight was just one night. They'd figure it out in time.

"I understand." Lauren whispered. She spoke so softly, in fact, that Bo barely heard let alone understood what she'd said,

"I'm sorry, Lauren. I know that we haven't had much time together, but she…" Bo stopped, looking up at the blonde, "Wait. You understand?"

Lauren smiled, "I understand. It's the first snow and I'd have to be blind not to see how excited she is to spend the day with her big sister. I'm not about to get in the middle of that."

Bo sighed, "But I really do want to spend time with you and Rudy would love to spend time with you, too."

"I know you do Bo and we will. For now, I've got plenty of work to do with the clinic and I have paperwork to do for the hospital. I'll just work a full day and then meet up with you after work."

Bo nodded, "Okay. How are you planning to get home tonight?"

Lauren shrugged, "Well, I was hoping to go home with you. Did you have other plans?"

"Nope, but what I meant was what mode of transportation had you planned to take?"

"Oh. Well, I thought we were taking your truck, right? You can drive, of course." Lauren replied.

Bo shrugged, "Well, I was wondering if you might like to take the sleds back. There's a full moon tonight and the weather is supposed to be milder. The snow is perfect, the visibility will be good and…"

"Bo, do you really think you have to do a hard sell on sledding with me? You know I love to drive the sled." Lauren smiled, "Do you not remember my near death first experience?"

"How can I forget?" Bo grinned, shaking her head, "Of course, any sane person would likely not want to drive behind a team of dogs after that experience. But you, Doctor Lauren Lewis, you insist on getting back on the sled and driving farther and faster in the worst of weather conditions."

Lauren grinned, nodding her head, "Yes, well I am a bit of a rebel. As for the worst of conditions, I still prefer not to go out in whiteout conditions. My biological GPS is still not up to native Alaskan standards."

Bo smiled, "Well, we'll have to work on that. We can't have you getting lost out there if conditions turn. You know by now that weather conditions change without permission from NOAA out here."

"Yes they do." Lauren agreed.

Bo smiled, "So you're really sure? I mean, I know it's been a while since you've driven a sled…"

"I'm really sure. I love taking my girls out and now that we don't have to worry about a bunch of thugs trying to kill us, it will be that much better." She paused, then looked up at Bo, "Too soon?"

Bo smiled, "Not at all. I'm happy that we can go for an evening run and not have to worry about flying bullets. I can ask Mom to take the truck back with Rudy."

Lauren shook her head, "Do you really think that Rudy is going to settle for a truck ride back?"

Bo shrugged, "We'll leave that to Mom."

"Well, just in case, I won't mind if she wants to tag along."

Bo's brows raised up, at Lauren's words, "Are you sure?"

"I am and I love that little girl, but I'll leave her safety in your hands. She rides with you."

"Of course. And I know you love her, but still… well, I thought you wanted some alone time." Bo replied.

Lauren shrugged, "We have alone time at home."

"Not much anymore. I'm afraid since my Mom and sister moved in, we don't have much time alone at all. Don't get me wrong – I love having a family and I'm grateful to put all of the mess with Big Jim in the rearview mirror, but I don't want to have to compromise on us. We're about to get married and – well, honestly – we've really been together for such a short time that I think we need that alone time. It's important."

Lauren smiled, "It's nice to know that you recognize the issue…"

"Did you think I didn't notice?"

Shrugging the blonde replied, "I think you're being pulled in so many different directions that you were maybe too busy to realize."

Bo nodded, "The last thing I want is for you to feel like you gave up Boston only to be ignored in Alaska after your big sacrifice."

Lauren smiled, "It's not like that Bo… I mean, I don't feel like I gave up Boston for Alaska." She chuckled, "Besides, my Boston family seems to have followed me here."

"Are you upset with them?" Bo asked as it suddenly hit her that she'd never asked the blonde how she felt about the east coast guests."

"Of course not. I'm very happy that they're here and enjoying our hometown. It helps that they're very self-sufficient."

Bo smiled, "They do seem to be trying to squeeze a month-long vacation into a week."

"They already have their return flights planned for next month."

"Well, I just want you to know that if you want to spend time with them or invite them to the homestead, they are always welcome, Lauren. What's mine is ours." Bo smiled.

"I know, Bo. Thank you. That means a lot to me."

"Lauren, I'm really serious about building a small house for Rudy and Mom on the property. Why not build a guest house too?"

The blonde shook her head, "Because you're already stretched to the bone, Bo. We're having a conversation about not having time together and you're talking about building two more homes on our property."

Bo shook her head, "I would use my company to build them, Lauren. I wouldn't try to build it myself like I did the Homestead. Besides, LJ told me that Grady Hampton's retiring."

The doctor nodded, "Yep. I saw him this morning at the clinic."

"Is he okay?" Bo asked.

"You know I can't discuss patient information."

"Geez, Lauren. Just tell me the guy isn't retiring because he's dying."

"Relax, Bo. He's not dying. Although if looks could kill, he'd be dead."

Bo laughed, "Arlene?"

Lauren nodded.

"LJ said she's fixing to leave him if he didn't retire and take her to a warm beach somewhere." Bo smiled.

Lauren laughed, "I didn't know until recently that she was originally from southern California."

Bo nodded, "She grew up surfing, but then got into snowboarding as a teenager. She was real good. She came here to snowboard on Cordova and met Grady. The rest, as they say, is history."

"There's snowboarding around here?" Lauren asked, surprised.

Bo nodded, "It's Alaska. This is probably the best place to snowboard in the world."

"People don't snowboard on my mountain, do they?" Lauren asked.

Bo chuckled, "I love that Denali is now your mountain and no, you would have to be insane to snowboard that monster. The weather is too unpredictable."

"So they met here – in Talkeenta?"

Bo shook her head, "Arlene was a professional. She was with a team who came to do a trip with a Heli-Adventure company."

Lauren smiled, now catching on, "Grady was the pilot!"

Bo nodded, "Correct! But that's not how they became close. There was an avalanche. Arlene got buried – broke a few bones in her back and two bones in her leg. He saw the red sleeve of her jacket from the air and radioed down to the team manager. They found her, dug her out, hiked a few miles, dragging her on a couple of snowboards and then flew her to the trauma center in Anchorage. She was in the hospital for a few weeks. He stopped in to check on her after about a week and apparently, they talked and talked for hours until the nurses kicked him out. They've been together ever since."

"Wow. That's some love story."

Bo smiled, "They're pretty special. He'll do anything for her – including close down his business. He was the premier builder, they never had kids or any big expenses, so he can probably afford to retire and live well. Arlene was famous back in the day – big competitions, big sponsors, so she was probably pretty well off too. I'm happy for them."

"So what does that do for you?" Lauren asked.

Bo shrugged, "He asked LJ if I would consider taking on his employees since I would likely get more contracts since he was referring all of his business to me."

"He is?" Lauren asked.

Bo nodded, "I can use Grady's guys to build on our property. I can see how they work, their skill and offer them jobs based on their performance on what we build."

"How will we afford to pay them, Bo?"

She looked up at Lauren, "You don't have to pay them, Lauren."

The blonde shook her head, "If what's yours is ours, then what's mine is ours too. If you have costs, we have costs, Bo. We're in this together one hundred percent, right?"

Bo smiled, covering Lauren's hand with her own, "Yes. Well, the extra contracts we'll get from Grady's referrals will be additional income…"

Lauren watched as Bo trailed off, her eyes moving back across the store to her family, "Bo?"

The brunette turned to the doctor and smiled, "I'm okay. I was just… I'm thinking about taking on a partner in the construction business. You have a partner in a business. I was thinking… well, Kyle asked…"

"Yes." Lauren replied without hesitation."

"You haven't even heard…"

"Bo, Kyle is a smart businesswoman. She knows the math, she knows the inventory, she knows how to manage people. You know the craft, she knows the business. You both work hard. You get along famously. She took a big hit because of a fire meant for me, Bo."

"We do anything we can for her." Bo nodded.

"She's family, Bo."

"Agreed. Do you think that Patrick…"

"Contracts? Absolutely."

Bo laughed, "Wow. We really do finish each others' sentences."

Lauren smiled, "We do. Now, about the finances. If you build now, you won't have additional income. How are you going to pay Grady's team? They'll need checks right away, Bo."

The brunette shrugged, "Well, the money from the lawsuit will come in at some point, right? What better way to spend Evony's money than to put some into our personal property? My back pay should cover the costs so that we can keep yours for the stuff you and Stephen are doing."

Lauren laughed, "You really don't know how much money you're getting, do you."

Bo cocked her head, "Money and math just aren't really something I've ever been interested in much. I just make sure I have enough to do what I have to do."

The blonde grinned, "Well, if you'll let me and Greta help you, we'll make sure you can do whatever you want to do for the rest of your life."

"Buy a private jet?" Bo asked.

Lauren laughed, shaking her head, "Anything within reason."

"That's reasonable. You know I'd do better in planes if I was doing the flying." Bo smiled, "So… I really will have like… a lot o money?"

Lauren smiled, "You really will – as long as you're smart with spending and investing."

"Ugh. Investing. That's a word I really never understood. My Mom's idea of investing was putting our money in a secret compartment under the frozen whale blubber bin we kept in our food cache."

Lauren cringed, "Frozen whale blubber?"

Bo cocked her head, "What?"

"What on earth does one do with frozen whale blubber?"

"One makes Muktuk, of course. It's a staple on the North Slope."

"Muktuk?" Lauren asked.

Bo shrugged, "Frozen whale blubber."

"Gross."

"Delicacy." Bo quipped, "Okay, so we've solved our living situation, Mom and Rudy's living situation and your family's situation when they visit. Now that we have the opportunity for privacy in our home, we just need to figure out a way to actually be there at the same time – and have enough energy to make nooky."

Lauren burst out laughing, "Make nooky?"

"Sure. They call it that sometimes, don't they?"

"I'm sure they do… somewhere… in ancient times."

"Okay, so city slickers have cool lingo and I'm a backwoods, off-grid, old-soul Alaskan. Whatever. How are we going to solve our privacy time? Seriously, Lauren. I want to fix this."

Bo was adamant and her frustration was showing. The blonde ran a hand up and down Bo's forearm, using a calming tone as she spoke,

"I don't know that there's much we _can_ do about it right now, Bo."

The brunette took Lauren's hand in her own, "But we'll think about it. We'll figure something out, right? I'll start on the house for Mom and Rudy right away. I can build two riverfront homes on either side of the main homestead. They'll complement each other."

The blonde smiled, kissing her fiancé on the cheek, "We don't have to figure everything out right this minute. Let's talk to your Mom and Rudy tonight and see what they think. Maybe you can let them sit with your design team?"

"Rudy could design her own room! She's love that." Bo smiled.

"I think the two of them would enjoy designing the whole house together." Lauren replied, her eyes reflecting the happiness and excitement she now saw in Bo's.

"I think Rudy would want Elise and Janie in on the project too."

Lauren nodded, "I'm sure."

"And we could ask Stephen, Betsy, Patrick and Penelope if they wanted to give their input into the guest house since they would be the ones most likely to use it… unless you think they're too much city-folk for living on the river when they're here."

Lauren shrugged, "Well, if we're calling it a guest house, then Tamsin and Kyle could stay there. LJ could spend the night when he runs the dogs out here late in the day. Your family could stay there when they come for late night dinners. The beauty of a true guest house, is that anyone can stay there, at any time, for any reason."

Bo nodded, "We'll need a lot of bedrooms."

Lauren smiled, "A common room with a big fireplace… and a small kitchen."

"Two bathrooms, both with solar showers and wash sinks." Bo replied.

"You'll need another kennel behind both houses."

Bo nodded, "I can draw a rough sketch…"

Lauren placed a finger over her lover's lips, "Think about it. For now, we have a plan to get us some privacy in our home after we're married. Until then, we just figure things out as we go."

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

 _ **That evening…**_

As they crossed the open field, Bo and Lauren drove their sleds side by side, racing across the moonlit blanket of white. As the trail narrowed, the brunette pulled her sled to a stop, waving Lauren to her. When they were side by side, they each dropped their anchor and checked on the dogs. Once back at the sled, Bo turned to her companion,

"Having fun?"

"This is great, Bo. I've really missed this. The snow looks like a field of diamonds in the moonlight. I've never seen it look so pretty."

Bo laughed, "That's because you've never really seen it at all. You've done mostly whiteout sledding following my ass down the trail."

Lauren nodded, "That's very true. I can actually recognize landmarks that I've seen in the truck that I don't remember seeing last year."

"Well, that's also because the trail looks different this time of year. There's much more foliage than you're used to seeing in December and January."

"We're close though, right?" Lauren asked.

Bo gave her a smile, "Sure thing. Are you in a hurry?"

"I just want to make sure we get there in time to read Rudy her stories. She was very upset that your Mom didn't allow her to come back with us on the sleds."

Bo shrugged, "A child has to learn the word no at some point. Besides, stopping at the General Store to spend a little time with Elise and Janie had to appease her to some extent."

"I'm sure it did. You know, it's a good thing you did for Greta… giving her that job."

Bo laughed, "Yea, until you steal her from me."

"What can I say? Money and benefits talk." Lauren grinned.

"Hopefully she can get our books and orders in shape before you need to take her." Bo replied.

Lauren nodded, "I promise I won't take her until that's finished. Even if I do take her, I'm sure that she'll work overtime for you until the job is done."

Bo sighed, pulling on her gloves, "In the meantime, I'll have to start training someone else for the job or at least looking for someone."

"What about your Mom?" Lauren asked, though it was more of a suggestion. She knew that deep down, Bo valued and wanted Mary's advice with her team. Her pride was what got between them when it came to the business. Bo was still angry about the events of her past and until she was fully able to let go of that anger, Mary would continue to be pushed out and pulled in as Bo's mood allowed.

Bo shrugged, grabbing the handle of her sled and stepping onto the rails, "We had a little alone time and I mentioned it to her, but she suggested she won't be around at that point."

Lauren nodded, but offered no response which led Bo to ask the question that the doctor had been dodging all night,

"So are you going to tell me what the doctor said about my Mom?"

"Maybe we should wait until we get home." Lauren suggested.

"Rudy will be there and Mom clearly isn't ready for her to know whatever is going on. It's bad, isn't it." Bo said, her voice cracking as she struggled to keep her composure. Her Mom had left her alone… why should she care?

Lauren sighed, "I've scheduled some tests for your Mom at the hospital in Anchorage, Bo. I'll know more at the end of next week when the tests are complete, and the results are in. I'm also going to schedule tests for you and Rudy. I think that you should have them done together to allay any fears that your little sister might have while the tests are completed."

Bo's head snapped up, her eyes locking on Lauren's, "What's wrong with her, Lauren? Is it cancer? I didn't know cancer could be genetic. You think Rudy and I have cancer?"

Lauren smiled, shaking her head, "Take a breath, Sweetie."

Bo did as she was told before Lauren continued,

"No, Honey. It's not cancer. According to her records, your Mom has a condition known as Cardiomyopathy. While the internet will tell you that half of the patients with this condition live over five years, from my conversation with her doctor, I believe her condition is less advanced than he believes. The tests will tell me more. Your Mom has filed the necessary paperwork to allow me access to her medical records. Once I review her full case file, I'll know more. As of now, the mystery is that her doctor made the diagnosis without a few of the usual tests that would have confirmed it."

"So she has five years." Bo said, her eyes set on the marred old wood of the sled rail. This sled had seen a lot of miles. Maybe it was time to refinish the rails and handle. The basket could use a new frame as well. Bo was pulled from her thoughts by Lauren's voice,

"Bo? Bo?"

"Uh… yea… sorry. What were you saying?"

Lauren sighed, "I'm hoping she has much more than that. Unfortunately, her doctor failed to start treatment for stage A or B of the condition. I think that's where she is… where she has been. That's where I can keep her if I can get treatment started. The sooner we start, the longer she has."

"What did her doctor think?"

"He placed her at stage D which makes no sense."

"Why?" Bo asked, "I mean – he's a doctor."

Lauren offered Bo a tight grin in reply, "I believe you are aware of my resume, so I won't take offense to that, but to explain, the doctor she saw was not a cardiothoracic surgeon. Apparently, her healthcare insurance would not pay for her to see a specialist… or, I should say her lack of healthcare insurance wouldn't allow for it."

Bo frowned, shaking her head, "I didn't mean to say… I'm sorry. You know that I know you're good."

Lauren sighed, "There's none better for this condition, Bo. I'm the doctor all of the other doctors come to for many conditions, but this is at the top of the list."

"Careful, Doctor. Your modesty is showing." Bo smirked.

Lauren shrugged, "I don't care. Insult me if you'd like, Bo. I'm just telling it like it is. I want your Mom to have the best possible care and if there were a doctor out there that other global doctors were going to I'd call them instead of having the records sent to me."

"I didn't mean it as an insult, Lauren. Really. But… wow… you mean you really are the Queen of hearts on this." Bo said, mildly shocked.

"Yes and I feel all of the pressure that comes with that title. The bottom line is that this is a condition I have treated quite regularly throughout my career, Bo. I am familiar with all of its stages and know how to treat it in order to get the best possible results. I don't follow the rule book, I follow my instincts which come from years of experience with patients just like your Mom."

"Then why all of the tests? And why test Rudy… and me?" Bo asked, sitting back against the backrest of her seat, her shoulders slumping.

Lauren could see the change in her fiancé. She'd had enough negative to last her a lifetime and the last thing she needed was another mountain to climb. Lauren dropped the anchor of her sled, driving it into the ground with her foot before sliding over to sit on the bench next to the brunette. She slipped her hand beneath Bo's and gently pulled the brunette into her, wrapping an arm over her shoulder. Bo laid her head on Lauren's shoulder as the blonde explained,

"The tests will tell me with certainty if your Mom has the disease and if so, what stage your Mother is in so that I can properly treat her. If she has it, as the condition progresses over the years – and it will – the treatment will change as will her ability to physically exert herself. Eventually, I will also be adding her name to the organ donation registry and with any luck, we'll be able to get her a new heart."

She waited for Bo to respond, but when she didn't, the doctor continued,

"As for you and Rudy, well… unfortunately, this condition is genetic. It is not likely to skip a generation but does not usually effect every child in the family."

"So if any of my brothers had it…" Bo began, but stopped short of saying the words, so Lauren finished for her,

"It may be less likely that you or Rudy would inherit the gene."

She felt Bo nod, so she continued, "So, we'll do some tests on the two of you and see what we find. After that, we'll continue to test Rudy every five years or so and you every two. Since you have a cardiothoracic surgeon in the family, signs and symptoms will become very apparent now that I know the condition exists in your genetic line. I can adjust testing as needed based on those observations. The best part is that we all now have healthcare insurance, so we'll be able to stay on top of things."

Bo nodded. She wished her Mom had never left. She wished that she'd been here. Maybe she would have seen the signs. Maybe she could have gotten her treated earlier. One thing was for sure, she had to find a way to forgive her so that they could live as a happy family for whatever time they had left. She couldn't believe this was happening. She thought she would have more time.

She wrapped her arms tightly around Lauren. If she has this condition, should she still marry Lauren? Would it be fair to do knowing that she could die so soon after their wedding? She thought of Rudy. She would be crushed if her Mom died… hell, Bo would be crushed if Rudy died. That's what all of this meant, didn't it?

Bo asked softly, "So my Mom is dying... and maybe my baby sister."

Lauren shook her head, "Not yet… not for some time. I truly believe I'm right on this, Bo. The diagnosis without the usual tests is suspicious at best, but if I'm wrong about the diagnosis, I am certain he's incorrect about the stage. I'd like you to try to remain calm about this news. I know you tend to go from zero to sixty with your worst-case-scenario-thinking, but I'm optimistic and I'd like you to be as well."

Bo chuckled, "Yea, because I'm the vision of optimism."

Lauren wrapped both arms around her fiancé and gave her a tight squeeze, "Yes, you are. You weren't before, but you certainly have reason to be now. I need you to trust me, Bo. Trust that I'm as good as everyone says I am. Okay?"

Bo sat up, turning her eyes to the sky. It was a beautiful night and she was fairly certain that her Mom was out singing by the river, staring up at the same sky while holding Rudy in her arms. She smiled remembering the Adirondack bench she had recently built with her Mom. She loved sitting out there with her younger daughter at night. It had become quite the ritual for the two of them.

She turned to Lauren, "I trust you, Doctor Lewis, but it's hard news to hear… especially that Rudy could have this disease buried in her DNA."

"Well, technically it would be in her cardiac muscle cells." Lauren corrected, but quickly regretted doing so when she saw Bo heave a sigh, her face twisting into a scowl,

"Yea, well I hate that it could be in her at all." Bo replied, "I know we've only just met, but I love that kid to pieces. She's my blood… my little sister and I don't know what I would do if she had this thing." She looked up at Lauren, "Can she get it this young?"

Lauren nodded, "If the condition is in her cells, symptoms may not manifest for years – decades even – but yes, the condition is particularly difficult in young children. The good news is that they're usually pushed to the top of the transplant list. On the other hand, juvenile hearts are not as readily available as adult hearts and often the adult heart that does come available is too big for the chest cavity. Still, Rudy is as vibrant and active a child as any I've ever met, so I'm not expecting an issue with her at this point."

The doctor sighed. She'd promised herself that she was going to be completely honest with Bo about this, so she wanted to remind her of one key point,

"Bo, I just want to reemphasize what I said at the start. All of this information is coming from the records that were sent to us from Hawaii. Those records are incomplete at best. Your Mom was feeling some fatigue and shortness of breath. She had headaches that wouldn't go away. There are no scans and no blood tests. When Doctor Grace and I spoke this afternoon, he was just as stumped by this as I was at why this particular diagnosis was made without the test results being sent."

"Did he try to call the Doctor in Hawaii?"

Lauren nodded, "He did and he couldn't get hold of him. Regardless, I would repeat the tests anyway. The diagnosis was made almost two years ago."

She shook her head, leading Bo to ask, "What are you thinking?"

The doctor shrugged, "She was out running a sled this morning and from what Rudy said, she was super-fast. That just doesn't add up with her condition."

Bo sighed, "And that's why you don't want me to freak out about this just yet."

"Right. Things just don't add up." Lauren explained.

"Good to know." Bo replied, "So we hold for now."

Lauren gave a nod, "Yes. We'll hold off on you and Rudy until after we confirm your Mom's condition."

Bo nodded, thinking of Rudy and how desperately she wanted this to be anything but her heart, "I'd like to get back to the house if that's okay."

Lauren nodded, "Bo, if hearing all of this is too much, let me know and I'll soften it. Right now, I'm trying to be completely honest with you."

Bo nodded, "That's our promise. I wouldn't want it any other way. But it is tough to hear. It's just… it's a lot."

"I know, Sweetie and if I could take this burden from you, I would but it's our reality. The best thing for this condition – for anyone that has it – is a positive attitude. The mind and body share a connection. I've seen people survive for ten or fifteen years who I thought would be gone in five. A positive outlook is crucial."

"I guess I'd better schedule some more sessions with Dr. Gray, huh?"

Lauren shrugged, "Whatever you need, I'll support. You know that."

Bo laid her head on Lauren's chest, the blonde wrapping her arms around her fiancé once again. They stayed that way for a long moment before Bo spoke,

"This is nice. We should do it more often."

Lauren smiled, "It is and we should."

"Can I still run in the Iditarod?" Bo asked.

Lauren smiled, "Were you actually listening to me?"

"Status quo for now." Bo replied.

"Status quo. Live life, Bo. You have no symptoms. There's no reason for any of you to limp around. Live your lives and let me deal with the inconclusive or non-existent test results that will tell me what this doctor was up to."

"You sound like you don't trust this guy."

Lauren didn't want to remind her lover of the people who had been lurking in the shadows following her Mom in Hawaii, so she changed the subject,

"I don't know him. I'm always skeptical of doctors I don't know." She sighed, "I guess we should get going if we're going to make that bedtime story."

Bo nodded, sitting up so that Lauren could head back over to her sled, but the blonde caught her eyes, her hand gently cupping Bo's face. She placed a gentle kiss on her lips,

"I won't lose you, so know that if this thing is in you, prepare yourself to meet the real Doctor Lauren Lewis."

Bo smiled, "Oh? And who have I been sleeping with if this isn't the real Doctor Lauren Lewis?"

Lauren chuckled, "You're sleeping with Lauren Lewis the woman, friend, companion, lover, partner, playmate and soulmate. You've seen the Doctor in a clinical setting, but you have yet to see me in my field of expertise."

"Sounds intimidating." Bo smiled.

"As much as I would hate to have to race you on a dog sled, your heart should fear giving out on you when I'm here." Lauren said, a look of determination on her face that Bo had never seen before.

"Well, in that case, I'm glad you're my doctor." Bo laughed as both women began to check that their gear was secure, and their lines and dogs were good to go. As they worked, Lauren called over to her partner,

"Bo, I understand if you want alone time with your Mom and Sister tonight. It would be only natural."

Bo shook her head, "We're a family – all four of us. Besides, you know that Rudy will want you with us. She'll be upset if you disappear into the loft, so please don't."

Lauren nodded, "I won't. But I will take on story number one if you want some alone time with your Mom."

Bo smiled, "I'll take alone time with Mom after Rudy is down. You'll keep the bed warm for me?"

Lauren smiled, "Of course I will. We'll cuddle and get a good nights' sleep."

"Sounds perfect. I have to go to the hospital construction site in the morning to meet with the architect and engineers. Did they call you today about the electrical work?"

Lauren nodded, "Right after they spoke to you. I think we have it all ironed out. You're really meeting them on a Sunday?"

Bo shrugged, "You're on call tomorrow – on a Sunday after the first big snow. Someone's bound to do something stupid, so I figured I might as well get a few things done. Besides, I want to make sure I'm getting into that routine I told you about with the dogs.

"Okay, well, the list of outlets, computer terminals and all of the specs for the surgical theatres, patient rooms, hallways…"

Bo waved her off, shaking her head, "I told them to account for more than what you think you will need. That way, it will allow for growth in technology. Everything needs more juice these days and since we run mostly on generators in this state, I want to be sure you have plenty of both. If you ask for ten generators, you'll have twenty even if ten have to sit there winterized and unused until you need them."

"Well, I thank you for thinking ahead, Miss Dennis."

"You're welcome, Doctor Lewis."

Bo watched as Lauren got herself settled on the rails before she chuckled and called out to Lauren,

"And I think I'd like to be Bo Dennis-Lewis," the musher laughed as she called to her dogs, "Hike! Hike!"

Lauren stood, speechless watching Bo take off down the trail before she finally snapped out of her trance and whistled to her team. The doctor grinned at the thought of Bo's name on the program at the Iditarod as Dennis-Lewis. It would make her so proud. Lauren knew her name would never be on trophies or billboards, but she hoped that Bo would be just as proud to see Dr. Lauren Dennis-Lewis sewed onto the breast of her lab coats.

As she'd told Bo before, she would gladly have dropped the Lewis and fully taken Bo's name or at least put Bo's name after her own, but it seemed the brunette had made up her mind. Still, the doctor would bring up the subject of Rudy to be sure.

What Lauren hadn't told Bo was that if her Mom's case was as advanced as the other doctor believed, it was unlikely Mary would survive beyond her little sister's high school years without a transplant. For that reason, she wanted Bo to consider making sure that Rudy had the same last name as her older sister for guardianship reasons. That was part of the reason Lauren wanted to become Lewis-Dennis instead of Dennis-Lewis.

Lauren could see the light from the homestead in the distance. She was looking forward to a nice warm fire but kept the dogs at pace since they were still young and were out for their second run of the day. Bo had taken them the longer way home around the lake to avoid the steep incline of the shortcut and for that, Lauren was grateful. Running uphill while pushing a sled was not something the blonde had wanted to do tonight. Maybe later in the year when she needed a good workout and a challenge, but not after a day that included close to five hours of overtime.

She pulled into the open drive where Bo immediately waved her into the garage, greeting her team,

"Well hello there my little girls! Did you have a good run? Huh? Good girls! Good girls!"

Lauren smiled as Bo released her dogs into the indoor kennel where they immediately began to run and play with the fourteen dogs from her fiancé's team.

"How did they run on the homestretch?" Bo asked, helping Lauren hang her lines before handling the gear on her own sled.

Lauren unzipped her layers, hanging them one at a time as she replied with a smile, "They were great. You'd never know they hadn't run on snow for six months. You'd also never know they were pups. They were keeping pace with your big girls pretty well. Those new rails are fast!"

Bo smirked, "Yea, well we'll see how they do when we add a few more dogs to your team this year. I'd love to have a team that could give my girls a run for their money."

Lauren nodded, "Oh? You have ideas for building a team with my dogs?"

Bo smiled, "A training team, yes. You're getting better every time you go out, you handled the new rails with no problem, so I thought you might like to try a full team of your own. I figure it will come in handy on those cold winter nights when you have to use a sled to get to the hospital."

Lauren smiled, "The guys at the hospital site think I should use a snow machine."

Bo shrugged, "If that's what you want to do, that's fine."

The blonde considered Bo's expression for a long moment before heading over to feed and water the dogs,

"You don't approve?"

Again, Bo shrugged her reply, "I just don't see the need to burn fuel, make noise and ride around on a tin can when dogs are happy to do the same job. They don't break down. They don't make all of that racket. They require cheaper, all-natural fuel and the best part – they're family. They'll take care of you if you get into trouble. They have a brain, snow machines don't."

Lauren smiled, "That's sort of what I told the guys working at the hospital."

"So you don't want to ride a Tin Dog?" Bo asked.

"Nope." Lauren grinned, scratching the fur between Harper's ears, "These ladies are the only transportation I need in my life… and your truck on occasion."

Bo smiled, "I do have the snow machines in the barn for emergencies."

"I know, but we'll just leave those under the tarp unless there's actually an emergency." Lauren laughed, giving her girls one last rub each as they settled down in the hay to rest. She looked up to see Bo staring out of the window towards the barn. She looked… worried.

"Bo?" Lauren spoke softly, sliding her hand into Bo's, her other arm wrapping around her elbow, "What's wrong?"

Bo turned, looking at Lauren, a smile suddenly stretching across her face, "Nothing."

The blonde shook her head, "What happened to honesty? It's something about the snow machine."

Bo shrugged, "I don't like those things."

"O-kay… so we can sell one of them. Just keep one for emergencies" Lauren reassured, "I don't need to use one, Bo. Like I said, the dogs and truck are plenty." She walked towards her, "Do you want to tell me about it?"

Bo sighed, crossing her arms, "A guy I knew out west… he bet a bunch of idiots in a bar that he could beat my team with his snow machine. I was using sixteen dogs, but still… everyone knows a snow machine is faster. Of course, that's not a reason to use them."

"What happened?" Lauren asked.

"I didn't want to take the bet. I was worried about my dogs running side-by-side with a tin can driven by a drunk. He said he'd run across the lake so I could have the trail… make it easy on them and put plenty of distance between his machine and my dogs."

"I told him that it was a bad idea… the weight of the machine, the ice… they all laughed at me and started calling me the 'safety girl', but… well, whatever."

Lauren nodded, "So you didn't take the bet?"

Bo shook her head, "A guy bet me a thousand dollars I couldn't stay within a hundred yards of him. I mean… I'm pretty sure the guy was drunk, but he was holding a fistful of cash, so…"

"You took the bet." Lauren concluded.

"It was a lot of money… money I didn't have, and I wanted to head east to follow a lead on my Mom," Bo shook her head, "So yea… I took the bet."

"Nothing wrong with that." Lauren replied.

Bo shook her head, "It was April… the weather was… inconsistent at best. There'd been some rain and while temperatures were still below freezing, driving a snow machine across ice at that time of year is risky to say the least."

"Oh, Bo." Lauren said, now certain where the story was headed.

Nodding, the brunette finished, "I tried to tell him that running across the lake was a bad idea, but he said a snow machine could outrun any cracks in the ice. I told him the vibrations could make cracks ahead of the machine, breaking the ice so that the whole machine would fall through into the water. He insisted he'd done it a hundred times. Then he started calling me 'safety girl' again and then insinuated I was afraid and wanted to back out of the bet. As you can imagine, the old Bo took the bait. I got angry and basically told him to drive."

"I take it you were right?"

Bo nodded, "I tried to get to him, but when Diana and Nike went out on the ice, Diana fell through a crack, so I backed up the sled to pull her out." She shook her head, closing her eyes, "He came up for a minute… clawing at the top of the ice…"

Bo shook out her thoughts as the memory of the panicked look on the man's face swept through her mind,

"Before we had pulled out, I had weighted and knotted a line just in case. I should have thrown the line right away instead of trying to get to him with my sled." She shook her head, "I did throw the line out across the break in the ice… I don't know if I was just too late or if he didn't see it or couldn't grab it… or if he was too drunk to see it… I don't know… it was right there… it was a perfect throw… it was right there… all he had to do was grab it… but he didn't… he didn't grab it and… and he disappeared into the water."

"You did everything you could, Bo." Lauren replied, trying to calm her lover as the memories washed over her mind, bringing the panic she'd felt that night to the surface.

But Bo shrugged, "Did I? I shouldn't have taken the bet. I shouldn't have let him take the lake route. I knew it wasn't safe."

"Bo, it sounds like there was no reasoning with those men." Lauren replied.

"If he'd been on a sled, the dogs would have pulled him out. Snow machines are just a heavy sled with no instinct… they're not intelligent… they don't make decisions when the rider does something dumb… they know no loyalty… they have no sense of accountability to their owners."

Lauren smiled, "That's why you don't want me to ride a snow machine."

"I know it's stupid, but…"

"Bo, it's never stupid that you look out for me. I respect your knowledge about all things Alaska. If I had seen the things you've seen, I'm sure I would think twice about everything."

"Still, they have their place." Bo replied, "When it's a quick trip and you don't want to have to set up lines, hook up each dog, get them into booties… it's good to have the machines."

Lauren nodded, "Okay."

"I just don't like running them over water… not unless it's the dead of winter and the ice is solid." Bo replied.

"Okay." Lauren agreed again.

Bo turned, taking a look at the dogs who had quieted down, "Wow. Didn't they all crash out."

Lauren smiled, "Fresh air, first run. They're tired."

Bo nodded, "Well, it looks like they're all content. I want to throw down some extra hay. It's going to get cold tonight."

"Do you want to turn on the heater?" Lauren asked.

Shaking her head, Bo replied, "They're fine with just some extra hay."

They got to work, watching as the dogs immediately began making piles near their houses and settling in for the night. Bo picked up a few stray poo piles before the two washed their hands and headed inside.

"I hope your Mom has a fire going." Lauren said as Bo held the door for her.

"Me too." Bo nodded, taking a glance back through the window at the tarped snow machines. Shaking her head, she turned and walked inside where she immediately heard Rudy's voice.

"Lauren! Lauren! Come here! I wanna tell you about my first mushing… or mushy… how do I say that?" Rudy asked her Mom as they wandered back to her bedroom.

"Your first run as a musher?" Mary replied.

"Yea!" She crawled into her bed and looked up to see the doctor standing in the doorway, "Lauren, you should have seen me and my sister riding the sled, Lauren! There was this long trail and there was so much snow… did you know it doesn't usually snow this big this time of year here?"

"I've heard." Lauren smiled, walking to the near side of the bed and tucking Rudy under the covers while Mary kissed her on the forehead,

"I'm going to go have my tea, child. It's Lauren's turn tonight."

"Okay. Goodnight, Momma."

"Goodnight my sweet, sweet child. I'm so proud of you."

"Did I do good?"

Mary smiled, "You did great and I took lots of pictures. I'll show them to you tomorrow."

"I love you, Momma."

"I love you, my little Roo."

Mary stood and moved to the doorway where Bo was standing, arms crossed, her shoulder against the door frame. Bo smiled at her Mom who gave her shoulder a squeeze as she walked by. The brunette then turned her attention back to her little sister and fiancé, smiling as Rudy continued to explain her adventure… for the third time today. In her defense, Lauren hadn't heard the full story just yet and the blonde looked like she was enjoying it.

"… well, there was so much snow that the trees were hanging to the ground! My sister was getting all smacked in the face and stuff. We were going down this really long trail when she stopped and made me get into the basket. That's the thing in the front. Did you know that?"

Lauren smiled, "I did."

"So she put me in the basket and zipped it shut so that only my googles were sticking out so I could see. It was like being a butterfly in a cocoon but a lot colder. I mean… I wasn't cold. She gave me really warm clothes and a blanket and… well… then she got on the sled in my driver's seat and she started going and it looked like we were going to fly into the sky, but then the sled dropped over this huge like… well, I don't know what you call it but we were going really fast down the mountain… like so fast! Sister was getting hit in the face. I know she was because I could hear her making funny noises like in the cartoons when they get hit."

She giggled, looking over at Bo who came into the room, "Oh, that was funny, huh? I get you all snuggled into a nice warm space and you laugh at me while I'm freezing and getting whapped in the face by snow covered branches all so that you can get into town?"

She shrugged, "It was funny." She looked at Lauren, "It really was. And we were going really, really, really fast! It was so cool! I think it was like those rollercoasters I saw on TV one time. Have you ever been on a roller coaster?"

Lauren chuckled, "I have."

"Are they as cool as they look?" Rudy asked.

"They are a lot of fun." Lauren smiled.

"Will you take me? And Bo too? I don't think my Mom would want to go. She says a roller coaster is far too much excitement for her. I don't know what that means." Rudy frowned.

Lauren nodded, "One of these days, I'll take you and Bo to Disneyland and we'll go on a roller coaster together."

"Really?" Rudy smiled, her face lighting up with hope, but Bo interjected,

"Maybe. Roller coasters are not always good for people with… well, we'll see."

Lauren cocked her head as she made eye contact with Bo, her words countering Bo's hidden concern,

"Actually, for speed addicts like you and your sister, they are likely exactly what the doctor ordered." She turned to Rudy, "One of these days we'll take that trip. If Bo is too afraid to go on little roller coaster, we'll do it ourselves, right?"

Rudy laughed, "Right!" She looked at Bo, then back at Lauren, "But my sister's not afraid of anything. She's Bo Dennis… my champion! She'll go."

Lauren nodded, watching Bo's head drop. If only Rudy knew that Bo's greatest fear was losing her little sister, she might understand. Hopefully she wouldn't have to fight Bo on treating Rudy like a fragile child that couldn't continue to live the vibrant life she would choose.

"I did really good driving the sled today, right Sister?"

Bo smiled, "You did great, kiddo."

"Am I a… what did Mom call it at lunch?" She looked at Lauren who replied,

"A worthy successor."

"Right." Rudy said, turning to Bo, "Am I… what Lauren said?"

Bo smiled, sitting beside Rudy on the bed, "You will not only be good enough to take over my sled, you'll be better than I ever was."

"You think so? You really think so?" Rudy grinned, but Lauren could see the tears welling up in Bo's eyes as she replied,

"Yea, kid. I think so. I really think so."

Bo leaned in and kissed Rudy on the cheek before turning and walking from the room. Rudy watched her go before turning to Lauren,

"Is Sister okay?"

Lauren smiled, "Of course she is. She just gets a little emotional when she thinks about you being all grown up."

"But I'm not grown up. I'm still a little kid. That's why she won't let me drive the sled by myself."

Grinning, the doctor kissed Rudy on the forehead, tucking her in tightly before picking up the books they had started to read this week, but the youngster shook her head,

"Do you mind if we don't read tonight? I'm really tired. I think I'm just gonna fall to sleep."

Lauren frowned, "Are you sure? Not even just a page or two?"

Rudy shook her head, "Can we just talk a little?"

Lauren smiled, putting the books on the shelf, "Sure. What do you want to talk about?"

"My sister and why she looks at me like she's sad sometimes. I think Mom does it to." Rudy replied.

Lauren sat back against the headboard, allowing Rudy to snuggle into her side, "Sometimes, we adults imagine what the future will bring. When your sister looks ahead like that, she sees you all grown up and I think she just wants more time with you as a little kid."

Rudy giggled, "Do doctors have a secret pill to keep me little forever?"

Lauren laughed, "Of course not, silly. But Bo will be okay."

Rudy grew silent, her smile dissipating, "And will I be okay?"

Lauren paused, seeing the look of fear that spread across Rudy's face, "Are you worried?"

Rudy nodded, "A little. I'm not very good at tests. Mom told me I have to take one."

Lauren smiled, "Well, you don't even have to study for this one. The doctor will do all the work."

"Really? I don't have to study?"

Lauren shook her head, "I promise. No studying. All you'll have to do is take a nap and we'll be right there with you from the time you fall asleep to the time you wake up."

"Good. I think I'll get an A. I'm really good at sleeping – especially when I'm tired." Rudy replied with a yawn.

"Really?" Lauren giggled, "Then why are you still awake?"

Rudy laughed as the doctor tickled her belly and kissed her once more on the forehead, "Go to sleep, kiddo. We'll see you in the morning."

"Okay. Goodnight, Lauren. I love you."

The doctor stood and moved to the chair by the bed. Reaching to the nightstand, she lowered the wick on the lantern and as it dimmed, she replied,

"I love you too, Roo. Sleep well, pleasant dreams, kiddo."

Lauren watched as the youngster rolled onto her side, heavy eyes slamming shut. The doctor sat vigil as she always did on the nights she read to Rudy. She waited for her breathing to become slow, deep and rhythmic before she turned the wick all the way down, then quietly moved to leave the room. She looked back once more, before slowly closing the door. When she turned to walk towards the living room, she found Bo standing by the large picture window. There was a beautiful view of the river tonight, but her fiancé did not seem to be calmed by the scenery,

"Bo?"

"She can't ride roller coasters, Lauren. She'll never race a sled. She'll…"

Lauren tried to keep her voice down for Rudy's sake, but she was losing her patience with the brunette,

"Stop it. Stop it, Bo. You stop it right now. I told you to prioritize what I don't know over what that damned doctor from Hawaii told me," She shook her head, "I should have lied. I should have told you that they sent the wrong file. I don't know what it is, but lately, you go into panic mode right away. You used to be this tough, angry, I-can-beat-anything woman who I didn't have to worry about falling apart. Now, it's like you live in constant fear! The worst part about that is that you should finally be able to live life as a free woman with not a care in the world! Everyone who wanted to kill you is dead!"

Lauren started to walk down the hall, but turned back, "I'm going to say this one time. That child in there is fine. You don't know anything about her heart and more importantly, I – the expert - don't know anything about her heart! She is showing absolutely no symptoms of having this condition and I refuse to allow you to bring darkness into our lives again… not when the sun has just begun to shine on this family after Big Jim's reign. So you pull yourself together or you can go sleep outside with the dogs."

Lauren stormed down the hallway into the main house leaving Bo behind. She entered the living room, plastering a smile on her face for her future mother-in-law's sake and spoke calmly,

"I'm going to make some tea. Would you like some, Mary?" Lauren moved straight to the kitchen while trying to contain her anger but listened intently for the woman's reply.

"That would be nice, Lauren. Thank you." Mary said from her spot on the sofa.

"What are you knitting?" Lauren asked, putting some wood in the compartment beneath the burners before turning to the cabinet to find the matches. She grabbed the tea kettle to fill.

Mary smiled, "Another blanket. I know it sounds crazy, but we can never have enough of them for winter and it seems it's coming early to our region this year."

Lauren lit the stove, setting the kettle to boil before moving to the shelves to pull out two mugs. She hesitated for a moment before sighing and grabbing a third mug. She may be angry with her for going into super pout mode right now, but Bo was going to be her wife and she needed to learn to move past the brunette's recent tendency towards the negative.

"I suppose this is nothing like it was on the North Slope when you lived there?"

Mary shrugged, calling back to Lauren, who was spooning tea leaves into small sacks for steeping,

"It's a different kind of cold up north. The air is a bit drier and the snow doesn't fall deep… it falls to join the hardened landscape, the lightest snow blowing into drifts against buildings or what little hills we have there."

Lauren nodded, "I see. You know, it's nowhere near the North Slope, but Bo flew me up to Denali. It was beautiful."

"Ah, yes… and finally restored to its original name." She smiled as Lauren came to stand by the fire, "You know, that name plays a large role in the creation story of the Koyukon Athabascans – my grandmother's descendants. Of course, there are those who believe in an earlier version of history that states the mountain is Dena'ina territory, not Koyukon territory."

Lauren nodded, "So they want it named Dena'ina?"

Mary shook her head, "Their name for the mountain would be Dghelay Ka'a."

"What does it mean?" Lauren asked.

"Dghelay means mountain and Ka'a means big, so… big mountain." Mary smiled.

"So the dispute isn't between the government and the natives but between two native peoples?"

Mary shrugged, "There are definitely disputes between natives and government which is why so many of our towns and landmarks are reclaiming their native names, but native people were pretty territorial before white man ever came to our lands. When the white man came, you would think we would have united, but unfortunately, that was not the case in all tribes. Our isolationist ways left each to fend for themselves in keeping what was our own. Once our land was sacrificed, we were at the mercy of the white man's government."

"How do you feel about that? I mean… do you object to Bo not marrying a native Alaskan?"

Mary let out a chuckle, "Are you asking if your lily-white skin bothers me?"

Lauren shrugged, "I guess I am."

Mary dropped her knitting and stood, walking to Lauren. She took her hands in her own,

"Child, I adore you and I couldn't be happier about my daughter's choice for a mate. From what Mark and Molly have told me, I owe you her life, for you alone found my Ysabeau's soul and brought her out of the darkness and into the light."

Lauren raised a hand, stopping Mary's impassioned thank you speech. She offered a shy smile as she shook her head, lowering her eyes to her hands as she spoke,

"I wish that were true, Mary, but it seems that while the dark curtain was closed on Big Jim and his escapades, a new shadow has fallen, and Bo can't seem to find her way around it."

Mary dropped Lauren's hands and placed a hand on the mantel above the fire, "My sickness."

Lauren could only manage a nod in reply.

"I'll talk to her."

Shaking her head, the blonde replied, "I don't know that it will do any good. She's worried…"

"Rudy." Mary nodded, turning to stare into the fire, "She won't be satisfied until she's sure that her little sister didn't inherit this dreaded disease."

Lauren shrugged, "Condition, not disease and yes."

"Condition or disease, what does it matter? The end result will be the same. I'll be dead and my little girl will be left without her Mother. No matter how hard I try to do better by Rudy than I did by Bo, nothing seems to change. I just keep making the same mistakes over and over again."

Lauren's eyes went wide when she realized why Mary had been so quiet the past few days. The guilt of how she'd left Bo when she was young was rearing its ugly head as she relived the experience with Rudy,

"First, please remember that we're still not sure you actually have this particular condition. The report was grossly inadequate."

Mary nodded, "As you said earlier today, but why then does my energy come and go? Why do I have these bouts of shortness of breath?"

Lauren shrugged, "I can't answer that question without the test results that should have been in your records. Your symptoms may or may not be unrelated to a single issue. Energy can be related to stress, depression, hormones, chronic fatigue and shortness of breath could be something as simple as asthma. Then there are glandular conditions and many reproductive ailments such as menopause. I would just like everyone to try to have hope."

Mary cocked her head, "Easier said than done, I'm afraid. You're not the one leaving a child behind… leaving a child for the second time."

Lauren sighed, "Mary, I'm sure you feel guilty about how you left Bo and she surely hasn't given much room for forgiveness on that front but surely… you can't really blame yourself for what's happening to you now. First and foremost, if this diagnosis is correct, these conditions are manageable, so I'm fairly certain that you won't be going anywhere too soon. Second, you didn't ask for this – it was passed onto you from one of your parents just as you may have passed it onto any of your five children. You had no way of knowing."

"That doesn't help the shame I feel."

"Why? For having a genetic predisposition to a condition? Mary, there is nothing you could have done to prevent this. There is no shame in having a condition brought on by heredity. You would have to blame your entire family line. It's simply something born to your ancestors."

Mary shook her head, "It feels more like something bestowed upon me by the ancestor spirits for the damage I've caused to those I should have loved and protected. I should have stood up to him. I should have been willing to die for her and instead I ran like a scared child when he threatened me."

"Big Jim? From what Bo has recalled, he was controlling, abusive and kept you from your sons. As for the more recent events, he threatened Bo, not you."

"When he threatened her, he threatened me… she is my very soul, Lauren. I know that sounds ridiculous considering I left her behind – I'm sure that's how it appears to you, the same as Bo – but it wasn't like that at all. Had I not done as he told me, he would have killed or had her killed. Once he thought he had me, he went after her. You would understand if you had a child of your own."

Lauren scowled, "I'm sorry. You're right. I don't have a child of my own, but still, you did what you thought you had to do. There's no changing that, but there is a future for you to look to with your daughters. Yes, there might be a heart condition for you to deal with, but Mary, please understand you could not have prevented this from being passed on to any of your children."

Leaning in, the scientist in Lauren came to the surface and continued, "It's only been in the last ten years or so that we have even known to do genetic testing for this disease, but that testing isn't performed until an adult has the condition. What I can say is that if you have it – and remember, we're still at the 'if' stage – it was passed to you by one of your parents who got it from one of their parents and so forth. We have traced this condition back four generations now. If we had the documentation, I'm sure we could trace it back to the first of each patients' line. No matter what happens, this is not your fault, Mary."

The pair grew silent when the tea kettle began to whistle an insistent tune leading Lauren to return to the kitchen while Mary went back to her knitting. The blonde poured the hot water over the bags in each of the three cups, shaking her head as she worked. She was frustrated with Mary's insistence on personal blame. She needed her to have a positive attitude if she was going to live a long life… if not for her sake, for Rudy's – and Bo's. As much as her fiancé might not realize it right now, she needed her Mom in her life more than she believed.

She pulled one of Bo's hand-carved trays from the counter and set up the servings. She opened the bread box and removed six of the shortbread cookies Mary had baked, adding them to the platter before carrying everything into the living room.

"Here you are." She smiled politely at Mary who responded with a smile and a nod, "It's a cold night. I'm glad we still have tea left. I'll have to pick some up from the store tomorrow."

Mary shook her head, "No need. There's more in the pantry. I picked some up from the herb shop today. I think she's chopping her leaves too fine too soon. It's a bit bland. The leaves our Ysabeau grew will soon be dried and ready for use. Then we'll have the finest tea in the country."

Lauren grinned, "I'm afraid I probably wouldn't notice, having sipped boxed American tea all of my life."

Mary laughed, "You forget – this is American tea, child."

Her eyes grew wide as she realized what she'd said, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to insinuate that you aren't… I mean… you're the original American. Please forgive…"

"Lauren, relax. I know your heart by now, Child. You would never insult my culture. What I'm saying is that mass production has led to an inferior product. They cut the plants too soon because of the demand in supply. Of course, I'm sure it also sits in warehouses for too long and becomes stale."

Lauren nodded, sipping her tea, "I am definitely able to taste the difference between this tea and the tea back home."

"Be careful my daughter doesn't hear you refer to Boston as home. She's set on you calling this home." Mary laughed.

"Of course. It's just… habit." Lauren sighed, "Thank you for picking up the tea. I do appreciate it."

Mary shrugged, "It's the least I can do. I live here rent free while you and Bo pay for everything."

Lauren smiled, "We don't need your money, Mary… but we do need you."

"Need an old fool like me? That's kind of you to say, but…"

"But nothing – and you're just hitting the fifty mark. If your life is going to be shorter than expected, you must remember that I know nothing about Athabascan culture. If you wish for Rudy to learn from me one day, you've got lessons to teach me. I know nothing about dog sledding except the basics that Bo has taught me. You do notice I'm not sledding on my own yet, right? She doesn't trust me out there anymore than I would trust myself. I can handle most things about the sled, but the wilderness is a whole different ball of wax. Honestly, I know little more than Rudy does, yet I may have to drive my team through deep snow in order to tend to patients in need this winter."

"Bo will drive you."

Lauren shook her head, "And if she's not around or heaven forbid, she's the one who's sick? I can't always rely on Bo to rescue me. I've got to learn to be as self-sufficient as she is without getting myself killed in the process. I've tried trial and error – it didn't work out well for me."

Mary chuckled, "So you just need me for my knowledge, huh?"

Lauren stilled her cup, mid sip, "Uh… no… that's not what I'm saying. I mean… I respect your knowledge and would be grateful if you shared it with me, but it's not the only thing…"

Mary laughed, "Again, relax, child. I was kidding. My, you are wound tight, aren't you!" She said, sipping her tea as her eyes remained set on the flames."

"Oh. Well… that's good because I'd hate for you to think I didn't care for you." Lauren replied awkwardly. She could just never get the hang of when Mary was joking.

They both looked over their shoulder when they heard a throat clear. Bo entered the room,

"You two look cozy." She came to stand in front of the fire, holding her hands out towards the flame, "Cold night. I'd better get the stoves cranking."

She headed up the stairway, as Lauren called out to her, "Bo, I've made you tea. Don't let it get cold."

"I'll be right back." She called down as she disappeared over their heads.

Lauren sat quietly, staring at the fire and sipping her tea. She cupped her hands around the mug and inhaled the warm steam that flowed from the surface. It wasn't long until Bo came back down,

"I started two fires in your part of the house, Mom."

"One in the bedroom, yes?"

Bo nodded, adding wood to the fireplace, "Yes. The other in your sitting room."

"Thank you, dear."

"You're welcome." Bo smiled, coming to sit beside Lauren. She accepted the offered cup of tea and grabbed two cookies from the tray, "Did you make these, Mom?"

Mary nodded, "This morning."

"Mmmm… they're good. Whatcha makin'?" Bo asked, trying to make out what was on her Mom's knitting needles.

"Another blanket. We can never have too many with the way your family stops in around here."

"They're your family too, Mom."

Mary shook her head, "They're not my blood, Ysabeau. They are from your Father… with another woman."

Bo shrugged, "A woman who wasn't lucky enough to get away from Big Jim. Thankfully, you had the sense to run when he threatened you. Tosh tells me she died a slow death. Lauren went back over the medical records at his request."

"Oh?" Mary asked.

Lauren nodded, "She was poisoned. A little bit – likely administered daily – over a long time."

"How did you know?" Mary asked.

"I found evidence of more than twenty-four fractures in her skeletal remains that the coroner did not reveal to the family since they didn't ask. Despite those findings, Tosh knows of no traumatic injury to his Mother during his lifetime. It is unlikely the depth and size of those fractures would have been caused in her childhood. Three of the injuries were spiral fractures to the wrist or forearm which is indicative of being pulled or tugged abruptly."

"So you think she was abused." Mary concluded.

Lauren nodded, "I do. In addition, there is no evidence of anything that would have caused a long-term illness such as the one Tosh describes – no cancer or debilitating disease. Her doctor never mentioned problems with her heart or lungs, but he does mention liver failure. I won't bore you with the specifics, but there are things left behind – markers of a sort when poisons are used, and there is evidence of arsenic poisoning."

"Arsenic, you say?" Mary asked, her fingers working faster.

Bo and Lauren shared a look before turning back to Mary, "Yes. Why?"

Mary took a long swig of her tea before she answered, "Big Jim used to carry a black bottle with a large X on it. He would never tell me what was in the bottle – just that it wasn't for kids."

Nodding, Lauren replied, "I suppose he got the poison up north, then carried it down here so no one could witness him purchasing the deadly mixture."

Mary stood, carrying her tea to the fire. She stood close to the stone, her eyes firmly attached to the orange glow as she spoke,

"Seline had such knowledge. She may have made the potions for him while she lived on the North Slope, then continued to supply him when he needed them down here." She stopped what she was doing, going back over the row to count her progress, while she nonchalantly asked,

"How would one know they were being poisoned?"

Lauren shrugged, "Early stage symptoms would vary - headaches, general sickness, possibly stomach pain as it impacts abdominal organs, dizziness or weakness, possibly a fever, loss of appetite. Late stage would see various organs beginning to fail. The sporadic dizziness and weakness would continue as symptoms progressed. Honestly, the symptoms would vary with the dosage and method of administering the toxin into the system. The effects would be long term without treatment."

Mary nodded, "And could this cause the condition in my heart?"

Lauren shook her head, "Arsenic poisoning generally affects the lungs, liver and kidneys," Lauren replied, her mind heading into overdrive as she tried to process the information at her disposal.

She had heard all of it before, but for some reason, she didn't connect the dots until now. Could it be possible that the doctor that Mary saw was somehow connected to Big Jim? How would that be possible? Jim was never in Hawaii… or was he? Obviously, she had not been present for these events so couldn't know the whereabouts of Bo's father until very recently, but who would? He had cells of men seemingly stretched across the northwest. Were they elsewhere?

She stood from the sofa, "It would be a gross misdiagnosis for a physician to mistake a poisoning for myopathy."

Bo looked at Lauren, confused, "Where are you going?"

"I have to call Tamsin."

"Tamsin? Now?" Bo asked.

"Yes, now."

Bo looked at her Mom who looked up towards the loft and commented, "This leads me to believe that your doctor believes your Father was somehow involved in what's happening to me. She's going to Tamsin for answers to her questions."

It took a moment for Bo to connect the dots, but when she did her anger flared. She turned to the fire, her eyes searching the flames for answers, "The real question is if the damage he brought into our lives will ever end."

Mary lowered her head,

"I brought." She said flatly, emphasizing her role.

"What?"

"The damage I brought, Bo!" She looked up at her elder daughter, a mix of fear and rage in her eyes, "I brought him into our lives. I did this. Just like I may have given you and Rudy a deadly disease if this isn't caused by your Father's meddling."

Bo shook her head, "Is that what you think?"

"It's the truth." She replied, her eyes lowering in shame once again.

Bo sighed, putting down her mug. She turned to face her Mom, "Okay, so we're assigning blame? Well, then I'm the one who did this to you… I'm the one who made you believe this was all your fault. Well, nothing could be further from the truth. I know exactly what kind of ruthless, vengeful, power-hungry, manipulative, horrible man my Father was, and I never should have blamed you for what happened to me. If you had stayed, he would have killed both of us, plain and simple. Because you left, we're both alive and the Spirits gave us Rudy."

She took her Mom's hand, "Look at me, Mom."

Mary's eyes remained on the floor, though Bo could see a single tear drop from her cheek, "Mom, look at me."

Finally the older woman turned, her eyes red as tears trailed down her cheeks, "When you were young born, I was so excited to finally have a girl… to have a child I could shape and teach… a child he wouldn't take under his wing and steal away from me. As you grew, you were… you were everything, Ysabeau… and I wanted so much more for you."

"I know, Mom. I remember. You wanted me to be smart and I studied so hard to make you proud. School was everything to me."

"You wanted to be the first one in the family to go to college. You wanted to grow things… all kinds of things."

Bo nodded with a smile, "I loved to spend time with you in the garden at the restaurant."

Mary smiled, "Some of my most cherished memories are of you in that garden… running up and down the rows, your long, dark mane of hair flying behind you in the breeze. Your pink cheeks puffy as you smiled, chasing butterflies… always, always smiling."

She cupped Bo's cheek, tracing her thumb over the bulge of skin, "Then I left and Big Jim took over. Your smile went away. Every picture the agent sent me… no smile."

"You got pictures of me?"

She shook her head, "The agent left a box with pictures. Surveillance pictures. He'd been keeping an eye on you… or one of his men. I'm not sure. Seven pictures… no smiles. He found you and Big Jim before he found me. He told me who he was and what he was trying to do. He asked me questions and told me what my cheating, theiving, murdering husband was doing. I suppose I already knew that he was a bad man – but murderer? I always thought they were just threats."

She sighed, "He said that if I was cooperative, he would make sure we were safe. I asked about my sons…"

Bo saw another tear fall from her Mother's cheek as she explained, "He said they had been implemented in several of his crimes including two of the murders… there was nothing he could do for them. He said that he had to be careful – that he was concerned our Father would catch on to him. Then… for years I didn't hear from him. I thought everyone was dead – the agent, your brothers… you… until Tamsin."

She shook out her thoughts, "Anyway, your friend Dyson…"

"He's not my friend." Bo scowled.

Mary's head jerked quickly towards Bo, "Well, he could have fooled me."

"It complicated." Bo replied.

"Well, uncomplicate it for me."

Bo sighed, "He's in love with me. He thinks this thing with Lauren is just a curiosity."

"A curiosity?"

"He doesn't think I'm really a lesbian."

"And why would he think that?"

Bo shrugged, turning her eyes to the floor."

"Ysabeau?"

Bo rolled her eyes, throwing her head back, "I slept with him, okay? I just needed… release!"

She looked at her Mom, receiving a disapproving glare,

"I only slept with him once… or twice… okay, so I slept with him a little more than twice… okay, I slept with him a lot, but I never lied to him! He knew it was just sex for me! He knew I didn't like people or the complication of relationships and emotions and expectations!"

Mary laughed, "Oh, Ysabeau. You should know better than to toy with a man's emotions. Did you learn nothing from watching your Father and I growing up?"

Bo shrugged, "I didn't remember Big Jim was my Dad let alone remember the two of you together. Dr. Gray says I used something called defense mechanisms that put my brain into survival mode. Suppression, denial, displacement… apparently, I used just about every one in the book."

"You're angry with the man for loving you just because you can't reciprocate that love? He saved you many times, Ysabeau."

She shrugged, "He's overbearing and overprotective."

"I'd say he's simply following his instincts – instincts that come from true love, Ysabeau. He's not trying to be anything but who he is. I notice he's not around here banging on your door, bringing you flowers? As a matter of fact, I've barely seen the man. It seems to me he is respecting the boundaries and your relationship with Lauren despite how he feels. It takes strong man to resist the pull of true love, Ysabeau. You should remember that – and if you can't, then at least respect the fact that you wouldn't be marrying Lauren if it weren't for him?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Bo asked, "If anything, he tried to keep me from marrying Lauren."

Mary smiled, "No, he tried to win your heart by telling you how he felt. And what I mean is that if he hadn't helped you when Big Jim imprisoned you in that jail cell, you and I never would have seen each other again, you would never have met your little sister and that Doctor of yours wouldn't even no you exist for you never would have met. You would have died on the cold floor behind those old iron bars from your wounds."

Bo closed her eyes, wishing away the image that immediately began to play in her mind. It seemed that since she'd started talking about the events of her life with Doctor Gray, the flashbacks came more easily than before… sometimes in scattered images that didn't seem to make sense.

"I don't want to talk about it," Bo snapped.

"Okay, but I hope one day you will tell me what you've survived so that you can share the burden of your past with me. I helped bring it about, so the least I can do is carry half of the load if not more. Besides, I know a bit about that look on your face. The night he killed your team was not the first night he took a dogs' life nor was it the first time he'd beat a member of his family half to death."

Bo watched as her Mother's eyes turned to the fire. She could see her physically shudder at whatever memory had rushed through her mind. She had no idea what her Mom had suffered at the hands of her husband. She had very few memories of them together in their home.

Bo shook her head, "You know, this conversation started with me trying to reassure you about your burden, not you trying to reassure me about mine."

Mary nodded, heaving a great sigh before her shoulders visibly relaxed and she turned towards her daughter, offering a half smile, "So it did."

"Listen, Mom. I'm sorry I didn't forgive you as soon as you set foot in town. Big Jim did this to us. I should have recognized that he took me from you just as he took you from me. He wanted us to be apart because he knew that we were stronger together."

"Together, we would have been no match for him." Mary replied, squeezing Bo's hand, "You were getting older, stronger and wiser. We were – and still are - a strong pair of Athabascan women with the spirits of our ancestors and the children of nature on our side. He would not have stood a chance against us."

"Except for that shotgun he carried with him everywhere he went." Bo chuckled, shaking her head.

Mary laughed, "Yes, that's true."

A moment of silence followed before Bo looked up at Mary, her expression soft and caring, "I forgive you, Mom. And I apologize for ever being mad at you."

"And I apologize for bringing such a man into your life."

"Well, you see, that's the catch, Mom. If you hadn't brought him into your life, I wouldn't have my life." Bo smiled, "Besides, if I've inherited anything of benefit from him, it's his stubborn streak, persistence and never-say-die attitude towards life."

"You forgot to mention his charm." Mary laughed.

"Right. He's certainly charming… whenever he wants something," Bo said, sarcastically.

The two shared a glance, Mary shrugging, "I wonder why we still speak of him as if he's alive?"

Bo cocked her head to one side, "I suppose it's because the pain he caused is still alive in us and as long as it lives, so does he."

The pair looked up when Lauren came down the stairs, pulling on her boots, "I'm going to the clinic."

"No you're not." Bo said, looking back at her Mom as she stood and stepped in front of her fiancé.

"Yes, I am." Lauren said, handing Bo a stack of books, "Hold these."

The doctor side-stepped the brunette and moved to the kitchen, pulling her pack from the wall before walking back to Bo in the living room. She took the books and began loading them into the pack.

"Lauren, this is crazy. You cannot go out there right now."

She looked up at Bo, shaking her head, "Bo, this is me… the real me. I realize this may seem strange to you, but it's my process. When I'm on a case, I have to go with my instincts and right now, I need to go to the clinic and do some research."

"Lauren, surely this can wait until morning." Bo replied.

The doctor shook her head, "I have patients to see in the morning and I'll lose my train of thought. I have to do this now before I run the tests I have scheduled for your Mom. If this has something to do with poison, time is of the essence."

"What is five or six more hours! It's been months! It can wait until morning! It's almost midnight and it's snowing again, Lauren. You cannot go out there."

Lauren smirked, walking to the table by the windows and grabbing some paper. She shook her head, putting the paper back before dropping her bag and running towards the steps.

"Lauren!" Bo yelled, before throwing her hands over her head and dropping them to her sides in frustration.

For her part, Lauren took the steps two at a time. Moments later, she was running back down the steps, Mary and Bo turning to follow her movement. The older raven-haired woman was now standing beside Bo, her hands on her hips as she spoke calmly to the doctor,

"Child, you said I won't be dying any time soon. Are you certain this can't wait until morning?"

"Yes, Mary. I'm certain. I have all sorts of ideas running through my head right now and if I don't work the problem now, I'll lose the flow of ideas." She stopped, looking up at Mary, "Besides, if I'm right, I may have been wrong about you dying any time soon. I'm sorry I didn't consider this possibility knowing Big Jim as I do."

She pulled the pack onto her back and looked up at the pair, "I need the two of you to trust me. If I'm right, then the proof I need is at the clinic. I won't know if I'm right until I'm there and doing my research. If I'm right, I can save you – and the organs this poison is slowly killing every minute it's in your body. I have to go now if there will be no ill side-effects… I mean, beyond death, obviously."

Bo turned to her Mom, who shrugged, "Go."

"I'm driving." Bo replied.

"Bo, no. You have all sorts of things going on tomorrow and you need your sleep. Besides, one of us has to be here in the morning to take Rudy to school if your Mom is going to take care of the dogs."

"I can bring the dogs now and she can handle Rudy. I'll follow you on the sled and you can drive my truck."

Lauren nodded, "I am taking your truck and you can take the dogs in the morning. They're probably sound asleep. Don't wake them up now."

"You forget that they're accustomed to running on short bursts of sleep. Iditarod Champions, remember?" Bo smiled, walking towards the blonde, but she held up her hands,

"Bo, I need to go… alone. I need to think."

Bo scowled, "About what?"

Lauren could see the panicked look in her fiancé's eyes and quickly clarified, "This has nothing to do with our previous discussion. I'm going to think about science… not about us."

Bo visibly released a heavy breath, "Right," she shook her head, "But I don't understand what the harm is in being safe. It's better to travel in pairs out here."

Lauren shook her head, moving to the kitchen and grabbing the truck keys, but Bo followed quickly, stilling the doctor's hand. Lauren looked up at the brunette,

"You travel alone out here all the time… you always have. I made the decision to move here, Bo… to this state… to this vast wilderness. I've read every book that's been written about this place. I've read your early journals that outlined every lesson you've learned. I've learned from Molly, Mark, Tosh, LJ, Kurt and anyone else who would give me advice. I'm not the naïve doctor you rescued from the blizzard almost a year ago, Bo. I'm smarter and more experienced. Granted, I know I still have a lot of practical experiences to learn from, but I won't learn if I don't try. If I'm going to continue to live here, I've got to be able to come and go as I need to. Being part of a couple doesn't mean we're with each other every waking minute. You have to trust that I don't need your protection every minute of every day and night, but I do need your teachings and support."

She looked over Bo's shoulder, "Yours too, Mary."

Bo nodded, "I know all of that, but I don't understand why I can't just go with you just this once."

Lauren shrugged, "There has to be a first time that I go out in a blizzard alone again, Bo! You want to go because you think you have to protect me… not because you really want to go. You'd rather I just stay here. You don't think that my work is important for what you perceive as an unnecessary risk."

"Okay, so maybe you're right. I don't think that some science project you want to do at midnight is important enough to get yourself killed over!"

"Ysabeau!" Mary scolded, leading Bo to turn and cower. Bo turned back to Lauren,

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have raised my voice."

Mary walked between Bo and Lauren, grabbing a scarf from the coat rack, "It's very cold. Call us if you have trouble or when you get there so that we know you're safe. If you don't call, I won't be able to stop my stubborn daughter from coming after you. Be sure you have your phone on."

Lauren smiled as Mary gripped her head and placed a soft kiss on her forehead. She then reached up to the top shelf, pulling down the solar battery charger that had been plugged in all day, "I charged this today when I saw the weather. Remember to plug it in at the clinic if you use it on the way there. With no sun…"

Lauren nodded, "Solar batteries can't charge."

Mary smiled, tucking the blonde's scarf into her collar. It was a gesture that Lauren found comforting. Her own Mother had never done such a thing, though she'd remembered other Mom's doing it for their kids when she was a child. She smiled at Mary as she continued,

"The snow is deep. The trail will be narrow. If you won't take the team, take the iron dog." Mary took the truck keys from Lauren's hands and handed her the key to the snow machine, "Don't forget to wear a helmet and a riding suit."

"No!" Bo protested, stepping towards Lauren, "You know how I feel about those damn things! You can't!"

Lauren shook her head, her eyes now angry, her voice impatient,

"Ysabeau Dennis, if you love me, then trust me to take care of myself. I don't have a death wish and I am all about safety. I'm not taking the shortcut, so I'm not crossing the lake, river or creeks. I'm riding a straight line to town – the long way. You took greater risks on the Iditarod trail while crazed men were chasing you to kill you. I spent weeks worrying about you and you treated me like shit the entire time. I am taking your Mother's advice and taking the snow machine. You will stay here and that's final."

The blonde stepped past Bo who turned and glared at her Mom, "I can't believe you gave her the keys to that thing! If anything happens to her…"

"Nothing is going to happen to her, Bo. She's very well trained on the machine." Mary replied.

Bo's eyes went wide, "You? You've been teaching her how to ride that deathtrap?"

"She asked me. I had no reason to reject her request."

"You had no right!" Bo replied.

"I had no right to honor a request from a grown woman who is caring for my youngest daughter and paying my bills?" Mary laughed, "You're overreacting, child."

"Overreacting? You're sending the love of my life out on a machine that will likely kill her!"

Mary frowned, "Kill her? Really? Do you know how many people ride those every day around here?"

"Yes! And a lot of them end up dead!"

"Bo, that is simply not true. Your fear is clouding your judgment."

The brunette turned when she heard the garage door raise. She rushed out the door, her Mom calling after her,

"Bo! You have no jacket on!"

The brunette ran past the indoor kennels where the dogs were all wide awake and barking. She grabbed the blanket that was laying atop the basket of her sled to dry and wrapped it around her, then grabbed a pair of googles at the door. Holding them up to her eyes, she pushed out into the storm, dragging her legs through the knee-deep snow. She took a breath to yell and the cold air filled her lungs, burning them instantly. She covered her mouth with the blanket and tried again,

"Lauren!" She called out as the iron dog roared to life, but all she could do was watch as her fiancé pulled out of the barn and into the deep drifts of the snowswept driveway. Lauren slowed for a moment. Turning to Bo, she shouted over the engine,

"Trust me! I'll be fine! Go back inside!"

Bo dropped to her knees as Lauren sped off down the long snow-covered road towards Talkeetna. She felt her Mom pull the goggle strap over her head and wrap another blanket around her,

"Come – before you catch your death out here. She'll be fine, Bo."

Bo leaned on her Mom all the way to the garage, turning back one last time to see the taillights of the machine. She sighed, shaking her head,

"You'd better be right, Mom or I will never forgive you for handing her those keys."

Mary shook her head, watching as her daughter made her way back into the house before she spoke quietly into the storm,

"You're more like you're Father than you'd care to admit… or remember." Mary said, "And there's a story behind this fear of yours. I think you're going to tell me all about it tonight."

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 _ **Four Hours Later…**_

Bo was tossing and turning in her bed as the conversation… or rather, confrontation that she had created with Lauren played over and over again in her head. She didn't understand why the blonde had been so stubborn. It would have been no trouble at all for her to accept a ride into town with Bo,

"I would have slept on one of the beds in the clinic or even in the bed in the apartment. It's not a big deal, right? Why is she so damn stubborn?" She whispered her argument to the rafters of their bedroom.

After Lauren left, Bo had remained dressed, planning to be forced out into the night to check on her. It wasn't that Bo expected Lauren to be in trouble. The more likely scenario was that the doctor would get wrapped up in her science and forget to make the call home. If she was being completely honest with herself, Bo was hoping to have a reason to make the trip just so she could say she was right.

She sat up, frustrated with the thoughts whirling around in her mind and reached for her phone. She tapped Lauren's name in her contacts before allowing her thumb to hover over the call button, but stopped,

"You're probably asleep." She said, remembering the call she'd received from Lauren after she arrived at the clinic, alive and well. She'd sounded so tired, "I shouldn't wake you no matter how much I want to scream at you for leaving me alone in this bed."

She put the phone on her bedside table before rolling over and reaching out to grab Lauren's pillow, sighing at the empty space beside her. The small picture frame on Lauren's nightstand caught her eye in the dim light. Bo smiled at the memory of the two of them at the Union Oyster House in Boston. Betsy had taken the picture and brought it with her in a frame as a housewarming gift. The glow of the phone vanished, taking with it the image, but it was already burned into Bo's mind. She ran her fingertips over the cool sheets,

"I hate it when you're not beside me."

She sat up again, picking up the phone, but hesitated again, "Damn. When did I get so clingy?"

She pulled up her contact list and dialed, the phone ringing several times before a groggy voice answered,

" _What the hell, Bo! Do you know what time it is?"_

Bo cringed, "Actually, I don't."

" _This had better be important."_

"I can't sleep." Bo replied, her voice holding at least half of the frustration she was feeling.

" _Oh, so I shouldn't get any sleep either? What the fuck, Bo. I have to get up early to meet the plumber."_

"I'm screwing up with Lauren and I don't know what to do."

There was a long stretch of silence before she heard the rustling sound of blankets and a throat clearing,

" _I find it hard to believe you could screw things up permanently. That woman is head over heels for you. She calls you her soulmate, Bo. Her soulmate."_

"I know and I believe she's mine, too! I mean, I'm laying here feeling like half a person because she's staying at the clinic apartment tonight!"

" _You've got nothing to worry about. You're like… the peanut butter to her jelly, the salt to her pepper, the fruit to her smoothie, the bait to her hook, the table to her chairs, the…"_

"What?" Bo asked, confused.

" _I'm sorry. It's three a.m. so don't expect me to be at my best." A yawn followed, "Okay. How are you screwing things up this time?"_

"I don't know."

" _Then how the hell do you know you're screwing up?"_

"I don't know."

" _Did she say she was leaving you?"_

Bo shook her head, "No."

" _Did she say she was mad at you?"_

"No."

" _Did she yell at you?"_

Bo replayed the conversation as far back as she remembered. It was a jumbled mess in her head, but she was pretty sure the only voice that was raised in anger was her own. Lauren was just… frustrated and insistent.

"No."

" _Then why are we talking, Bo?"_

Her voice cracked, "I don't know, Kenzi!"

 _There was an audible sigh, "Get dressed, get the dogs ready and get over here. We'll have an early breakfast. A really, really… really, really early breakfast."_

"I don't want to bother you, Kenzi."

 _The younger woman laughed, "Really? You do remember that you called me, right?"_

"I know and I'm sorry." The tears fell harder.

" _Bo, you're not a crier. The cold air and your dogs are just what the doctor ordered for this mood."_

"If only my doctor was the one writing this prescription." Bo sobbed, "I have to take Rudy to school in the morning, so I can't come. I'd never make it back in time."

" _Then come when she wakes up. If you get her up a little early, she can have breakfast with us. Tell her I'll make her sunshine pancakes."_

"Thanks, Kenzi."

" _I've always got your back, BoBo, you know that. I'd just prefer it was after I've gotten my beauty sleep. You know, I have to work at lookin' like a super model. Contrary to popular belief, I don't just wake up looking as fabulous as I do."_

Bo's wet cheeks curved into a small smile, "I'll be there as soon as I can get Rudy out of bed."

" _Yea, well good luck with that little lump. She's not exactly the most cooperative morning child."_

Bo nodded, "She's got her good days and her bad days."

" _Okay, well I'm going to get a couple more hours of Z's. Text me when you're leaving. I'll have breakfast for your girls too. Bring them around the back door instead of putting them into the kennel."_

"Thanks, Kenzi. I appreciate it."

" _I know you do. Later." Kenzi said, hanging up before Bo could reply._

The brunette hung up the phone and stared at the screen. Her thumb hovered over the contacts once more. Finally, she took a breath and made the call. It rung several times, eventually going to voicemail. Her mind went into overdrive, wondering if Lauren was okay. She dialed again, this time getting an answer on the fourth ring,

" _Talkeetna Clinic, this is Doctor Lewis."_

Bo hesitated, unsure of what to say.

" _Hello?"_

"Uh… hi."

" _Bo?"_

"Yea, it's me."

" _Why aren't you asleep?"_

"I… uh… I suppose I could ask you the same thing."

 _Lauren sighed, "I'm working."_

"You have to be up soon. Shouldn't you get some sleep?"

" _No, Bo. I mean I'm literally with a patient. We had an emergency. He came in about forty minutes ago. I was asleep at my desk."_

"Who?"

" _It's not a local, Bo. It's a tourist from Montana. He was out here to attend Boyd Washinton's sledding school and decided to do a night run on his own."_

"Stupid outsiders."

" _Yea, well… careful there, Miss Dennis. I was a stupid outsider at one time, too. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing, as they say. I've really gotta go, Bo."_

"Do you need me to come into town?"

" _Do you suddenly have a medical license?" Lauren asked before realizing how Bo might interpret her comment as more condescending than a joke._

"I realize I don't have a high school diploma, but there was a time you thought I could be of some use in situations like this. Good night, Lauren."

Bo hung up abruptly, leading Lauren to hold the receiver of the old landline against her chest, shaking her head. The last few hours with her fiancé had been tense at best. She really did need to tread more gently, but then again, the brunette was getting on her last nerve with the protectiveness.

She walked to her desk and picked up her phone, sending off two texts. The first was an apology and clarification to Bo that ended with an 'I love you' and the second was to her colleague, Faith Gray requesting an appointment at her earliest convenience. She had a lot to get off her chest and sorting through what she should and shouldn't share with Bo was a job for a professional since Lauren was certainly not sharing wisely at this time.

Her phone had barely touched her desk when it rang. Seeing Kenzi's name, she accepted the call,

"Kenzi? Everything okay?"

" _Well, your wife called, so apparently not. Are you mad at her?"_

Lauren sighed, "My fiancé and I'm more frustrated then mad."

" _Why aren't you home?"_

"My science… I mean… Bo, Mary and I were talking when I got a lead on something from Mary's past. It gave me an idea about… how to solve a particular patient issue and… well…"

" _Your big brain took off and you had to come into town to do your science stuff."_

"Exactly. Thank you." Lauren said, relieved that Kenzi got it.

" _So what's the problem with Bo?"_

"She wanted me to wait until morning, but… well, I had all of this stuff in my head, so I just had to come in and get it all down. I had a few books at home, but most of my research materials are here. I also have high speed internet here."

" _Still haven't convinced BoBo that a cell tower is worth the invasion of the natural elements at the homestead?"_

"Nope. She built her house to be off grid for a reason, Kenzi. I can't ask her to betray that. I've got electric, running water and internet here and that's enough. Besides, it will prevent me from allowing my personal and professional lives to become too intertwined. When I'm at the homestead with Bo, I want to be fully present with her."

" _Got it. So why does Bo think she's screwed things up with you?"_

"What?" Lauren asked.

" _That's what she said. She called me about thirty minutes ago all freaked out that she had screwed up your relationship. I think she's afraid you're going to change your mind about being with her."_

Lauren shook her head, "Kenzi, I'm not going anywhere… but honestly, she's driving me crazy. I've seen it in patients before."

" _What?" Kenzi asked._

"Fear, Kenzi."

" _Fear? Are we talking about the same Bo because I think we can both agree that our Bo is likely the most fearless person in the whole of Alaska… if not the world."_

"Normally I would agree, yes but right now, it seems like everywhere Bo looks, she is afraid of losing someone or something. It's like the fear has taken hold of her and won't let her go. Every decision, every thought, every waking moment is spent dwelling on those fears. The fearless Bo I had learned to handle, but this one – I don't know what to do, Kenzi."

" _You know, Doc - Bo's life has changed an awful lot in the past year. She went from having nothing to having it all and then some. I think now that she's opened herself up to the possibilities her new life has to offer, she's waiting for the other shoe to drop. Let's face it, until now, it always has. Being so isolated most of her life, she had the luxury of low expectations and low emotional connections. Now that she's allowed herself to feel, experience and connect, she's got everything to lose."_

Lauren heard Kenzi heave a big sigh before she continued,

" _We haven't talked much about the losses we've both experienced in life, but I'm sure we've each had our burdens to bear. Bo has never known loss – never. Even when she lost her Mom as a kid, she never really allowed herself to believe she was gone. For whatever reason, memories of her Dad were lost to her – probably trauma or some psychological shit like that, but she never felt loss because she didn't remember him. Now, she's gotten just a small taste of loss from her brothers' deaths and Seline's betrayal. I think she realizes that if those losses feel as bad as they do, that losing her Mom, Rudy, me, Kyle, Molly, Mark, Tosh, LJ, Michael and especially you would be devastating. She's holding on tight like she did with you last year… too tight."_

Lauren sighed, "I guess I'm so deep in my day to day life with Bo, I hadn't been able to step back and see the big picture. But Kenzi, that fear is consuming her and now, curing that fear is consuming me. I left last night because the science I'm doing could allay some of those fears… big fears."

" _This is about Mary's heart disease."_

"She told you?"

" _Of course she did, Doc. I'm Bo's second brain. When things don't make sense in her actual brain, she uses mine as a backup."_

Lauren smiled, "Well, I'm glad she has you."

" _Likewise. So did you figure anything out?"_

"Nothing I'm ready to share other than the fact that I'm pretty sure her doctor in Hawaii was a Quack."

" _You mean…"_

"I called Tamsin. She got here about an hour ago with an emergency case Kurt's plane was diverted to… she found out that the doctor in Hawaii didn't have an actual medical license. Actually, I really need to get back to my patient."

" _Okay, Doc. Bo's coming in for breakfast. I'll see if I can do a little clean up."_

"Thank you, Kenzi."

" _You betcha. Chat later, Doc."_

Lauren ended the call, placing her phone on her desk. Her fingers danced over the device for a few moments as she thought about the last few hours. She really needed to be more patient with Bo. She was accustomed to the tough, fearless woman she fell in love with, but that was not the Bo she was living with right now. Kenzi was right – after having nothing for most of her life, Bo had been gifted so much recently. Anyone would be scared in her position, although she was pretty sure her fiancé wasn't quite consciously aware of those fears.

For now, she would check on her patient and then get back to Mary's case when Tamsin got back from visiting Dyson. The best thing she could do right now for Bo was to figure this out. Maybe then, Bo would have one less thing to fear.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_


End file.
